Things To Do & Local Attractions Mbarara

1. Mbarara Golf Course (with in 3 km)

Golf Tour of the Mbarara Golf Course and Club is one of the tourist products that attract regional and international visitors to Uganda. Visitors can combine their Uganda visit itineraries from wildlife safaris and beach holidays to golf teeing.

2. Bird watching day tours in Mbarara

With over 200 species of birds, the Mbarara town area is a must visit birding destination in Uganda. All tours start early in the morning from Dreamwood Suites hotel and are led by professional birding guide. We will try to find a lot of the localized endemics (of which there are many), and we will also see pelican, gray-crested crane – Uganda national bird, saddle billed stork, marabou storks and other landbird and waterbird spectacles, plus we will enjoy fantastic forest farm birding in idyllic surroundings.

3. Tour the Ankole Kingdom Royal Tombs

Ankole Royal Tombs site at Nkonkojeru Kakika is located a few minutes drive from Dreamwood Suites and 2 km from Mbarara Town centre and it contains the tombs of Ankole Kings. This is the resting place for the 25 kings of Ankole Kingdom

6. Visit the Rwizi River in Rwizi area

   A major source of water and a tributary for several water bodies in western Uganda

7. Tour the breathtaking

   landscapes, amazing collection of plant and endless rolling green hills of Rwampara Hills in Ankole region.

6. Nile Breweries Mbarara plant tour

Opened in 2013, the brewery tour on foot or by van offers guests an opportunity to meet the brewers, take a behind scenes tour with numerous tastings, and learn the entire brew process from grain to glass.

7. Visit the local market

To get a flavor of Mbarara town, head to the Mbarara Central Market or Rwebikona. This is where the locals come each morning to search out the freshest vegetables, meats and spices for lunch or dinner. The local food market in Mbarara Central Market, Bremba Rd, which is 15 mins drive from Dreamwood Suites offers many food items ready sell such as matooke (green banana), ground nuts – ground nuts, honey, fresh diary milk, fresh fruits and vegetables.

8. Coca Cola Plant Tour in Mbarara

Located on Mbarara-Masaka Road in Makenke in Mbarara City Industrial Area, and adjacent to the Makenke Military Barracks, this is one of the most popular factory tour in Mbarara.  The Coca Cola factory in Mbarara city opened its doors to the public in 1998 for tours and tasting. From school groups and university students to community associations and corporate guests, the Coca-Cola Plant visitors experience welcomes anyone who wants to come and explore, learn and have fun discovering the past, present and future of the world’s number one soft drink and one of the Mbarara’s leading businesses. The plant is located 8.5 km from our hotel and tours runs from 1-2hrs.

Prior arrangements with the hotel to the tour the plant must be done on time (approx 5 days in advance)

9. Visit the Igongo Cultural Centre

Located 18 km from Dreamwood Suites Mbarara City on the road to Masaka - Kampala, this new cultural village is worth a look.

Set on the grounds of a former palace of the royal Ankole king, this quality museum explores the peoples of southwestern Uganda, particularly the Ankole, through artifacts, a cultural village replica and a heap of info.

There’s a great bookstore with an interesting selection of Ugandan reading material. Directly across from the centre is Biharwe Eclipse Monument atop Biharwe Hill. It was built to commemorate a victory for Ankole kingdom 500 years ago, following an eclipse that saw the invading king retreat in fear (and never return), spooked as day plunged into sudden darkness.

the Igongo Cultural Centre opens daily for visitors from 7.30am-10pm. For entrance fees, ask our hotel reception desk for details

10. Visit the local Ankole long horn cattle and exotic dairy farms during a farm tour and banana (green plantain) plantations.

According to scholars, the Ankole -Watusi Longhorn cattle can survive in extremely harsh, dry conditions such as those in sub-Saharan Africa – which is becoming drier and hotter over the past decades. The medium-sized animals, with long, large-diameter horns, attract attention wherever they appear.

These animals are one of the oldest indigenous cattle breeds of Uganda and have often been referred to as "cattle of kings". In a context where herders are strongly encouraged to keep exotic and hybrid cattle, the innovative life approach led Ugandan herders to revalue the Longhorns for their economic and cultural value.

Their keepers, the Bahima, are an ethnic pastoral group of the Ankole people who reside in an area stretching from the South West to the North East of Uganda.

Guests will visit a family owned working farm practicing agricultural and community tourism. Along the drive from your Dreamwood Suites hotel in Mbarara, the countryside is very green and the traveler will enjoy the rolling hills, dotted villages, roadside open air markets, schools, grazing cows, banana plantations, maize farms, and local people going on with their daily lives.

For overnight guests homestead activities can be arranged such as Traditional cow milking lesson, and Farm chores: fence repair, weeding, herding, tick control, water cows at a local watering well and lots more while daytime visitors can schedule selected activities.

Planning your Mbarara city day trip or two-day loop, please contact us to enquire about our scheduled day trips, or if you would like us to arrange a private guided tour.

Tours & Travel Services

Uganda is a lush, green country in East Africa. Straddling the equator, the country’s dominating feature is water: the vast blue of Lake Victoria, the ever-flowing river Nile, Lakes Edward, George and Albert, and the expansive network of wetlands and marsh. Dramatic mountains punctuate the landscape: the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains (Ptolemy’s famous mountains of the moon’), the volcanic ranges of the southwest, the massive Mount Elgon in the East of the country.

Lake Mburo National Park situated in Isingiro District is 71 km away from Dreamwood Suites Hotel and 66 km from Mbarara town off the Mbarara – Masaka Road.