Jinja's main commercial area runs along Main Street and the surrounding blocks, where the colonial-era architecture gives the town a different feel from most Ugandan cities. Two- and three-storey buildings with verandas and faded painted facades — many dating from the 1920s and 1930s — house shops, hardware dealers, and the occasional cafe. It's a pleasant place to walk, particularly in the morning before the midday heat sets in.
The covered market off Main Street is lively and worth an hour. Produce from the Lake Victoria shores, fabric stalls, household goods, and the usual mix of street food vendors. The old clock tower at the main junction is a reasonable landmark and meeting point, and the Nile is always just a few minutes' walk south of wherever you are.