Our 5 days western Uganda study tour will take you to Fort portal referred to as “The Tourism City” where you will explore Amabere ga nyina Mwiru and Toro King’s Palace.
You will also tour Sempaya Hot Springs in Bundibugyo as well as Mubuku Irrigation Scheme, Rwenzori Mountains foothills and Kilembe Copper Mines in Kasese.
You will then connect to Queen Elizabeth national park and return to school through Mbarara city famous for the long horned cattle where you will also have an opportunity to visit the Igongo Cultural Museum and the Equator in Kayabwe enroute back to Kampala.
Tour Highlights
- Ugandan safari for group of pupils/students
- Your study tour will begin and end at school
- Study tour to cover 5 days and 4 nights
- You will visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Toro Kingdom Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru, Sempaya hot springs in Semuliki National Park, Lake Katwe salt mines, Igongo cultural centre and The Equator
- Activities will include; Game drive, photography, Scenic sightings, Hiking Experience, Nature walks, Cultural tour and Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.
- Accommodation is hotel and hostel category based on room sharing
- This study tour is suitable for pupils from P5 to P7 classes
- This study tour is also suitable for secondary and post-secondary students
- This study tour can be customized to suit your needs
- This study tour is available all year round
- Ground transportation is by Buses and Coasters
Tour Summary
Day 1: Transfer from school to Fort portal, Visit Toro Kingdom and Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru
Day 2: Transfer from Fort portal city to Sempaya hot springs. In the afternoon connect to Kasese and Visit Mubuku Irrigation Scheme.
Day 3: Morning Visit to the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains stopping at the Mihunga Gate, afternoon visit to Kilembe copper mines.
Day 4: Morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, afternoon Boat Cruise along Kazinga Channel and evening visit to Lake Katwe and Lake Munyanyange.
Day 5: Transfer from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kampala, Enroute visit Igongo Cultural Museum and make a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Fort Portal, Visit Toro Kingdom and Amabeere Ga Nyina Mwiru
Our team of professional guides will pick you up from school by 5:00am.
You will have a meet and greet session as our guides will brief the learners and accompanying staff about the 5 Days Western Uganda Study Tour.
After that, you will embark on a journey of about 300km (5 hours) from the school to Fort Portal City in western Uganda.
Upon arrival; you will visit Toro kingdom – one of the five traditional kingdoms in Uganda whose origin is traceable to the ancient empire of Kitara.
Toro kingdom is ruled by His Majesty Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV said to be the youngest king of any existing monarchy in the world.
From there, you will have a good lunch before visiting Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves which are located about 5kms west of the Fort portal city.
The caves are a historic and cultural site believed to be the birth place of Ndahura, the founding King of the Bachwezi Dynasty that ruled Bunyoro Kitara Empire centuries ago.
The main cave is small and supported by pillar like formation of stalactites and stalagmites. Standing alongside are the moss-covered rocks behind a small waterfall.
Found near the caves is Lake Kigere a crater lake located north of the caves which takes you about 10-15 minutes to hike there. From here we proceed for a “real hike” to more than over 5 crater lakes.
This tour proves to be very interesting and informative to clients touring around Fort portal city, and a certain level of fitness is key.
Later you’ll retire to your booked accommodation facility in this cold “tourism city” for supper and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs and Mubuku Irrigation Scheme
After breakfast, you will enjoy an adventurous transfer from Fort Portal to Sempaya hot springs a journey that will treat you to a breathtaking experience of winding roads and green terraced rolling hills as well as escarpments among others.
Upon arrival, tour both the male and female hot springs. Sempaya hot springs is located in Semuliki National Park. The hotsprings are found in two places, the first one is called the Male and the second is the Female.
An hour-long track to the outer “male” hot springs takes you through a spot of woodland where the grey-checked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys and the black and white colobus monkeys among others are regularly seen.
