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
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Kabaka's Palace
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
256 within 5 kms
Attractions
61 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
148 reviews
Excellent
41
Very good
66
Average
36
Poor
5
Terrible
0
SteveK
Los Angeles, CA168 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 January 24, 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.
MidoriBru
Brussels, Belgium27 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
I went in, surprised that they made me pay $10 for the entrance. But they said the 45-minute guide is included. The guy came and explained the brief history of Buganda. Then he took me to the "Atelier" where the bark of tree was used as a canvas. It turned out that the guide was a painter, trying to sell his works. I firmly said no, in which time he stopped talking. He took me to the "Torture Chamber" which is just a run-down area with nothing, not explaining how it was done. You can't go inside the Palace, so that's all I got. It barely lasted 20 minutes in the end. I didn't tip him. It was totally a waste of money and my time.
Written July 17, 2024
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.
Joe
County Galway, Ireland38 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
Very informative and the guide was a wealth of knowledge, I'm happy I visited Kabaka's Palace. Don't know what that stevek guy's long complaining essay review below is about. Definitely worth a visit and I bought some art at the end of tour.
Written April 6, 2024
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, Finland115 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 October 22, 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, Kenya398 contributions
Sept 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 October 16, 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.
Kawuma J
Kampala, Uganda4 contributions
Nov 2019
My tour of the King's Place of Mengo was wow; the history of Twekobe, view of the 7 hills of Kampala, Idi Amin's canon, Idi Amin's Dungeon and the general history of the palace was icredible!
Written December 14, 2019
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.
twaha Ssebulime
Kampala, Uganda43 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
A visit to the lubiri palace the official residence of the king of Buganda gives you the opportunity to learn about the rich history of Buganda plus also a look at the prison Idi Amin and Milton obote as presidents of Uganda used to torture and kill people
Written January 15, 2019
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.
Robyn W
Washington DC, DC44 contributions
May 2015 • Business
We visited the Lubiri Palace as part of our Kampala Walk Tour. If you are a female, you have to wear a wrap over your clothes (on the bottom) while on the palace grounds. You cannot actually go into the palace, the local guide just tells you about the history from the outside.
The guide then took us to visit the torture chambers, which are located down a hill with a bit of a walk. This of course, was very sad to see. I cannot imagine being tossed in there to die. So, please be advised that if you are sensitive, this may affect you. We learned a lot.
At the end of the tour, you go back to the building where the tour starts, and the guide goes through a bit more history of the King and shows you pictures.
What we did not like about the tour was the "sell" at the end, in which one of the other guides shows his artwork for you to "look at", and then he hovers around you, I assume, hoping you will purchase one. Although this is typical with many tours. It just seemed out of place to go from such a serious subject such as a torture chamber to "Let's look at some prints you can take home as a souvenir!"
The guide then took us to visit the torture chambers, which are located down a hill with a bit of a walk. This of course, was very sad to see. I cannot imagine being tossed in there to die. So, please be advised that if you are sensitive, this may affect you. We learned a lot.
At the end of the tour, you go back to the building where the tour starts, and the guide goes through a bit more history of the King and shows you pictures.
What we did not like about the tour was the "sell" at the end, in which one of the other guides shows his artwork for you to "look at", and then he hovers around you, I assume, hoping you will purchase one. Although this is typical with many tours. It just seemed out of place to go from such a serious subject such as a torture chamber to "Let's look at some prints you can take home as a souvenir!"
Written May 12, 2015
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
Sept 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 September 5, 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.
Ron and Jeanne B
Minsk, Belarus265 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
Our guide was superb, providing us with an excellent overview of Bugandan and Ugandan history, as well as insights into local culture including a fascinating discussion of male circumcision and rites of passage to “manhood”. You can’t enter the palace but you do get to visit Idi Amin’s torture chamber—not something that attracted us initially but it certainly gave us insight into this painful episode in history. It was well worth making the trip from Entebbe.
Written December 2, 2018
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.
Is it open every day -- including Sunday?
Written March 18, 2018
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
Written April 3, 2018
Did Doug actually learn what had happened there??
Written December 15, 2016
Showing results 1-3 of 3
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing