Semliki national park is Uganda’s protected area, standing at Semliki Valley, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lake Albert to the south, below the Kijura Escarpment, and the Ruwenzori Mountains to the northern foothills. Click here to see mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

Semliki National Park is situated in the remote areas of southwestern Uganda in an ancient forest without travelers leaving Uganda. Semliki forests are in the eastern-most extended Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Basin and are the only true lowland tropical rain forest in East Africa. Click here to view our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Semliki national park Valley draws on the best of Uganda, as you avoid the busier parts of Uganda’s capital. Semliki National Park is also a prime birding destination in Uganda, with over 441 bird species recorded. 

Semliki national park can be best discovered on foot since there are a number of walking trails that take travelers to this ancient African forest of hot springs, primates, and papyrus swamps. Semliki National Park is within the contrasting areas of open savanna grassland and riverine forest. Semliki National Park is tangibly ancient and dark with gentle beauty, only explored by fewer visitors.

Primate Walk

The Toro Semliki wildlife reserve offers chimpanzee trekking for a particular scientific interest because the chimpanzee occupies a drier habitat than those situated in Kibale Forest National Park, Budongo Forest, or Kyambura Gorge. This means that chimpanzees move further while looking for food, so travelers can observe them for a short distance.

Primate trekking at Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve is accompanied by an experienced guide, and travelers are set on a 3- to 4-hour hike via riparian and acacia woodlands, Borassus palm forests, and savannah grasslands. Travelers can also join the researchers on a primate walk, but sometimes do not necessarily expect to see the chimpanzees because they can move looking for food and these chimpanzees are less habituated.

Exploring the Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve gives travelers the opportunity to discover other fascinating species in a beautiful environment. Semliki is home to a variety of other primate species, which travelers may spot on the primate walk, such as red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and baboons.

Albert Delta Boat Safari

A sunrise or sunset boat safari in the Lake Albert Delta is a truly exceptional experience. Travelers who are lucky can also get a chance to see the charming and extremely rare shoebill stork, which hides within the papyrus and weeds on the marshy shorelines. The Albert Delta boat offers the best boat safari that can be enjoyed in the morning and is operated by Semliki Safari Lodge.

Game Drives

Game drives in Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve are carried out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, or Semliki Safari Lodge. Game drives can be done in the morning or in the afternoon, and there are three main routes to choose from, each exploring different parts of the reserve and offering a unique experience.

Night game drives can also be done at Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Smaller forest and larger savannah elephants can be seen alongside buffalo, crocodiles, waterbucks, warthogs, and Uganda kobs.

Tour the Sempaya hot springs

There are Sempaya hot springs, which draw animals and birds with their salt licks. The park's most well-known attraction is the Sempaya hot springs. The terms "male and female springs" are often used to refer to them. One of the springs creates a fountain that is 0.5 meters high, emulating a geyser.
The hot springs are accessible via a route encircling the park, and park headquarters at Ntandi, just outside the park boundaries on the road from Fort Portal to Bundibugyo, may arrange trips to other regions.

 The best time to travel to Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve is in the dry season, which starts from December to February and again from June to September. During the above months, there's plenty of sunshine, and it rarely rains, so animals gather around predictable water sources, which makes viewing them much easier.