Safari Footwear: What Shoes to Wear on Safari in Uganda

What shoes to wear on safari in Uganda comes down to three pairs: waterproof hiking boots with ankle support for gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking and nature walks, light trail shoes for game drives, and sandals for the lodge. That safari footwear kit only changes if your route adds the Rwenzori Mountains or the wet months, when forest trails turn to mud. Break the boots in at home before you fly.

How Many Pairs of Shoes to Pack for a Uganda Safari

A game drive safari needs two pairs. Add a gorilla or chimpanzee trek and you need three, which covers almost every Uganda itinerary:

• Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, for forest treks and wet days
• Light trail shoes or runners, for game drives and travel days
• Thick soled sandals, for the lodge and the shower

Weight decides the rest. On a domestic flight with AeroLink, the free allowance is 15 kg per person, hand luggage included, packed in soft bags. Boots are the heaviest thing you will carry, so wear them on the long flight from Australia.

Boots for Gorilla Trekking and Chimpanzee Tracking Safaris

Forest trekking is where the wrong pair causes real trouble.

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga

A gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park crosses steep ridges and deep valleys between 1,160 m and 2,607 m, in a forest that takes up to 2,390 mm of rain a year, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. UWA puts a trek at 2 to 7 hours, because trackers follow the family from where it nested the night before. Nobody can promise you a short one.

Trip reports single out the descents as the slippery part. Grip matters most there, followed by a firm ankle collar. Tuck your trousers into your socks or wear gaiters to keep ants and stinging nettles off your ankles; several trekkers have written that they wished they had packed gaiters. Gardening gloves with rubber palms help when you grab at vines.

At the trailhead you will usually be offered a walking stick and a porter. Take the stick, since travellers who refused one have come back with rolled ankles.

Some regular hikers trek in low cut waterproof trail shoes in the drier months and report no trouble. If you rarely walk on rough ground, a mid boot is worth its weight.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park starts at the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre and typically lasts two to five hours, UWA says. Chimps move fast over roots and wet leaves, and your gorilla trekking boots suit this walk too, so there is no need for a second trekking pair.

When you try boots on in the shop, check for:

• A good fit with your own trekking socks on
• A mid or high ankle collar
• Deep, widely spaced lugs that shed mud
• A waterproof lining
• A weight you can stand to wear on a plane

A boot that passes all five handles every walk in this guide.

Shoes for Game Drive Safaris and Boat Cruises

A game drive safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park or Murchison Falls National Park is spent sitting down, so trail shoes or runners are fine. Sandals work inside the vehicle. Yet safari vehicles sit high and you climb in and out all day, so a flexible closed shoe makes the step easier.

Pale shoes stain on dusty murram roads and stay stained.

On a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel or up the Nile below Murchison Falls the deck can be wet, so wear closed shoes or sandals with a heel strap. Strapped sandals also stay on when white water rafting at Jinja, where a loose thong is soon gone.

Walking Safaris, Hiking and Mountain Trekking

Nature Walks and the Top of Murchison Falls Hike

Guided walking safaris in Lake Mburo National Park and the hike to the top of Murchison Falls are short, but the rock near the falls is often wet with spray. Boots or sturdy trail shoes will do. Rubber boots, with no ankle support, are a poor choice on that path, a point trip reports make again and again.

Rwenzori and Virunga Volcano Treks

The Rwenzori Mountains are the one place in Uganda where gumboots belong in your bag. UWA advises hiking boots for the peaks and gumboots for the boggy days below them, and says specialist climbing gear can be hired from your trail operator. Rwenzori Trekking Services, which runs the Kilembe Trail, asks for good hiking boots and notes that some trekkers prefer rubber boots. Buy gumboots in yellow, blue or any colour nobody could mistake for army issue. For the steep volcano hikes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, your trekking boots are enough.

Sandals and Camp Shoes for the Lodge

Thick soles matter. One traveller's thin thongs were wrecked by thorns within five days of camping. After dark, wear closed shoes around camp, because scorpions are hard to see at night. Dinners are casual, so a smarter pair earns its space only for a city night in Kampala or Entebbe.

Socks, Gaiters and Breaking In Your Trekking Boots

Merino or synthetic hiking socks dry faster than cotton and rub less, and Bwindi's temperatures of about 7°C to 20°C mean wool will not overheat you. Take those socks with you when you try boots on. Then walk in the new pair at home for several weeks and treat leather with a waterproofing product. On trek day, keep spare socks in your daypack.

Footwear Rules in Uganda: Boots to Leave at Home

Smartraveller warns that wearing military style or camouflage clothing is illegal in Uganda. A recent amendment to the UPDF Act goes further, restricting civilians from wearing items that resemble military uniform. Ugandan outlets Nile Post and ChimpReports report that the list covers black ankle boots, black ranger boots and army green gumboots, and the army's spokesperson told civilians to choose other colours. Petitions against the amendment are before the Constitutional Court; until it rules, the law stands.

Most trekking boots sold in Australia come in brown or grey anyway, which solves it.

Buying Safari Footwear in Australia

Kathmandu, Macpac and Paddy Pallin sell hiking boots online and in stores around Australia, waterproof mid cut models among them. Sizes vary by brand, so measure your foot in centimetres and try boots on in store with trekking socks. Buy at least six weeks before you leave, to allow time for breaking them in.

Bringing Your Boots Home Through Australian Biosecurity

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry asks returning travellers to clean and dry hiking boots used overseas to remove soil and plant material, and warns they may be inspected on arrival. Bwindi mud in a lugged sole is exactly that. Scrub the soles and tongue at your last lodge. Once dry, they go in a separate bag. If in doubt, declare them on your Incoming Passenger Card.

Safari Footwear Questions

Can I wear sneakers on safari?

Yes, for game drives and travel days. For forest treks and longer walks, waterproof hiking boots with ankle support are safer, because Uganda's forest trails are steep and slippery on the way down.

Do I need hiking boots for gorilla trekking in Uganda?

Most trekkers should take them. A Bwindi trek can last 2 to 7 hours on steep, often muddy ground, and waterproof mid boots with deep lugs give grip and ankle support. Experienced hikers sometimes manage in waterproof trail shoes in the drier months.

Are sandals OK on a game drive?

Inside the vehicle, yes. Once you step out at a viewpoint, closed shoes cope better with thorns and rough ground, so many travellers save sandals for the lodge.

How many pairs of shoes should I take on safari?

Two for a game drive safari, three if you are trekking. With 15 kg allowed per person on AeroLink's domestic flights, a fourth pair is rarely worth carrying.

Do I need gumboots in Uganda?

Only in the Rwenzori Mountains, where UWA advises gumboots for the boggy days and hiking boots for the peaks. For gorilla and chimpanzee treks, hiking boots give better ankle support. Avoid army green gumboots.

Do I have to declare my hiking boots when I return to Australia?

You must clean them. Australia's agriculture department asks travellers to clean and dry hiking boots used overseas, and they may be inspected on arrival. If you are not sure they are clean, declare them on your Incoming Passenger Card.

Can I wear black boots in Uganda?

It is safer not to. Ugandan media report that a recent UPDF Act amendment restricts civilians from wearing black ankle and ranger boots, while petitions against it wait for the Constitutional Court. Brown or grey boots avoid the issue.