Entebbe Botanic Gardens
Entebbe Botanic Gardens
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  • Graham W
    9 contributions
    A walk in the park
    Entebbe Botanical gardens is between the town and Lake Victoria, it cost 10000 Ugandan shillings to visit and I would recommend a guide for another 10000, because without the guide you stroll around would be frustrating as most things aren’t described as the guide would. The guide pointed out all / most of the different trees, coco, rubber, canon ball tree, sandpaper tree etc. Worth it to hear about them. The gardens themselves are not really gardens, but an area with trees. As I was there on Easter Monday, the lake was being used for baptism’s and people were having fun. The were two type of monkeys in the garden and various birds, spotted like the Hornbill, which was nice to see. But like I said you need the guide, or you will miss most things.
    Visited April 2021
    Traveled on business
    Written April 5, 2021
  • Wilma Du Plooy
    Hartbeespoort, South Africa44 contributions
    Next to Lake Victoria!
    Not your usual Botanical Gardens. More a huge Garden which anyone is using. You can drive trough it with your car or motorbike. We have used the restaurant/ drinking place straight down on the Lake when you enter at the gate which was great. At the time a band played in the open and some people were doing photoshoots. We had to ask for a receipt at the gate. It was not issued, although we have paid 20000 UGX which I could not calculate from the tariffs on the board. But views on the Lake...beautiful!!!
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 11, 2020
  • kushty500
    Crewkerne, United Kingdom63 contributions
    Relaxing place
    One of many different venues bordering Lake Victoria in Entebbe, this one has the edge on most because the huge expanse of the botanical gardens. It is a very pleasant walk from the gate through to the beach and any amount of diversions or alternative routes through the gardens. The trees and plants are beautiful and the birds interesting. Monkeys are there of course as in most areas of Entebbe. Its a lovely way to spend a late afternoon/early evening before the mosquitoes come out. The gardens extend right down to the edge of the lake and the small sandy beach. There is a reasonably priced cafe/bar there and of course the ubiquitous music synonymous with beaches in Entebbe which we love. Hard to say how it could be better at what it does hence the five stars as there is nothing better than a chilled out experience near water. It could have lost half a star for the tendency for people to leave their rubbish behind but we cleared up everything we could see in a a few seconds
    Visited January 2020
    Written February 10, 2020
  • Christoph P
    5 contributions
    Overrated. No need to return to this place
    I wonder what prompts people to give this place great reviews. We had a terrible time here and felt cheated despite the affordable entry. It starts at the entrance. Tourists are charged 10k UGX (about 2,5 EUR), local residents 3k UGX. We paid 3k each and 2k for the car. However, we noticed that payment only seems to be mandatory for Muzungus (white people) as other locals were simply waived through before and after us. One can tell that that the parc has once been designed nicely. The overall architecture and the placement of the tall trees is thought through. But there is little to no maintenance. Gardening work is mostly left to nature. Signs on trees are very scarce (probably due to the fact that it's mostly laminated paper pinned to the tree). The alleged highlight is the café right at the shore of the lake. This spot has great potential as it would be a great place to have a coffee, beer or cold drink, small meal etc. with a nice view. However, on the day we went (a Sunday), there was unbelievably loud music blasting onto the people that were present. Not only was the music a very bass based one, but it was also two different sources from two different directions. Total nonsense. We did not last more than 5 minutes before fleeing the spot. The music did not seem to bother some of the people there, but also, noone was actually enjoying it or even dancing to it. With all this nuisance, obviously bird or animal watching was not an option. The rest of the parc is a mix of dust clouds (as many people drive on the dirt paths rather fast, despite the indication to parc right after the entrance) and more unwanted music since the parked cars play their own music for everyone to "enjoy". It is only about 1-2 km walking to go the large round in this parc. No idea why people come here to drive even the very last meters. Then people picnic a lot and leave a huge mess. Perhaps come in the morning when not so many packaging and food waste has been thrown onto the grass. If you want a quite hang out spot on your way to the Airport, avoid this parc anf go to nearby ViaVia instead. Air is cleaner than in Kampala, they have drinks and food and you do not get blasted by loud music.
    Visited March 2022
    Written March 22, 2022
  • racemilyn
    Kampala, Uganda2 contributions
    Couples get away
    It is large enough for a number of events to take place at the same time. It has a cool and fresh green ambience. But some work needs to be done on the places of convenience. They need to be upgraded. The shelters too need to be upgraded for comfort and use like during sunny and rainy seasons
    Visited December 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 13, 2021
  • Sally
    4 contributions
    Such variety!
    The steps from the original Tarzan movie are here! It is worth it to pay for a guide who can describe the many different trees & plants. I believe it was started by European colonists who wanted to find out what trees would grow in Uganda. A few include rubber trees & cocoa trees. Giant philodendron vines! Things we grow as houseplants are there, but enormous! It borders on Lake Victoria.
    Visited March 2019
    Written February 27, 2020
  • michaelseymour2014
    Darwin, Australia72 contributions
    Tranquil and beautiful
    Visited Entebbe Botanic Gardens yesterday. It is a lovely and tranquil place to wander through and enjoy the tropical environment. As Entebbe is very quiet presently due to Covid 19 restrictions we had the place pretty much to ourselves except for a very friendly dog (I think he belonged to the gatekeeper) who followed us around. We highly recommend anyone visiting Entebbe to spend some time in these gardens.
    Visited August 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 22, 2020
  • Life traveller
    North East England, United Kingdom3,804 contributions
    Very pleasant nd interesting walk by Lake Victoria, with guided tour.
    Beautiful walk around such a varied botanical garden by Lake Victoria, and a great introduction to colonial Uganda! Why the British transported trees from India, Texas, Europe and other far off places to this large and sprawling spot in th late 19 century I've no idea, but it has made for a beautiful spot to spend a couple of hours or so. I would definitely recommend to hire a local guide (for 20,000 schillings, plus 10,000 schilling tip, available by the entrance) who can tell you what you are looking at and some of the history associated with it - Forest area where the original Tarzan film was shot, anyone! So many plant and tree species (from White Mahogony to Crocodile tree), lots of birds, some black-faced monkeys and great views of Lake Victoria. There are local restaurants inside the gardens, by the lake, and also some by the entrance, where my guide took me to sample goat stew for the first time. If you have a day free in Entebbe, this would a great place to spend it.
    Visited January 2023
    Written February 16, 2023
  • _Mags_NL
    Luanda, Angola292 contributions
    Beautiful trees
    The botanical gardens are beautiful. There are some amazing trees an a lot of birds to observe. Most trees have an identification sign on them. This is really a great place for a walk. You are also allowed to bring in your car and have a picnic and even build a fire to cook on. Unfortunately there are very few benches. I also didn’t see any bins so there is quite a bit of litter on the ground. Entrance to the gardens is 10,000 Shilling per person (non Ugandans).
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 1, 2020
  • Cheryl M
    12 contributions
    Garden and Culture
    This is a very large botanical garden with several little niches that I am sure we would not have found without a guide. Guides are available for hire for a reasonable fee at the gate. Subsequent visits can be enjoyed alone. It is a joy to see such diversity and old growth vegetation, but also interesting to notice the Ugandans having picnics, walks, and beach time. The reason I did not give it 5 stars is because you have to watch your footing with some road and trail erosion.
    Visited November 2019
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 9, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
637 reviews
Excellent
213
Very good
269
Average
118
Poor
26
Terrible
11

