Lake Kigere in Fort Portal

Lake Kigere is among the numerous crater lakes situated in the Nyakasura Hills, near Fort Portal city. Lake Kigere can be accessed on foot from the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves, to enhance the overall tour experience. You can hike to Lake Kigere to witness one of the most iconic natural features that make Uganda a tourism powerhouse. From Kibale National Park, Lake Kigere is 15.5 kilometers to the west. The lake has a maximum depth of around 370 meters and is situated near other crater lakes, including Saaka and Nyabikere.

Another popular crater lake, Kyaninga, is almost 10 kilometers from Lake Kigere. Views of the Rwenzori ranges can be seen from Lake Kigere. Learn about the Chwezi dynasty as you explore this mystical lake. According to scientific evidence, Lake Kigere was formed by volcanic activity thousands of years ago. This formed a basin that later filled with water. However, the locals have another tale about its formation. They claim that Nyina Mwiru’s efforts led to the formation of Lake Kigere.

Also, the name ‘Kigere’, which literally means ‘foot’ in English, comes from the giant footprint that can be seen nearby. This is believed to have been left by Nyina Mwiru herself while walking on cooling magma. Lake Kigere is surrounded by greenery, giving the entire place a picturesque charm. Lovely crystal-clear waterfalls are available nearby, so your guided tour in the area will be worthwhile.

What to do at Lake Kigere?

Birding; due to the diverse bird species found at the lake.
Photography; since Lake Kigere has a picturesque background for taking lovely photos.
Sightseeing; due to the presence of other crater lakes (Nyabikere and Saaka) nearby. The Rwenzori ranges also offer magnificent views.
Cycling, which offers a different experience while exploring the natural wonders in the place
Nature walk
Exploring the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves

How to reach there?

You can reach Lake Kigere by either road or air transport. From Kampala, your road trip to Lake Kigere covers at least 297 kilometers along the Mityana-Kyegegwa-Kyenjojo route. The duration of driving is 6-7 hours. Air transportation is a much faster means of travel to Fort Portal. Domestic flights are offered by AeroLink Uganda from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip, which is the closest to Fort Portal. Kasese Airstrip is only 72.6 kilometers by road from Lake Kigere. Driving from Kasese airstrip to Lake Kigere takes 1-2 hours.

When to visit Lake Kigere?

The glistening waters of Lake Kigere can be seen on any day of the year. Therefore, you can visit the pristine Lake Kigere either in the dry or wet season. But if your goal is to enjoy a comfortably cool atmosphere, go to Lake Kigere during the dry season. An added benefit of the dry season is lower rainfall, making trails drier and safer to walk on. Fort Portal experiences the dry season from June to August and December to February. Since Lake Kigere experiences a tropical climate, rain can fall anytime, so travel with a rain jacket, sweater, and hiking boots.

What else to see in Fort Portal?

Fort Portal offers a lot of attractions and experiences besides exploring Lake Kigere. These attractions include the following.

Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves

The Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves are so iconic and have attracted many visitors to Fort Portal. Apart from their beauty, visitors can uncover the site’s rich history. This includes the linkage with the legendary Bachwezi. The caves have mesmerizing stalagmites and stalactites whose scientific and folk origins are interesting to listen to. The Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves are situated 8.4 kilometers northwest of Lake Kigere.

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are a key attraction for visitors in Fort Portal. Trekking a habituated chimpanzee troop is one of the highlights in Kibale National Park. This popular forested ecosystem is situated just 15.5 kilometers from Lake Kigere. Visitors are allowed to view the chimpanzees for 1 hour after meeting them in the forest. For a more intimate encounter with the chimpanzees in Kibale NP, you can opt for a chimpanzee habituation experience. Here, you are offered 4 hours in the presence of a semi-habituated chimp troop in the forest.

Bird species

Birds are many in various destinations within and around Fort Portal. Lake Kigere and other crater lakes within Fort Portal provide plenty of distinct bird species to see. Kibale National Park and the adjacent Bigodi Wetland shelter plenty of unique bird species, offering birders a chance to indulge their passion. Kibale National Park is an Important Bird Area and home to at least 372 bird species. Here you will happily spot African swift, Egyptian goose, handsome spurfowl, African green-pigeon, great blue turaco, and pied cuckoo, etc.

Fort Portal city

You can also explore the charming Fort Portal city, hailed as the cleanest in the entire country. This is also where the rich history meets the warm hospitality of the people. A guided tour of the Tooro Kingdom Palace is almost inevitable. This offers deeper insight into the cultural and royal heritage of the Batooro people. The Kingdom Palace is situated 2 kilometers from Lake Kigere. Explore the Tooro Botanical Gardens situated 3 kilometers from Lake Kigere to see unique plant species of Uganda. Plants found in the gardens include aromatic plants, medicinal plants, edible plants, and others.

Other attractions to see in and around Fort Portal include the various tea plantations, River Mpanga, and the Rwenzori ranges. Kiko Tea Estate is 8.9 kilometers from Lake Kigere, while Kahangi Tea Estate is situated 15.2 kilometers from Lake Kigere. Another place is the Mpanga Growers Tea Factory, which is only 14.4 kilometers from Lake Kigere. You can also visit Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve to explore the diverse wild animals and birds living there.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

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Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

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00:41 15 Nov 23

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18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

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MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
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Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
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travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

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