Source of the Nile River

Jinja

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The birthplace of the mighty Nile river (or one of them anyway…), here the water spills out of Lake Victoria on its journey to the Mediterranean flowing fast from the get-go. It's estimated no more than 5% of water here will end up in Egypt. There's a landmark identifying the source and a few restaurants and bars, which can make for a nice place for a sunset beer. Exploring the source by boat (per person USh50,000) is another popular option.

Despite being touted as one of Jinja's premier drawcards, on the Jinja side of the river there really isn't much to see. It's more pleasant across the river on the western bank with the Source of the Nile Gardens and Speke Monument – a pillar commemorating where the British explorer first laid claim to the historic source of the Nile in 1858. In recent times the source has been traced anywhere from Rwanda to Burundi.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Source of the Nile Gardens

    Source of the Nile Gardens

    0.15 MILES

    On the western bank of the river you'll find the pleasant Source of the Nile Gardens and Speke Monument – a pillar commemorating where the British…

  • Central Market

    Central Market

    1.4 MILES

    This commercial market is across from the bus stand with vendors selling fruit and vegetables, among other produce, and clothing.

View more attractions

Nearby Jinja attractions

1. Source of the Nile Gardens

0.15 MILES

On the western bank of the river you'll find the pleasant Source of the Nile Gardens and Speke Monument – a pillar commemorating where the British…

2. Central Market

1.4 MILES

This commercial market is across from the bus stand with vendors selling fruit and vegetables, among other produce, and clothing.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
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  "url": "uganda/eastern-uganda/jinja/attractions/source-of-the-nile-river/a/poi-sig/1462279/355694",
  "destination": "Jinja",
  "continent": "Africa",
  "country": "Uganda",
  "city": "Jinja",
  "position": "superzone"
}