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Uganda🇺🇬 | attractionsKasubi Royal TombsDomed thatch, bark cloth screen, clan houses, royal widows | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Kasubi Royal Tombs
🏆 Top pickattraction ranked #2
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

The Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, the main tomb house, is thatched from ground to peak with reeds and topped by a spear-shaped finial, and inside the doorway a screen of bark cloth hangs over the Kabaka's burial chamber. The site sits on Kasubi Hill in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, a short ride northwest of downtown. Entry is cheap, crowds are thin, and the fire-damaged main building is still under restoration, so you will see scaffolding and a rebuilt roof frame. My guide, a Baganda woman, stopped me at the threshold and said, “Sit first, then ask,” before she told me about the royal widows who still live here. That small rule sets the pace. Expect clan stories, bark cloth, drums and a living tradition rather than spectacle. Start your first day mid-morning, circle the compound with a guide, then spend the afternoon at the nearby Kabaka’s Lake or Kampala’s old city.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Uganda Travel Guide.
Safety warning

The current risk level for Uganda is high. Check the advice before going.


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✨ Why go?
Ranked #2 attraction in UgandaReasons people choose to visit here

Kasubi Royal Tombs is the most important cultural site in Buganda, and one of Uganda’s UNESCO World Heritage listings. It is the burial place of four Kabakas, and the tradition here is still practiced. Unlike a museum, the compound has royal caretakers and descendants who live on site and explain the rituals themselves. You get a rare chance to hear about kingship from the people who carry it.

The architecture is the second reason. The Muzibu Azaala Mpanga is a vast circular building made of wood, reed, wattle and bark cloth, using techniques passed down through generations. Even while reconstruction continues, you can watch craftspeople at work and understand how the building was made.

For route planning, Kasubi Royal Tombs gives you a grounded start to a trip across Uganda. Buganda’s history … read more 👉
Kasubi Royal Tombs is the most important cultural site in Buganda, and one of Uganda’s UNESCO World Heritage listings. It is the burial place of four Kabakas, and the tradition here is still practiced. Unlike a museum, the compound has royal caretakers and descendants who live on site and explain the rituals themselves. You get a rare chance to hear about kingship from the people who carry it.

The architecture is the second reason. The Muzibu Azaala Mpanga is a vast circular building made of wood, reed, wattle and bark cloth, using techniques passed down through generations. Even while reconstruction continues, you can watch craftspeople at work and understand how the building was made.

For route planning, Kasubi Royal Tombs gives you a grounded start to a trip across Uganda. Buganda’s history explains much of what you will meet later: the clans, the totems, the politics. Seeing this place first makes the rest of the country easier to read.

💡 HighlightsEssential experiences to have while visiting Kasubi Royal Tombs

  1. Muzibu Azaala Mpanga: The main tomb house, a huge domed structure of thatch and reeds. Its restored form shows the building techniques used by Buganda’s craftspeople, and the interior holds the burial chambers of four Kabakas.
  2. Bark cloth screen: Inside the main building, a bark cloth curtain separates the public from the sacred burial area. The material is a UNESCO-recognized Baganda craft made from the mutuba fig tree.
  3. Royal Drums and Spears: Guides display ceremonial items that were once part of court life, and explain their roles in rituals and succession.
  4. Widows and caretakers’ homes: Descendants of the royal family live around the compound, and a guide can explain their duties, which include tending the tombs and keeping the fire lit.
  5. Clan houses: Small thatched houses ring the main enclosure,
… read more 👉
  1. Muzibu Azaala Mpanga: The main tomb house, a huge domed structure of thatch and reeds. Its restored form shows the building techniques used by Buganda’s craftspeople, and the interior holds the burial chambers of four Kabakas.
  2. Bark cloth screen: Inside the main building, a bark cloth curtain separates the public from the sacred burial area. The material is a UNESCO-recognized Baganda craft made from the mutuba fig tree.
  3. Royal Drums and Spears: Guides display ceremonial items that were once part of court life, and explain their roles in rituals and succession.
  4. Widows and caretakers’ homes: Descendants of the royal family live around the compound, and a guide can explain their duties, which include tending the tombs and keeping the fire lit.
  5. Clan houses: Small thatched houses ring the main enclosure, each linked to a Buganda clan. They show how the kingdom was organized.
  6. Reconstruction work: Visible rebuilding of the main hall lets you see traditional methods up close, including reed binding and framing with timber.
  7. Craft stalls: Near the entrance, vendors sell bark cloth items and small crafts, a simple way to support local makers.
Kasubi Royal Tombs takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to see properly with a guide.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Kasubi Royal Tombs

