Kasubi Tombs: Facts, History, Location, Photos, Entrance Fee

Kasubi Tombs: All You Need To Know

Explore the Kasubi tombs, a UNESCO site in Uganda, Africa. Discover history & architecture at the Kasubi tombs in Kampala. Free guided tours by JimJam Safaris.

The Kasubi Tombs, perched atop Kasubi Hill in Kampala, are the historic burial grounds of Buganda’s royal lineage, dating back to 1882. Established by Kabaka Muteesa I, the site serves as the final resting place for four successive Buganda kings and embodies centuries of Ganda spiritual and political traditions. In 2001, UNESCO recognized its exceptional cultural value, inscribing the tombs as a World Heritage Site. Despite suffering a devastating fire in 2010, restoration efforts have preserved the site’s integrity, reaffirming its role as a living symbol of Buganda identity and communal memory.

Architecturally, the Kasubi Tombs are remarkable for their entirely indigenous construction: wooden poles support wattle-and-daub walls, all capped by enormous conical thatched roofs. The central Muzibu‑Azaala‑Mpanga tomb is surrounded by ritual courtyards and ancillary shrines, each imbued with symbolic motifs reflecting royal regalia and clan emblems. Today, guided tours offer visitors insights into the ritual customs, clan hierarchies, and oral histories that animate the complex, while the surrounding museum displays royal artifacts, historical photographs, and explanatory exhibits, making Kasubi both a sacred pilgrimage site and a vivid portal into Uganda’s royal heritage.

Kasubi Tombs Facts

The Kasubi Tombs are the royal burial grounds of four Kabakas (kings) of the Buganda Kingdom, renowned for being the largest grass‑thatched complex in sub‑Saharan Africa. The core structure, Muzibu‑Azaala‑Mpanga, is a circular building constructed entirely from wood, bamboo, reeds, and thatch, showcasing indigenous Baganda craftsmanship and cosmology. Encompassing roughly 26 hectares, the hilltop site includes ritual courtyards, subsidiary shrines, and “wives’ houses,” all organized according to clan and spiritual hierarchies. In 2001, UNESCO inscribed the site as a World Heritage Site for its outstanding cultural and architectural value.

Kasubi Tombs History

Originally erected as a palace by Kabaka Muteesa I in 1882, the site was converted into a royal necropolis upon his death in 1884. Successive Kabakas Mwanga II, Daudi Chwa II, and Sir Edward Muteesa II were interred here, solidifying its role as the spiritual heart of Buganda. A devastating fire in March 2010 destroyed much of the thatched complex, prompting national and international restoration efforts beginning in 2014, funded in part by the government of Japan,. Today, the reconstructed tombs blend traditional materials with reinforced structural elements to ensure longevity.

Kasubi Tombs Location

Perched atop Kasubi Hill, approximately five kilometers northwest of central Kampala, the Kasubi Tombs overlook a swath of traditional agricultural land cultivated by local farmers using ancestral methods. The 26‑hectare site forms part of the larger Kampala urban landscape but retains a rural character, with open fields and thatched clan houses surrounding the palace‑tombs. Its elevation provides panoramic views of the city skyline, while a sacred forest enclave at the center—known as the Kibira—conceals the inner sanctum where jawbone shrines and burial chambers lie hidden behind bark‑cloth curtains.

Entrance Fee

Following its post‑fire restoration, the Buganda Kingdom established a tiered fee structure to make the Kasubi Tombs accessible to all visitors. Ugandan adults pay UGX 10,000 while Ugandan students and pupils pay UGX 5,000 and UGX 3,000 respectively. East African adults are charged UGX 20,000, and their children UGX 10,000. African adults outside East Africa pay UGX 30,000, with children at UGX 15,000. Foreign residents incur USD 15 for adults and USD 10 for children, whereas non‑resident foreigners pay USD 20 per adult and USD 15 per child. The site is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.