Kabaka's Palace
Kabaka's Palace
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
138 reviews
Excellent
36
Very good
63
Average
35
Poor
4
Terrible
0
Wei Jie Tan
Johor Bahru, Malaysia222 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
I got a tour by Elvis who was a really good guide. He explained the culture and history of the place really well, showed some really good art that he made on bark cloth, and answered questions really well. I would give him 5 stars and I tipped him after the tour.
So why did I give this place 3 stars? This place has no proper ticketing counter or proper display of ticket prices and it seems they charge people however they like. Based on reviews, it seems like you can pay between 20000 to 37000 (guide tipped separately). I just don't fancy such a system as I think it promotes corruption and exploitation of the guides.
So why did I give this place 3 stars? This place has no proper ticketing counter or proper display of ticket prices and it seems they charge people however they like. Based on reviews, it seems like you can pay between 20000 to 37000 (guide tipped separately). I just don't fancy such a system as I think it promotes corruption and exploitation of the guides.
Written 4 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boris L
Sarasota, FL200 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
This is the official residence of the king, so it’s nice to walk around and see the building from the outside and the grounds and even the car he had but you’re not allowed to go inside, so it’s not as impressive as most Kings palaces I’ve been to. The most impressive part is the Idi Amin torture chamber because there you can go inside and learn all about how he tortured and killed tens of thousands of his own people in the 70s. Tour Guide was nice and helpful, but then took us to the internal souvenir store, where they were trying to sell all of their homemade paintings, the paintings were actually quite nice, but it was weird that all the tour guide were selling us their own paintings at the site they were guiding in.
Written 21 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fortune_Madhuku
Harare Province, Zimbabwe455 contributions
May 2023
Include this in your itinerary if you want to learn a lot about the Buganda kingdom and history of the country. Do not leave the palace without visiting Idi Amini's armoury. The chambers tell a sad story of how power greed led to the torture and gruesome murder of thousands of opposition members. A small fee is charged, which includes tour guide services. However, I noted that the tour guides expect a small token of appreciation after taking you around.
Written 18 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James
Minneapolis, MN3 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
Was a very interesting place to learn about Ganda culture and the history of Buganda.
Elvis was a really great tour guide!
Elvis was a really great tour guide!
Written 14 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lovepatx
Southwold, UK26 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
The guide was very informative, patient and interesting. There was little to see relating to the kingdom of. Buganda other than photos and the outside of the building.
The torture chambers from the time of Idi Amin were as gruesome as I feared, but mark an important period of recent Ugandan history. Worth a visit, but don't expect a lot.
The torture chambers from the time of Idi Amin were as gruesome as I feared, but mark an important period of recent Ugandan history. Worth a visit, but don't expect a lot.
Written 30 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IK70
Espoo, Finland116 contributions
Oct 2022 • Family
The guide was great, interesting stories from royal history of Buganda. However, it was a slight disappointment that we were not able to see even a little glance inside the palace itself. The guide walked us around in the park and yes, we saw the dungeons, which could have much more interesting setup. Now it was just concrete walls with drawings and writings, and a nice group of bats :)
Written 22 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SteveK
Los Angeles, CA179 contributions
Jan 2022
Site has no official online presence, so how are visitors supposed to know when it is open and how much it costs?
I got there, ticket is 35,000 for one foreign adult ($10 USD). OK, do you take credit cards? Yes, but machine is broken. Right. Bought ticket and was then told I was not allowed to walk around by myself, I needed a guide. Is the guide included? No. How much is the guide? It's up to you. You mean guide is included but a tip is up to me? Guide is not included.
I have no clue what that circular conversation was about. I was not charged an additional fee for the guide. I tipped the guide.
This would be a lot easier if relevant information were posted online and also prominently visible at ticket office. Relevant info includes entry fees, whether credit cards are accepted (don't say they're accepted but not have a working machine), that a guide is required, that no additional fee is charged for the guide but tips are appreciated, hours of operation, and location of main security gate.
Site is an important spot for Uganda, but as far as tours go, there isn't much to see. There is no museum or visitors' center. Guide takes you to exterior front of undistinguished 1930s house but you can't go inside or walk around the building. It's just a photo op. Basically guide verbally rehashes recent Ugandan history while standing in front of house.
Perhaps main draw for many is an arsenal formerly used for torturing people. Dark place to be sure, but it looks like a truck unloading platform which is its purpose-built function. There is no exhibit, no supporting evidence, no oral histories, absolutely nothing to substantiate and deepen this presentation. It's "Bad stuff happened here, take my word for it."
