Chapter 04 · Discover

Kampala,
slowly.

A field guide to the city below the hill, where to eat, what to walk, which afternoons to keep free. Curated by the house, tested by guests, updated each season.

See current promotions → Ask the concierge

Namirembe Cathedral on the hill

N · 00°19'15"

E · 32°33'47"

Elev 1,310 m

UTC +3:00

You are

here.

Namirembe Hill
Kampala

i.

From the Kitchen

Seven small things
the kitchen is making.

Chef Kafali Paul's curated specials, seasonal tasting menus, and small dining experiences open to both house guests and visitors. Bookings via reception.

The Sunday
Slow Lunch

Four courses across two hours. Whole roast goat luwombo, hot ground-nut stew, garden vegetables, fresh pineapple and ginger sorbet to finish. Long table seating on the verandah.

Sundays · 13:00 to 15:00 UGX 85,000 / person

Hillside breakfast

Hot Ugandan breakfast on the front verandah at dawn, with the city in the mist below.

06:30 dailyincluded

The four o'clock

Tea, scones with passionfruit curd, and a slice of seasonal cake. Open to non-residents.

16:00 to 17:3035,000

Cooking with the chef

A three-hour class in our kitchen, learn luwombo, matoke and ground-nut sauce. Includes market shopping and a long lunch of your own work.

Wed & Sat · 09:00UGX 220,000

The harvest plate

Available June through August. Whatever the morning market gave us, on a single generous plate, with a glass of tamarind cordial.

Wed & Fri lunchUGX 48,000

Coffee & chronicles

An open-table morning, every Friday. Bottomless Bugisu coffee, a small breakfast, and a quiet desk in the library room. For writers, students, slow workers.

Fri · 07:30 to 11:00UGX 22,000

ii.

On the Grounds

Things to do without
leaving the hill.

An acre of garden, a verandah for the long afternoon, a chapel for stillness, and a few quiet rituals the house has kept for forty-seven years.

i.

The garden walk

A waymarked half-kilometre loop through frangipani, lemon-grass and old jacarandas. Best at six and at six.

Free · 20 min

ii.

Cathedral evensong

Choral evening prayer at the cathedral next door. Three hundred yards from your door, four times a week.

Free · Wed, Fri, Sun

iii.

Sunrise over Kampala

Coffee and a chair on the west verandah, while the mist comes off the city. The host will wake you, if asked.

Free · 06:00

iv.

The house library

Two thousand books left behind by previous guests. Take one home if you replace it with one from yours.

Free · 24 hr

v.

Yoga on the lawn

A visiting teacher leads a gentle hour every Tuesday and Saturday on the lower lawn, mats provided.

UGX 25,000 · Tue / Sat 07:00

vi.

Drumming circle

Once a month, our gardener Patrick brings out the drums. Half an hour of rhythm, an hour of stories.

Free · Last Friday

vii.

Cathedral & crypt tour

Our friend Reverend Mukasa opens the cathedral for a one-hour guided tour, including the bell tower view.

UGX 30,000 · Daily 10:00

viii.

Sundowner on the lawn

A glass of Ugandan rosé or passionfruit fizz, brought to your chair, while the sun goes down over the city.

From UGX 18,000 · 17:30 to 19:00

ix.

Children's afternoons

Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, the garden is set with chalk, cushions, picture books and a hopscotch grid.

Free · Wed / Sat 15:00

iii.

A Day in Kampala

Three days,
three different cities.

If you have one day to spend, here's how to spend it. Three full itineraries, hour by hour, leaving from the front gate and ending in time for tea on the verandah.

For first-timers

Day 01 / The Classic

The essential
Kampala day.

08:30

Breakfast on the verandahHot Ugandan, with coffee from the hills of Bugisu.

09:30

Cathedral & bell towerA short tour next door, and the best view of the city.

10:30

Kasubi TombsUNESCO heritage. Royal burial ground of the Buganda kings.

12:30

Lunch at the LawnsAn old garden restaurant near the city centre.

14:30

Uganda MuseumTwo hours among regalia, instruments and the country's deep past.

17:00

Tea at the houseScones, passionfruit curd, the sun lowering over the city.

