This round trip is the perfect choice for the backpacker as the travel proposal combines classic backpacking adventures with some of Uganda’s greatest nature experiences – and on a budget most people can feel happy with. Discover Uganda’s capital from the back seat of a motorcycle and enjoy wild chimpanzees, rainforest trekking and true world – class rafting.
This travel proposal is for you who are looking for adventure and especially for nature and great animal experiences.
From the back seat of a motorcycle, you will experience Kampala’s bustling city life and hospitable locals. Once out of town, head to I Murchison Falls National Park with its famous waterfall. Here you can experience lions, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, Nile crocodiles and, with a little luck, leopards. You will meet as wild as playful chimpanzees on your hiking trip in Kibale National Park, which has one of the world’s highest populations of chimpanzees. From here, a longer drive awaits and you arrive in Jinja. The city is located at the mouth of the Nile from Lake Victoria and is known as Africa’s number one adventure city. Here you can more or less tangibly throw yourself into fast-paced rafting or kayaking on the Nile and directly literally in a wonderful bungee jump from 44 meters above the river. You can explore the area on horseback or by mountain bike.
The landscape along the beautiful Nile is unique and fantastic and the city is beautifully situated and is therefore also perfect for a few days of relaxation before you travel on. In addition, this travel proposal is an obvious choice if you want to combine Uganda with one or more other countries in Africa for a shorter period of time.
Day 1: Departure from Scandinavia – Arrival Entebbe
Departure from Scandinavia towards Kampala, Uganda’s capital, where you arrive late in the evening. Depending on the airline, there will be one or two stopovers on the way. On arrival you will be picked up at the airport and driven to the hotel, a drive of between 45 minutes and an hour. The rest of the evening is on its own.
Day 2: Experience Kampala from the back seat of a motorcycle
After breakfast at your guest house, you will be picked up and driven to the starting point for a different city tour of Kampala – from the back seat of a motorcycle. The driver also acts as your guide during the day. During the trip it is possible to quite freely plan and improvise the program together with your guide and the focus will be on seeing Kampala’s highlights; famous buildings, historical sites, religious monuments. During the drive you will meet the Ugandans face to face and a colorful experience is guaranteed throughout the day. At the end of the afternoon you are back at your guest house and the rest of the day can be spent alone. ( F )
Day 3: Kampala – Ziwa Rhinoceros Reserve – Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, the tour continues through beautiful landscapes of northwestern Uganda and after a couple of hours drive, you arrive at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In this fenced reserve you get an exciting hike and the opportunity to see one or more of the area’s 22 white rhinos. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is today the only place in Uganda where you can see rhinos – the last free-living specimens were killed in 1983 by poachers. Today, there are about 80 park rangers on hand who protect and care for the animals with the hope that one day the population will be so large that the animals can one day be returned to the wild. After a guaranteed interesting visit to the rhinos, the tour continues to Makuka Safari Lodge, where you will have lunch before arriving at your lodge or guest house at Murchison Falls National Park. In total, you drive about five hours this day. The rest of the day is on its own. (F , M )
Day 4: Safari in Murchison Falls National Park & Nile Boat Trip
We start at sunrise and you spend the whole day in the national park. Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos live here and if you are lucky you can see a leopard. After lunch, an approximately two to three hour boat ride to the park’s famous waterfall, Murchison Falls, awaits you. Along the river bank you take part in the wildlife and from the boat’s deck you can see the Nile crocodiles and other river animals before you get completely close to the rushing waterfall of 43 meters. The Nile is one of the world’s most powerful rivers and at the waterfall the river goes through a narrow passage of only seven meters in the gorge. The enormous amounts of water and the equally enormous power of the fall help to give you one of Africa’s greatest waterfall experiences. Then you go back to the house and the rest of the evening is on your own. ( F , L, M )
Day 5: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale National Park
After breakfast, an approximately nine-hour drive to Kibale National Park awaits. There will be breaks on the road and plenty of opportunity to stretch your legs. On the way you pass Lake Albert, Africa’s seventh largest lake and several villages. You arrive late in the afternoon at your guest house in Fort Portal and the rest of the evening is on your own. ( F )
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
After an early breakfast, there will be hiking right into the rainforest. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the national parks in the world with the highest population of free-living chimpanzees, about 1,500. There are a total of twelve different species of monkeys in the rainforest, in addition to forest elephant, buffalo, wild boar and hippopotamus as well as antelope and deer, and no less than 325 bird species, among them some quite rare. Together in a small group, we set out to find one of the rainforest’s chimpanzee families, for which the chances should be good (95% – they are free animals). In addition to a fantastic encounter with the chimpanzees in the park, we pass several small crater lakes in the jungle on our way. After lunch, the afternoon is spent exploring the fascinating swamp areas of the national park on foot. The rest of the evening is on its own. ( F, L )
Day 7: Kibale National Park – Jinja
After breakfast, a longer drive with a couple of breaks along the way awaits. Depending on the traffic, you will arrive in Jinja, Africa’s number one adventure city, sometime in the late afternoon. Expect a driving time of 7-9 hours this day. The rest of the evening is on its own. ( F )
Day 8-10: Rafting and Jinja on your own
In Jinja, some genuinely exciting days await you in the most scenic of surroundings. Jinja is located at the mouth of the Nile from Lake Victoria and is world famous for its rafting and kayaking trips on the Nile. The tours are available in both family-friendly and more daring vintage for you with courage, challenger mood or just a decent dose of cockiness. The rafting tours are available in five categories and five are just below the professional level. For those who feel like it, it is also excellent to take a bungee jump from a height of 44 meters across the river or, if desired, explore the area on horseback or by mountain bike. The landscape is unique and fantastic along the beautiful Nile and the city is beautifully situated and is therefore also ideal for a few days of relaxation, why not with a wonderful boat trip. In the travel proposal, we have included an optional rafting trip. Here you can choose between different categories depending on your individual wishes. If you stick to category 2 or 3, most people can participate. Higher categories are for those who are looking for an ultimate challenge experience and not for everyone – ask your travel consultant before you decide which category you decide on. If you choose category 4-5, you will experience some of the Nile’s most challenging rapids.
Days 9 and 10 in Jinja are on their own.
In Jinja, some genuinely exciting days await you in the most scenic of surroundings.
Day 11: Jinja – Entebbe Airport
After breakfast, drive back to Kampala and on to Entebbe Airport. Depending on your flight time, there may be waiting times in either Jinja or Kampala (check with your travel consultant).
Day 12: Arrival in Scandinavia
You come home to Scandinavia with a backpack full of beautiful and magnificent animal and nature experiences.
Overnight stays
Two nights in budget hotel or guest house in Kampala
Four nights stay in budget hotel or guest house in Murchison Falls National Park
Two nights stay in budget hotel or guest house at Kibale National Park
Four night budget hotel or guest house in Jinja