Desi P
Brooklyn, NY3 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
This is a small, but sweet botanic garden and a lovely respite for a calming walk among 200 year old trees along the lakeside. There's plenty of bird and vervet monkey watching. Definitely get a guide - it's worth it!
Written July 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jiska
13 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
A beautiful garden!! It's so stress relieving. The beauty of the trees, grass and water are breathtaking and it sets you still for a moment. At the waterside are a few tables where you can order a drink. It's awesome for a morning of peace and quiet, and great for pictures!
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Judith Bridget
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Friends
The beautiful garden with green trees, grass, water springs and the cool breeze that brings life and take away the stress
Written June 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suzette Weideman
8 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
The self-taught guide Rafiki made our trip fabulous! His knowledge of plants and birds and sharp eyes and ears enlivened these gardens for us. Even the rolex at the beach front was well worth the trip.

Tips: Get the guide, don't have set expectations, eat the rolex!
Written May 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kathleen98422
Tacoma, WA11 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
The Entebbe Botanical Garden is just around the corner from the Best Western Hotel. We went to visit and enjoy the afternoon after the rain stopped. It is basically a city park by the lake. But to get in you pay UGX 20,000 each. This would have been fine had it been the only 'charge'. No sooner had we gone a few hundred yards than we were asked to donate to a wildlife education fund. Our 'guide' lead us right to this location. Our 'guide' which we did not request also asked us for money. No one said anything about a fee for the 'guide'. It really ruined the whole experience, along with all the trash, and the loud music at the lake shore. Skip it!
Written April 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NovaTravels-net
England153 contributions
Feb 2023
Very interesting gardens with lots of interesting trees and Vervet monkeys. Beware of the Guides. We paid an entrance fee and the guide started taking us around. He told us about the trees but at the end he insisted on payment of US$10. We didn't have $ or local currency so he walked us back to Precious Guesthouse and waited until he got paid. He should have said upfront that there was a cost instead of trying to deceive us.
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lukas d
Lithuania17 contributions
Jan 2023
very beautiful garden with many trees.the botanic garden is definitely worth a visit.i recommend to get a guide
Written March 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ben S
4 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
A nice park in Entebbe, nothing exciting but a good place to walk around for a hour or two. Has lots of trees some monkeys and a beach
Written February 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Life traveller
North East England, UK3,804 contributions
Jan 2023
Beautiful walk around such a varied botanical garden by Lake Victoria, and a great introduction to colonial Uganda! Why the British transported trees from India, Texas, Europe and other far off places to this large and sprawling spot in th late 19 century I've no idea, but it has made for a beautiful spot to spend a couple of hours or so. I would definitely recommend to hire a local guide (for 20,000 schillings, plus 10,000 schilling tip, available by the entrance) who can tell you what you are looking at and some of the history associated with it - Forest area where the original Tarzan film was shot, anyone!

So many plant and tree species (from White Mahogony to Crocodile tree), lots of birds, some black-faced monkeys and great views of Lake Victoria. There are local restaurants inside the gardens, by the lake, and also some by the entrance, where my guide took me to sample goat stew for the first time. If you have a day free in Entebbe, this would a great place to spend it.
Written February 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tabbie Kat
Inverness, UK329 contributions
Jan 2023
We had a great couple of hours guided in here. So many different trees. We saw our first Grey Crowned Crane here as well as Hornbills and Colobus Monkeys. Well worth a couple of hours out of your day.
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Entebbe Botanic Gardens Information

Excellent Reviews213
Very Good Reviews269
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