Distance~ 26 km

For wanderers

Day 02 / Markets & matatus

Kampala
by foot.

07:30

Owino marketLargest second-hand market in East Africa. Sturdy shoes only.

10:00

Old KampalaThe original colonial-era streets, the Gaddafi Mosque, the rooftop view.

12:00

Rolex on NakulabyeEgg + chapati street roll, eaten where it was invented.

14:00

Nakasero marketSpices, vegetables, conversation. Buy a pineapple, ten thousand shillings.

15:30

Ndere CentreTraditional music & dance, afternoon rehearsal, often open to walk-ins.

18:00

Verandah, feet upThe city earned. A drink and a chair await.

Distance~ 14 km walking

For the quieter

Day 03 / Water & gardens

An unhurried
Kampala day.

08:00

Drive to EntebbeForty minutes south, towards Lake Victoria.

09:00

Botanical GardensA hundred years of trees, paths, and weaver-bird colonies.

11:30

Lake-side lunchTilapia from the lake, eaten beside the lake.

13:30

UWEC wildlife centreThe country's gentlest wildlife encounter, quiet paths, real animals.

16:00

Drive back, ridge-routeReturning via Mengo hill for the late-afternoon light.

17:30

A long bath at the houseThe house recommends.

Distance~ 82 km round

iv.

City Attractions

The big ones,
and the quiet ones.

Twelve city landmarks within a short drive of the gate, from UNESCO heritage to a back-alley music school. Tap a pin or scroll the list.

You are here.Cathedral Hill, with Kampala's landmarks within a short drive.

1

St. Paul's Cathedral Namirembe

HeritageReligiousWalkable

Anglican cathedral, founded 1890. Our literal neighbour. Climb the bell tower for the cleanest view of the city.

0.1 km

1 min walk

2

The Gaddafi National Mosque

HeritageView

Uganda's largest mosque, set on Old Kampala Hill. The minaret climb gives a full-city panorama; a head-covering is needed for ladies.

2.4 km

9 min drive

3

Kasubi Tombs

UNESCORoyal

Burial ground of four kings of Buganda. A serene, thatched royal compound, quiet even at noon, and culturally indispensable.

5.5 km

12 min drive

4

Uganda Museum

MuseumFamily

A small, charming, well-loved museum. Instruments, regalia, fossils. The country's life in three or four rooms.

6.8 km

15 min drive

5

Kabaka's Palace & Lubiri

RoyalHeritage

The grounds of the king of Buganda, palace, parade ground, and the haunting Idi Amin torture chambers. Take a guide.

3.6 km

11 min

6

Ndere Cultural Centre

MusicDanceEvening

A two-hour evening show of traditional Ugandan music, dance and storytelling. Open-air. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

8.4 km

22 min

7

Nakasero Market

MarketFood

The city's spice and produce market. Smaller than Owino, calmer, and the place to learn what's in season.

3.1 km

8 min

8

Owino Market

MarketAdventure

East Africa's largest second-hand market. A full-on assault of colour and crowd. Best with a guide, light pockets, and a sense of humour.

3.4 km

10 min

9

Bahá'í House of Worship

TempleQuietView

The only Bahá'í temple in Africa. Hilltop, nine-sided, deeply quiet, set in gardens. A short half-day trip with reading benches.

7.2 km

20 min

10

Wamala Tombs

HeritageOff-the-path

The lesser-visited royal tombs, older, smaller, atmospheric. Bring a hat, leave the city behind for two hours.

12 km

30 min

11

Independence Monument

Landmark

A short stop, but a meaningful one. The mother lifting her child, marking 9 October 1962. Combine with a walk to the parliament.

4.2 km

12 min

12

Makerere Art Gallery

ArtQuiet

Inside the country's oldest university, the Makerere Art Gallery shows contemporary and historic East African work. Free to enter.

4.8 km

14 min

v.

Around Kampala

Day trips,
two-day retreats.

If you have a free morning or a free weekend, here's where to take it. Eight curated outings within three hours of the gate. We can book the driver.

