Rural and City Tours in Uganda

City and Rural Tours Uganda

DAY 1: Arrivals and Airport Pickup

Arrive at the Airport in the late afternoon/ evening and your tour guide will already be waiting for you there. Take a brief guided tour Entebbe town, the beaches, state house area and its monuments.

Drive to Kampala where you’ll have overnight and dinning. Holiday Express Hotel, Hotel Triangle and the Tourist Hotel provide budget but superb accommodation. Check out standard facilities from Speke hotel and opt for luxury from Kampala Serena Hotel, Kampala Sheraton or Grand imperial Hotel.

DAY 2-Kampala City Tour

Wake up to the bustle, hoots and activity of Kampala city, have breakfast and your guide will drive you around town. There are very many places to visit, however there is little time and annoying traffic jam on the roads. Start off with a trip to Namugongo Martyr’s shrine where the early Christians were burnt for their faith by then King, Kabaka Muwanga, visit the old cathedrals in Rubaga and Namirembe, then head for the royal Kasubi tombs, a UNESCO world heritage site and finally conclude the visit with the independence monument at the heart of the town. You could also savor Kampala night life in its night clubs, cinema and hung outs, found in every part of town.

Return to your hotel for overnight and dinner.

DAY 3: Transfer to Rwanda

After an early breakfast, check out of your hotel and board a tour van straight to south western Uganda, crossing the border at Kisoro town to the Rwandan side. The journey is quite long, more than 9 hours, with stop at the equator crossing for a few refreshments and lunch break. Drive through the scenic hills, farmlands, past the grazing long horned Ankole cattle and thick lush forests.

Clear at the border point with all necessary Visa requirements and finally check into a hotel or lodge for overnight and dinner. Kinigi Guesthouse, Muhabura Lodge, Gorilla Nest lodge and Gorilla View Lodge offer budget and standard accommodation respectively. For Luxury options, check into Volcanoes lodge.

DAY 4: Rwanda Gorilla Tracking and Transfer to Kisoro

An early breakfast is followed by a walk to the ORTPN offices in the town of Musanze where you’ll receive preliminary briefing on tracking the gorilla and allocated an expert tracker to take you through the thick jungles of Volcanoes National Park. Carry appropriate clothing, gear and your lunch box as tracking sometimes takes 2 to 9 hours of intense trekking. When you finally see the silverback or Black gorilla family, you can stare, take pictures and observe the mammal’s behavior for only 1 hour.

An early end to the gorilla tracking will enable you travel back to Kisoro-Uganda where you will have overnight and dinner. Check into optional luxury at Clouds Lodge, Mt. Gahinga Volcanoes lodge and Silverback lodge, standard accommodation from Traveller resthouse, Wagtail Eco lodge and Nkuringo Campsite. There is also budget accommodation from Virunga Hotel and Nkuringo Safari centre among others.

DAY FIVE: Gorilla Tracking in Uganda

Take an early breakfast and walk to the nearby ranger station at Nkuringo where you’ll receive your trekking gear, verify gorilla trekking permits and have briefing about this day’s Gorilla tracking adventure. Under careful lead of the ranger guides, make your way through the thick forested slopes on Mt.Gahinga. Trekking anxiety is rewarded with sights of the silver back family and a few golden monkeys. You have one hour to enjoy the sight of the amazing creatures.

Head back to your lodge for overnight accommodation and excellent dining.

DAY SIX: Drive to Lake Bunyonyi

Set off for Lake Bunyonyi located a few kilometers from Kisoro town. It is named after its many resident birds and ranks as the one of the deepest lakes in Uganda and East Africa. The lake has 29 islands including the Akampene ‘punishment’ island where young girls form bakiga tribe were punished for getting pregnant outside wedlock. The lake boasts scenic view of the majestic Mt. Rwenzori peak on a clear day, a backdrop of terraced hill slopes and many village settlements.

More than 200 birds are found here, for example the White tailed Blue Monard, harrier hawk, grey crowned cranes, the African Harrier Hawk, Herons and egrets, the Levillant cuckoo, the Cardinal Woodpecker and the Rufous-breasted wryneck. Weavers nesting on the Island, include the large golden, slender-billed Baglafetch, as well as the yellow-backed and spectacled weavers. The crowned cranes are a significant sight on the mainland. Lunch is arranged form any lodge or at Prime Island.

Take an afternoon canoe ride to the islands, sighting more birds or opt for a fishing trip at the lake and then enjoy the spectacular sun setting upon the lake. Swimming is another activity to enjoy in the Bilharzia free lake.

Book overnight and diner from any lodge and/ or campsite one of the islands. Budget options are offered at Bushara Island camp, Crater bay cottages, Byoona Amagara camp and standards/ up market accommodation form Arcadia cottages, Bunyonyi overland resort, Whitehorse Inn and Habuharo Island camp.

DAY7 -TO KAMPALA

Wake up to hearty breakfast and then prepare for departures to kampala.