Semuliki national park is a wildlife viewing destination which is found in Kabarole district and it is found in the western part of Uganda. The national park used to be a reserve around 1932 and Semuliki became a national park in 1993. Semuliki national park stretches between Ntoroko and Kabarole district and the destination also stretches to the floor of Semuliki valley and the western side of Rwenzori.

Semuliki national park is made up of bio diverse forests, the Semuliki river and it also consists of acacia woodland and savannah grassland. The national park has a number of wildlife and bird species which can be seen during a tour.
Park entrance fee for Semuliki national park
When visiting Semuliki national park, park entrance fee which is charged during tours is 35 USD for nonresident adults, 25 USD for foreign resident adults and 15,000 UGX for East African adults.

Children visiting Semuliki national park are charged park entrance fee of 5 USD for foreign residents and nonresidents and East African children visiting the park are charged park entrance fee of 2500 UGX.
Nature walks around Semuliki national park cost 30 USD for nonresidents, 15 USD for foreign residents and 10,000 UGX for East Africans.
Birding in Semuliki national park costs 30 USD for nonresidents, 25 USD for foreign residents and 20,000 UGX for East Africans.
How to get to Semuliki national park
During tours around Uganda Semuliki national park can be accessed by driving and there are two routes which can be used to get to the destination and the first route is driving from Kampala to Fort Portal via Mubende. The drive along this route takes about 5 to 6 hours.
Alternatively, Semuliki national park can be accessed using the route from Kampala to Fort Portal via Masaka, Mbarara to Kasese. You can also use public means of transport to get to the national park. The drive along this route to get to the national park is longer and takes about 7 to 8 hours.
Another way to access Semuliki national park is by taking a flight from Entebbe international airport to Semuliki. Charter and scheduled flights can be booked to the national park using airlines like Bar Aviation.
Best time to visit Semuliki national park
Semuliki national park tours can be carried out at any time of the year but the best time to visit the national park is the dry season.
During the dry season the weather is favorable and it is also a time of the year when many tourists visit Uganda for safaris. The dry season in Semuliki national park is experienced from June to August and also from December to February.
Apart from the dry season, Semuliki national park also experiences the rainy season from March, April and May and also around September to November. Due to the rains received, some tourists avoid traveling to the national park and the rainy season is also considered a low season.

Activities to do around Semuliki national park
Semuliki national park is a destination where a number of activities can be carried out during safaris and they include the following;
Nature walks and Forest walks are also carried out around the national park. During safaris around Semuliki national park, nature walks can be carried out following different trails. These guided nature walks can be done around Ituri forest, the savannah grasslands and also the swamps. Some of the trails which are followed during tours around Semuliki national park include Sempaya nature trail, the Kirumia trail and also the red monkey trail.
Bird species of a variety can be seen during these nature walks and primate species such as vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons among others can be seen when exploring Semuliki national park.
Bird watching is another activity to do when visiting Semuliki national park which has over 435 bird species. Some of the bird species which can be seen around the national park include endemic bird species and many tourists visit Semuliki national park to see birds. the birds around the park include the shoebill, spot breasted ibis, long tailed hawks, western bronze napped pigeon, yellow throated cuckoo, black throated coucal, white bellied kingfisher, piping hornbill, red billed dwarf hornbill, black dwarf hornbill, white crested hornbill, African piculet, Gabon woodpeckers, bee eaters, king fishers, swamp nightjar, black billed barbet among others. There are also different butterfly species which can be seen around Semuliki national park and the best time to see the birds is during the months from November to April.
Visiting the hot springs is another thing to do during a tour around Semuliki national park. The hot springs in the park are called Sempaya hot springs and they consist of the male and female hot springs. During a visit to the hot springs, you get to enjoy a walk through a forest and then also a board walk that leads to the hot springs where you can also enjoy boiling eggs with your guide. This activity also starts with a briefing at the park headquarters before going to the hot springs and getting to know about the history and stories behind the hot springs.
Cultural tours are also carried out when visiting the local communities around Semuliki national park. This activity also involves interacting with locals such as the Batwa who live in the outskirts of the park and during the cultural tour; you can interact with the locals and get to know more about their way of life and culture. Other locals you can interact with when visiting Semuliki national park include Bakonjo, the Batuku and also the Bwamba.

Game drives can also be carried out when visiting the national park and this activity can be done around the Semuliki valley. Some of the wildlife species which can be seen during Uganda Safaris tours around the park include elephants as well as different primate species.
Visit Uganda and enjoy an experience of exploring Semuliki national park and other destinations found around the county.