Entebbe Botanical Gardens

A hundred-year-old garden on the shores of Lake Victoria. Monkeys, weaver birds, big shaded paths. Pair with lunch at the lake.

Half day · 40 kmUGX 35k

Lake Victoria by boat

A small-boat afternoon from Ggaba pier. Fishermen, islands, and the long horizon of the world's second-largest lake.

Half day · 14 kmUGX 90k

Mabamba Wetlands

The single best chance in East Africa to see the shoebill stork. Quiet canoe through papyrus channels. Best at dawn.

Full day · 50 kmUGX 180k

Jinja & the Nile

The source of the Nile, plus tea plantations on the drive in. White-water rafting for the brave; gentle bumper boats for the rest.

Full day · 82 kmUGX 220k

Bahá'í Hilltop

Africa's only Bahá'í temple, on a wide hill of cypress and bougainvillea. A reading bench under each tree. Bring a book.

Half day · 14 kmFree

UWEC Wildlife Centre

The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre at Entebbe. A gentle, ethical introduction to the country's animals. Good with children.

Half day · 38 kmUGX 65k

Sezibwa Falls

A sacred waterfall on the road to Jinja. Picnic site, drum performance, and a short forest hike.

Half day · 65 kmUGX 140k

Lake Mburo overnight

The closest savannah to Kampala. Zebra, impala, eland, and a star-bright second night. We pack you a breakfast box.

2 days · 240 kmFrom UGX 950k

vi.

Current Offers

Six promotions,
this season.

Curated stays, retreats, and group rates currently on. Promotions are limited per month, please mention them when you reserve.

vii.

Seasonal Calendar

What's on the hill,
month by month.

Concerts, evensongs, retreats, market days, and the small house occasions worth planning around.

03 JunTuesday

Choral evensong on the lawn

An open evening of choral music with the Cathedral choir.

Free · Cathedral lawn

Book →

14 JunSaturday

Chef Kafali Paul's cooking class

A morning of luwombo and matoke, including market shopping.

UGX 220k · Kitchen

Book →

21 JunSaturday

Garden poetry reading

An evening of new East African poetry with five visiting poets.

UGX 15k · Lower lawn

Book →

27 JunFriday

Drumming circle

Patrick brings out the drums. Half an hour of rhythm, an hour of stories.

Free · Lower lawn

Walk in →

14 Jul20 Jul

The silent reading week

Six nights, three meals, no programme. Twelve rooms only.

UGX 1.18m · All inclusive

Reserve →

01 AugFriday

Independence-weekend brunch

A long brunch on the verandah with an open-table format for travellers.

UGX 55k · Verandah

Book →

09 AugSaturday

Garden cinema · Yellow Fever

An open-air screening of the classic Ng'endo Mukii short, with discussion.

Free · Garden screen

RSVP →

Practical notes

A traveller's small print.

i.

Getting around

Boda-bodas for short hops, Uber and Bolt for proper trips. Avoid rush hour: 07:30 to 09:30 and 17:00 to 19:00.

ii.

Money

Ugandan shillings for most things; USD often accepted for hotels and big tours. ATMs at every fuel station.

iii.

When to come

December, February and June, September are dry and bright. The rains (March/April, October/November) are quieter and beautiful.

iv.

What to wear

Lightweight, modest layers. Cool in the mornings, warm by noon, cool again at the verandah. A scarf for the cathedral.

v.

Safety & health

Kampala is gentler than its reputation. Drink filtered water, use mosquito nets at night, take routine malaria precaution.

vi.

Phone & data

SIM cards from MTN and Airtel at every kiosk. Coverage is excellent. Wi-Fi at the house is included and fast.

vii.

A word or two

Greetings open doors. Webalethank you. Oli otyahow are you. Bulungiwell. Even one will get a smile.

viii.

Concierge

Ask the reception desk. Tours, drivers, restaurant bookings, taxi to the airport, a tailored day, we know who to call.

A note from the front desk

Tell us what kind of day
you have in mind.

We can plan a half-day, a full week, a market crawl, a quiet retreat, or a children's afternoon. The concierge desk replies within a few hours; the driver is around the corner.

Ask the concierge → Reserve a room