On the other hand, a short walk via the palm forest from the main road leading to the inner “female” hot springs which is thrilling to see steamy hot water boiling at approximately 1030C, bubbling and jetting out of the ground. Visitors have the honor of boiling eggs in the hot waters.
Lunch and visit Mubuku Irrigation Scheme
After the tour and rewarding study experience of the amazing hot springs, return to Fort portal for lunch before connecting to Kasese Town.
Along the way, you’ll visit Mubuku irrigation scheme found upstream from Lake George in the district of Kasese and fed by runoff from Sebwe River that emerges on the eastern slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains.
Students will be introduced to the different crops grown in the irrigated area. They’ll also be told about the water guards who are deployed in the scheme to ensure that irrigation water is distributed according to schedule.
Learners will have an opportunity to drive through the scheme to see among others how each division is fed by a lateral canal.
After that, we will proceed to Kasese Town and check inn your booked accommodation facility for supper and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner.
Day 3: Visit Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Kilembe Copper Mines
After an early morning breakfast, you will go for a morning trek of about 1600m above sea level up to Mihunga gate.
Students will gather at the gate for a talk from one of the game rangers about the importance of this UNESO Natural World Heritage Site to the locals, the environment, the snow formation and the melting of glaciers, the common wildlife species found here.
Return to Kasese town for lunch before visiting Kilembe Copper Mines which sits on the foothills of the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains in Kilembe, a suburb of Kasese town.
This is Uganda’s largest copper mine with estimated deposits of copper in excess of 4 million tones and an undetermined amount of cobalt ore.
In addition, there are around 2,800 acres (1,100 hectares) of unexplored acreage at the site, of which 1.98% is estimated to be pure copper and 0.17% cobalt. Later retreat to your booked accommodation in Kasese town for supper and overnight stay
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, you will wake up very early and travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a sun rise game drive in the savannahs of Kasenyi plains.
Sometimes called “Lion Plains”, Kasenyi Plains never disappoints. This section of the park offers a great opportunity for spotting a variety of wild animals such as buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kob, bush bucks, waterbucks, and warthogs.
After the game drive, you will connect to Mweya student’s hostel for breakfast by 10:00am as you wait for the mid-day boat cruise schedule along Kazinga channel which is a water body connecting Lake George to Lake Edward. On time will be transferred for a thrilling and rewarding two hours’ boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
The channel is an oasis of wildlife among which are hippos, buffaloes and elephants, and Nile crocodiles which can be seen lying idle and basking on the sun along the shores.
This cruise will also introduce you to an array of birds like the grey headed kingfisher, African fish eagle, Marabou stork, Red Chested Sunbird, etc.
Return to Mweya Student’s hostel for lunch
Later in the evening, you’ll visit Lake Katwe and Lake Munyanyange. Lake Katwe is a salt mining lake which was formed through volcanic eruption. Get to see how the local people extract salt from the main lake to the landing area for sell.
After the Katwe Salt Lake experience, you will connect to lake Munyanyange which is just about 2Kms away from Lake Katwe where there is plenty to see in terms of different bird species such as flamingoes, black longed silt, black terns, sea gulls among others.
Return to Mweya student’s hostel for dinner and overnight stay
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and Dinner.
Day 5: Travel Back To School
After an early morning breakfast, you will be peacefully transferred back to Kampala via Mbarara city.
Enjoy the morning wild game gatherings of the buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kob and waterbucks among others as you exit this park referred to as “A medley of wonders”.
Along the way, marvel at the breathtaking scenery, the open savannah grasslands, the woodlands, water streams, the rift valley escarpments, tea plantations and long horned Ankole cattle.
Arrive in Mbarara City, visit Igongo Cultural Centre and have a tour of this historic cultural site as well as have a hike to the top of 1520 Biharwe Eclipse Monument.
Have lunch in Mbarara city before preceding your drive back to school with a brief stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe for some photography and a geographical experiment.
Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch