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Tombs, King’s palace & Gaddafi mosque walk (Airpals Safaris tour)

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Iddi Amin's chambers, kasubi tombs, wakaliwood( women guided)

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Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Seasonal considerations and timing

  • Dry Season (December to February, June to August): Kasubi Royal Tombs is easiest to see when the ground is dry, since you walk the grassy compound and the path to the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga building in the open. Days reach 27 to 29°C (81 to 84°F), nights drop to 16 to 18°C (61 to 64°F). Hotel prices in Kampala edge up around December and January.
  • Long Rains (March to May): Downpours are heavy, often in the afternoon. Highs sit at 25 to 27°C (77 to 81°F). Crowds thin out, so you may have the thatched dome nearly to yourself, but red mud slows the boda ride up Kasubi Hill.
  • Short Rains (October to November): Expect 24 to 27°C (75 to 81°F), with showers that usually clear within an hour or two. Mornings are often sunny enough for photos.
  • Weekends and Holidays: School groups and Baganda families visit
… read more 👉
  • Dry Season (December to February, June to August): Kasubi Royal Tombs is easiest to see when the ground is dry, since you walk the grassy compound and the path to the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga building in the open. Days reach 27 to 29°C (81 to 84°F), nights drop to 16 to 18°C (61 to 64°F). Hotel prices in Kampala edge up around December and January.
  • Long Rains (March to May): Downpours are heavy, often in the afternoon. Highs sit at 25 to 27°C (77 to 81°F). Crowds thin out, so you may have the thatched dome nearly to yourself, but red mud slows the boda ride up Kasubi Hill.
  • Short Rains (October to November): Expect 24 to 27°C (75 to 81°F), with showers that usually clear within an hour or two. Mornings are often sunny enough for photos.
  • Weekends and Holidays: School groups and Baganda families visit on Saturdays and around cultural events, so weekdays are quieter.
Visit before noon, when light is soft on the thatch and the guides have the most time to talk.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: highly recommended for travelingFEBFebruary: highly recommended for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: excellent for travelingJULJuly: excellent for travelingAUGAugust: excellent for travelingSEPSeptember: good for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: highly recommended for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Choosing the right base

Most backpackers sleep in Kampala’s Makerere and Wandegeya area or in Kamwokya and Kisementi, all reachable from Kasubi Royal Tombs by a 15 to 30 minute boda-boda or taxi ride.
Makerere and Wandegeya, about 4 km (2.5 miles) away, suit students and long-stayers. Guesthouses are the cheapest in the city (roughly US$8 to 15 for a bed), street food is everywhere, and the university crowd keeps the evenings lively and safe on the main roads. Kabalagala and Bugolobi on the south side have a stronger hostel scene, with dorms, shared kitchens and travelers swapping Rwenzori and gorilla plans, but the trip … read more 👉
Most backpackers sleep in Kampala’s Makerere and Wandegeya area or in Kamwokya and Kisementi, all reachable from Kasubi Royal Tombs by a 15 to 30 minute boda-boda or taxi ride.
Makerere and Wandegeya, about 4 km (2.5 miles) away, suit students and long-stayers. Guesthouses are the cheapest in the city (roughly US$8 to 15 for a bed), street food is everywhere, and the university crowd keeps the evenings lively and safe on the main roads. Kabalagala and Bugolobi on the south side have a stronger hostel scene, with dorms, shared kitchens and travelers swapping Rwenzori and gorilla plans, but the trip across the city can take an hour in rush traffic.
Nakasero and Kamwokya sit in between. They have social hostels, walkable cafes and easy access to Kampala Road, so they work well if you want to combine the tombs with Uganda Museum and the Kabaka’s Palace. Kasubi itself has very few places to sleep, and I would not stay on the hill.
Whichever area you choose, book a spot with a reliable night boda contact, and avoid walking alone late along dark stretches of Hoima Road.
Best hostels in Uganda


