On this 2 Days Jinja Tour & Sipi Falls Hike, you’ll head east which is the home of adventures in Uganda. If you are a lover of the outdoors and would like a short trip out of Kampala then this is package to book.
The highlight of this trip is the hike to the stunning Sipi Falls at the base of the Mount Elgon, however before getting to Sipi Falls there are a lot of interesting places that you cannot just travel by.
You will visit the Sezibwa Falls which is an important Buganda cultural heritage site, and Mabira Forest along the Kampala -Jinja highway before getting to Jinja where you visit the historic Source of the Nile.
Prepare for a matchless encounter with some of Uganda’s most spectacular landscapes.
Feature Activities
- Sezibwa Falls Nature & Cultural Walk
- Mabira Forest Nature Walk
- Boat trip to the Source of the River Nile in Jinja
- Sipi Falls Hike
Tour Highlights
Day 1: Drive to Sipi, visit Sezibwa Falls, Mabira forest & Source of the Nile – Jinja
Day 2: Sipi Falls hike and drive back to Kampala
Detailed Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Drive To Sipi And Visit Sezibwa Falls, Mabira Forest And Jinja Source Of The Nile River.
Sezibwa Falls Nature & Cultural Walk
Pick-up for this 2 Days Jinja Tour & Sipi Falls Hike is at exactly 6.30am so that you avoid the morning traffic jam in the city and be able to do all the day’s activities in time without rushing.
Drive out of Kampala city heading eastwards along the Kampala – Jinja highway. After roughly 45 minutes you’ll reach the turn-off to the Sezibwa Falls.
On arrival at Sezibwa Falls, you will be welcomed by a local site guide that will take you on a one-hour hike around. The grounds are very serene and cool, and the atmosphere is filled with the singing of birds.
Enjoy the crystal-clear waterfalls, and the surrounding lush green which has some wildlife such as monkeys, birds and beautiful butterflies.
At this site you will also see shrines and other strange items which are used in traditional worship and this is because the Sezibwa area is also a cultural heritage site of Buganda Kingdom.
The guide will narrate interesting myths about the Sezibwa which traditionalists believe in and bring them here for traditional activities.
Mabira Forest Nature Walk
From Sezibwa Falls you will return to the road and after a short drive of about 20 minutes you will get to Mabira Forest Reserve.
Upon arrival, you will transfer to the visitors’ reception center and meet a site guide. You will then set off for a two-hour nature walk into the forest, following a network of well-maintained trails under the cool canopies.
Mabira is the largest forest in central Uganda spanning some 306 km2. The forest supports plenty of wildlife, including 312 species of trees and shrubs, of which some have been found to be unique to the forest.
There are over 316 bird species, 219 months and 35 species of small animals such as Duikers, Bushbuck, Squirrels, Red-tailed Monkeys, and Uganda Mangabeys which are a species of monkeys only found in Uganda.
Optional activity: You can do the thrilling Canopy Super Skyway zip line in Mabira forest as an extra to the nature walk. Cruising through the top of the trees offers quite an adrenaline rush. The zip line also gives access to the wildlife in the tree canopy such as monkeys and birds which are not easy to see from the ground.
However note that if you choose to do the zip line adventure you have to forego the visit to the Sezibwa Falls due to limited time.
Boat Trip To The Source Of The River Nile
When you get back from the Mabira Forest Reserve, you will return to the road and drive to Jinja. Have lunch in town and thereafter transfer to the Nile for a one hour boat ride to the Source of the Nile and Lake Victoria.
You will visit the exact spot where 30% of the water which makes the Nile bubbles up from underground before mixing with the flow from Lake Victoria to flow northwards. You will explore the beautiful sights across the lake.
Thereafter, you will return and travel to Sipi, arriving in the evening. Check in at your accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options:
Luxury: Sipi River Lodge
Midrange: Sipi Falls Resort/Lacam lodge
Budget: The Crow’s Nest/ Lacam lodge
Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner
Drive Time: 3 hours To Jinja, 5 hour to Sipi
Day 2: Sipi Falls Hike & Drive Back To Kampala
After breakfast on day two of your 2 Days Jinja Tour & Sipi Falls Hike, you will meet a local guide, lace up your walking shoes and start off the hike to visit all the three magnificent Sipi Falls.
You follow a trail that is 7 to 8 kilometer long that goes through the local communities and their farmlands of coffee and banana plantations, which are the main crops grown in this area.
During the hike to each of the Sipi waterfall, you will be treated to breathtaking landscape scenery, from the green slopes of Mount Elgon to the distant flat plains of Karamoja in the distance.
Each waterfall offers an experience different from another, from the plunge, beautiful views, caves, to rainbows. The full hike will take from 3 to 4 hours.
You will visit the first waterfall from the top and descending down to the second and finally to the third at the end of the trail which is the biggest and main one. It’s has a large whirlpool which you can dive in for a swim in the cold water.
At the end of the fun, you will have lunch in Sipi after which you travel back to Kampala arriving in the evening.
Optional: You can do the thrilling abseiling on the biggest waterfall which you visit last on the hiking trail. Abseiling along the gushing waterfalls plunging 100m from the top into the pool below is quite sensational!
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive Distance & Time: 5 hours
Tour Includes:
- Transport in 4WD tour vehicle
- An English speaking guide
- Accommodation
- All meals as indicated in the tour
- Bottled water
- All activities included in the itinerary
Tour Excludes:
- Personal expenses
- Accommodation
- Air tickets and Uganda Visa
- Travel and Medical Insurance
- Optional activity fees
