Good Time to Visit
Weather
Uganda suffers heavy rains from March to May and between October and November. The country is otherwise warm all year (21-25°C), though the high altitude can make it cooler in mountain areas, with the top of Mount Elgon often covered with snow. (More information can be seen in Climate in Uganda).
Visitors are advised to bring lightweights and rainwear, with warm wraps for the evenings.
Festivals
Uganda has some colourful local traditions and seemingly spontaneous ceremonies may take place, involving music and dancing.
Public Holidays
The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Uganda:
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day |
| 26 January | Liberation Day |
| March/April (variable) | Good Friday |
| March/April (variable) | Easter Monday |
| 8 March | International Women's Day |
| 1 May | Labour Day |
| 3 June | Martyrs' Day |
| 9 June | National Heroes' Day |
| 9 October | Independence Day |
| 25 December | Christmas Day |
| 26 December | Boxing Day |
| Variable* | Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) |
| Variable* | Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) |
* Although Muslim holidays always fall on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date they are celebrated on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, due to the fact that the Islamic calendar is lunar whilst the Gregorian calendar is solar. Because this lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic holy days usually shift 11 days earlier each successive solar year. The method used to determine when each Islamic month begins also varies from country to country.