Best quality hotels in Uganda

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)Typical daily expenses

Kasubi Royal Tombs costs a budget traveler about US$38 a day all in, with entry itself at US$7 to 10 for foreigners. Travelers pay in Ugandan shillings, though the amounts below are shown in US dollars.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Entrance feeUS$7 to 10Foreign adult rate, paid at the gate. East African residents and students pay less, and a guide is included in the visit.
Guide tipUS$2 to 4Optional, but the guides explain the Kabaka burials and the reconstruction after the 2010 fire.
Camera or phone photosUS$0 to 3Photography is usually allowed in the compound, and fees are charged for video. Check at the ticket office.
Transport from central KampalaUS$1 to 4Boda-boda from the city center costs US$1 to 2 each way. A ride-hailing car is about US$3 to 4.
Accommodation (high season)US$8 to 15Dorm
… read more 👉
Kasubi Royal Tombs costs a budget traveler about US$38 a day all in, with entry itself at US$7 to 10 for foreigners. Travelers pay in Ugandan shillings, though the amounts below are shown in US dollars.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Entrance feeUS$7 to 10Foreign adult rate, paid at the gate. East African residents and students pay less, and a guide is included in the visit.
Guide tipUS$2 to 4Optional, but the guides explain the Kabaka burials and the reconstruction after the 2010 fire.
Camera or phone photosUS$0 to 3Photography is usually allowed in the compound, and fees are charged for video. Check at the ticket office.
Transport from central KampalaUS$1 to 4Boda-boda from the city center costs US$1 to 2 each way. A ride-hailing car is about US$3 to 4.
Accommodation (high season)US$8 to 15Dorm bed or basic private room in Kampala.
Accommodation (low season)US$6 to 12Prices ease during the rainy months.
Food and drinkUS$6 to 10Rolex, matooke and rice with beans at local cafes cost US$1 to 3 a plate.
Total Daily BudgetUS$38Based on high-season accommodation and a return boda ride.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQFrequently asked questions about Kasubi Royal Tombs

Plan on 1 to 2 hours at Kasubi Royal Tombs. The guided walk through the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga and the surrounding grounds takes about an hour, and extra time lets you browse the bark cloth and craft stalls. Add a half day if you pair it with Namirembe Cathedral or the Uganda Museum.
Kasubi Royal Tombs is worth the entrance fee of roughly US$7 to 10 if you care about Buganda history. The guide is included, and you see the thatched main building, the royal drums and the burial chambers of four Kabakas. The reconstruction after the 2010 fire is still ongoing in places, so expect scaffolding and a smaller sense of spectacle than before.
Reach Kasubi Royal Tombs from central Kampala by boda-boda in 15 to 25 minutes for US$1 to 2, or by ride-hailing car for about US$3 to 4. Shared minibus taxis run along Hoima Road from the Old Taxi Park, and you ask for Kasubi. The site is roughly 4 km (2.5 miles) northwest of the city center.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

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We 💚 feedbackWhat to keep in mind

Kasubi Royal Tombs suits curious travelers who like culture and history more than ticking off sights. If you enjoy talking with a guide and hearing family stories, you will love it. If you want a polished monument, wait until reconstruction ends. I would bring small change for the craft stalls and hire a local guide at the gate.

✈️ When did I visit Uganda?
In September 2019 I have done a backpacking trip through Uganda. Seeing gorillas in the wild from up close was a pure unexpected highlight!

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Uganda, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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