I went to see the arsenal. For those who aren't locals for which the site is imbued with meaning, unless you have a specific reason to visit, it's a tough sell. Given the unprofessionalism with which site presents itself to the world, it's an even tougher sell to foreign tourists.
DATE VISITED: 24 Jan 2022; 35,000/foreign adult plus whatever tip for guide
I got there, ticket is 35,000 for one foreign adult ($10 USD). OK, do you take credit cards? Yes, but machine is broken. Right. Bought ticket and was then told I was not allowed to walk around by myself, I needed a guide. Is the guide included? No. How much is the guide? It's up to you. You mean guide is included but a tip is up to me? Guide is not included.
I have no clue what that circular conversation was about. I was not charged an additional fee for the guide. I tipped the guide.
This would be a lot easier if relevant information were posted online and also prominently visible at ticket office. Relevant info includes entry fees, whether credit cards are accepted (don't say they're accepted but not have a working machine), that a guide is required, that no additional fee is charged for the guide but tips are appreciated, hours of operation, and location of main security gate.
Site is an important spot for Uganda, but as far as tours go, there isn't much to see. There is no museum or visitors' center. Guide takes you to exterior front of undistinguished 1930s house but you can't go inside or walk around the building. It's just a photo op. Basically guide verbally rehashes recent Ugandan history while standing in front of house.
Perhaps main draw for many is an arsenal formerly used for torturing people. Dark place to be sure, but it looks like a truck unloading platform which is its purpose-built function. There is no exhibit, no supporting evidence, no oral histories, absolutely nothing to substantiate and deepen this presentation. It's "Bad stuff happened here, take my word for it."
I went to see the arsenal. For those who aren't locals for which the site is imbued with meaning, unless you have a specific reason to visit, it's a tough sell. Given the unprofessionalism with which site presents itself to the world, it's an even tougher sell to foreign tourists.
DATE VISITED: 24 Jan 2022; 35,000/foreign adult plus whatever tip for guide
Written 24 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Håvar
Nairobi, Kenya330 contributions
Sep 2021
A fascinating piece of Buganda history. The Royal Palace of the Buganda Kingdom, built in 1885 by Kabaka (King) Daniel Mwanga 11, is key to understanding Buganda culture and history, but thoroughly undermarketed as a tourist attraction. This is really a place all visitors to Kampala should have on their checklist.
The Palace faces the Buganda Parliament - another key cultural institution where all Buganda clans are represented. The two buildings are linked by a boulevard known as the Royal Mile, featuring sculptures of various animals and insects, each representing a clan.
The site is also home to the torture chambers used by the regimes of former dictators Milton Obote and Idi Amin Dada.
The Palace faces the Buganda Parliament - another key cultural institution where all Buganda clans are represented. The two buildings are linked by a boulevard known as the Royal Mile, featuring sculptures of various animals and insects, each representing a clan.
The site is also home to the torture chambers used by the regimes of former dictators Milton Obote and Idi Amin Dada.
Written 16 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan BP
Kabale, Uganda24 contributions
Oct 2020
You can't understand Uganda until you understand Buganda - it´s most populous and prosperous area. For no other reason than that it is worth visiting the Kabaka´s Palace - the ceremonial home of the King of Buganda.
Written 5 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Atupele M
Lilongwe, Malawi24 contributions
Sep 2020 • Friends
This was one of the most amazing tours ..The guides were good story tellers.Impressed that the Bagandas preserved their history so well
Written 5 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedSox20042007
Brooklyn, NY31 contributions
Is it open every day -- including Sunday?
RedSox20042007
Brooklyn, NY31 contributions
I visited soon after I asked this question. It is open daily from 9 am to 3 pm. During the week, it is often open later until 5 or 6 in the evening
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kabaka's Palace
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Kabaka's Palace:
- Kampala cultural tour (From ₹ 11,969.82)
- Kampala city tour (From ₹ 22,507.50)
- Half-day Kampala City Tour and Traditional Dance Show with Dinner (7-Hours) (From ₹ 12,254.08)
- Full-Day Kampala City Tour by Car with lunch (From ₹ 11,587.20)
- Kampala Guided walking Tour (From ₹ 2,500.83)
- Hotels near Kabaka's Palace:
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- (0.00 km) Hotel Hensek
- (0.00 km) The Beach House Bukoto
- Restaurants near Kabaka's Palace:
- (0.00 km) Le Pro Cafe
- (0.00 km) Portions Restaurant .Cafe
- (0.00 km) Bougainviller
- (0.00 km) Larousse
- (0.00 km) Miki's Pub Munyonyo