Cultural tourism is a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions in a tourism destination. These attractions relate to a set of distinctive material or artifacts, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional features of a society that encompasses arts and architecture, historical and cultural heritage, literature, music, creative industries and the living cultures with their lifestyles, value systems, beliefs, norms and traditions.
Cultural Tourism in Uganda is best enjoyed while on our Uganda safaris. Uganda is blessed with unique culture on addition to features and a fascinating cultural heritage which differs among the four major kingdoms and many established chiefdoms that exist in the country.
Apart from the tribes and their cultures, there are also cultural sites that the government has tried to promote since most of the sites are owned individually or by cultural institutions so it became hard to develop them. Some of the sites include; Kasubi Tombs, Museums, King’s palace, Karambi tombs, Ssezibwa falls, Nkokonjeru tombs, Nakayima Tree, Katereke prison ditch, The coronation site in Buddo, Itaaba Kyabanyoro, Nyero rock Paintings, Kabaka’s lake, Namirembe and Rubaga cathedrals, Uganda Martyr’s shrine, Fort Baker, Bigo bya Mugenyi, Mparo Tombs, Kanyange and Nnamasole Baagalayaze tombs, Wamala tombs Igongo cultural center, Bahai temple, Kagulu rocks, Bishop Hannington site and many others.
Cultural tourism in Uganda involves a number of activities ranging from participation in cultural dances, visiting museums, visiting traditional cultural centres and the newly initiated cultural homes like Entanda in mityana and Ewaffe in nagalama. We also have several historical heritage site like the nyero rock paintings, the fort baker or patiko and the famous Kasubi Tombs in the central region.
The good news is that for any tour package that one would prefer, a cultural encounter can always be included according to a region of choice that one would want to visit. For example in Kidepo valley national park, one cannot fail to meet the ik or Karamojongs, in Bwindi and Mgahinga, one cannot miss out the Batwa experience.
In the western Uganda particulary in Ankole region is the Igongo cultural centre in Mbarara City and the eastern being represented by the Imbalu cultural ceremonies in the Bugisu region, the Kagulu and Iyingo mystrical rocks in the Busoga region.
Figure 6: Kagulu hill in Busoga region
The central region habours the biggest number of sites and most of them are developed and among them are the kasubi tombs, nakayima tree and many others. All these make Uganda a rich country in cultural tourism attractions.
Figure 7: The Kasubi tombs
Figure 8: Nakayima tree in Mubende district
Therefore Uganda cultural tourism is mixed with active cultural practices like cultural dances, heritage site and monuments with museums, active cultural sites, religious and traditional sites that are spread all over the country. Philo global tours and travel (U) Ltd is always available to offer you a package of your preference to any of the sites.
