7 Magical Hot Springs in Uganda to Spice Your Adventure

Hot springs in Uganda are one of the fascinating and mind-blowing features that attract many tourists. Uganda has a variety of attractions, but hot springs form one of the most beautiful attractions in Uganda.

Did you know bathing in a hot spring in Uganda can help you relieve backaches and other muscle problems? Well, locals believe some of these hot springs have divine healing powers from the gods to perform miracles.

People often visit the springs to bathe for healing. When bathing in a hot spring, the steam rises above the rippling water, which is equivalent to being in a sauna, albeit fully clothed. However, medical research is yet to be conducted to prove the above cure claims.

Hot springs are always intriguing and leave many people wondering how the underground, with no fire, produces scorching hot water. The water temperature of some of the hot springs can boil an egg in 10 minutes and can warm up the water up to 120 °C (248 °F).

Where are Hot Springs found in Uganda?

Uganda’s hot springs are in various regions but mostly in Western Uganda. The four major locations include Murchison Falls National Park area, Semuliki national park, Fort Portal area, Queen Elizabeth National Park area, and Bwindi impenetrable forest national park area.

How are Hot Springs Formed?

The emergence of geothermal-heated groundwater from the earth’s crust forms hot springs. In simple terms, hot springs are formed when water meets the heated rock. The deep percolation of water into the crust induces heat from the hot rocks. The pressure forces the heat back up to a bubble, forming a hot spring.

How Many Hot Springs are in Uganda?

The most notable hot springs in Uganda are seven. These include;

• Kitagata Hot springs
• Sempaya hot springs
• Rwagimba hot springs
• Amoropii Hot springs
• Burring hot springs
• Ihamba hot springs
• Kibiro hot springs

Here is what each of the springs is all about.

Kitagata Hot Springs

Kitagata Hot Springs is Uganda’s natural hot spring that flows in the country’s western region, a few miles from Queen Elizabeth national park. People gather in and around the twin hot spring pools of Mugabe and Mulago, locally known as Kitagata, in Sheema district. 

The Mulago and Mugabe hot springs, called Kitagata, which means warm water in the Runyankole language, lie side by side, separated by a road.

Mulago – named after Mulago hospital- is the most popular hot spring, not just for its healing powers but also because of its body-friendly moderate temperature levels, unlike the waters of Mugabe, which are steaming hot.

Kitagata hot springs are a must-visit if you are on the route that connects to Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

Many travellers flock to Kitagata to treat themselves to the hot baths or just to watch people enjoying baths in these natural hot Spas. People with many health complaints come to soak in Kitagata hot springs, believing in healing from its natural waters.

Sempaya Hot Springs

Located inside the Semuliki National Park in the Fort Portal area, the Sempaya hot spring is one of the mesmerising springs in Uganda. This spring has an amazingly high temperature reaching up to 100 degrees Celsius.

You can see the spring in two parts of the national park, which locals believe to be a male and the other as a female spring. The female spring is a few minutes from the male spring and is so hot that you can boil bananas and eggs. 

Rwagimba Hot Springs

Rwagimba Hot Springs is one of the dreamiest hot springs in Uganda that attracts many tourists. The hot spring is in River Rwimi, which separates Kabarole and Kasese districts.

The locals highly respect the hot spring because they believe it cures any kind of pain. The locals take a bath in the hot spring to release the pain. 

Buranga Hot Springs

One of the most notable hot springs in Uganda is Burunga Hot Springs. The hot spring is located in the Rwenzori Mountains, covered by lowland tropical rainforests that add more beauty to the spring surroundings. The spring has a unique ecosystem that attracts many birds and animal species.

There are 3 spring bodies; Mumbuga springs, Nyansimbe springs, and Kagoro springs, located 600 to 700m away from each other.

Amoropii Hot Springs

Amoropii Hot Springs is another prime attraction on Uganda’s list of hot springs in the Murchison Falls National Park Area. Located on the western shores of Lake Albert, the Locals believe the hot spring has some divine power.

Therefore, they worship this spring, believing it is the home of the god Amoropii. Locals often sacrifice their animals to please god Amoropii. Locals slaughter the animal and leave the meat in the open for the gods. The following day, it is gone. Locals believe the gods take it.

Kibiro Hot Springs

The Kibiro Hot Springs flows in the Kibiro, a small fishing village in the Western Rift valley of Uganda. You can visit the hot springs with a well-planned itinerary and a better season (dry season).

We also recommended the destination if you are coming from Murchison falls national park going to Kibale forest national park, or going to Murchison falls national park via Hoima town. Most locals believe the hot springs also have healing power, and they visit the spring to take a bath, hoping to get healed from pain. 

Ihimba Hot Springs

Are you on a gorilla trekking mission in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park or visiting Lake Bunyonyi? We recommend visiting Ihimba Hot springs. It is one of the most breathtaking on the list of hot springs in Uganda.

Located in Kibale district, the spring offers amazing views. Locals also believe Ihimba has magical curing powers like the other hot springs in Uganda. They believe if you take a bath in the hot springs, you will get relief from backache, rheumatism and other body pains.