16-Day Photo Tour to Uganda and Tanzania

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Walking Tour of Kampala and Tour of the Nile River in Jinja
4 stops
1
Nakasero Market
After breakfast, we will gather in the hotel lobby before departing for a Walking Tour of Kampala with our partner Adventures With Locals. On this walking tour, you will visit Nakasero Market, the largest market in East Africa, where you can purchase everything you can imagine under the sun.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
2
Baha'i Temple
On our walking tour, we will also tour the Bahai Temple overlooking the city of Kampala. The Bahai Temple is the only one of its kind in Africa. You can sit in the temple basking in its beauty and covet the view of Kampala from the hilltop.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free
3
Kampala
We will walk around downtown Kampala to get a feel for the local life. We will have lunch downtown before heading to Jinja.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
4
In the afternoon, after lunch, we will depart to Jinja to see the mighty White Nile River. In the town of Jinja, the Nile traditionally is said to have its source coming from Lake Victoria, as was discovered by the explorer John Speke. In the evening after dinner, we will gather to review the photos we took from the photo walk of Kampala and Jinja.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Kampala, Uganda - Cameras For Girls Training -Day 1 out of 3
1 stop
5
Kampala
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE YOU GET TO SEE THE POWER OF YOUR DOLLARS PUT TO WORK. Via our charity, Cameras For Girls, we teach photography to marginalized females endeavouring to become journalists. We will depart the hotel at 9 am so we can start the training at 10 am. We teach photography to 15 young women from either Makerere University or Uganda Christian University and over three days together we will impart our knowledge and see them blossom. You will get the opportunity to learn aside them, and also lend a hand in the training if you so desire. The training will end on Day 3 & 4 at 4 pm and on Day 5 we will end at 2pm. We will stay overnight in Forest Cottages on Day 3 & 4 and check-out in the morning on Day 5. Evenings we will dine out or at the hotel. Our charity Cameras For Girls receives 10% of revenues from our photo tours, so when you travel with us you get to pay it back in a meaningful way :)
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Kampala, Uganda - Cameras For Girls Training -Day 2 out of 3
1 stop
6
Kampala
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE YOU GET TO SEE THE POWER OF YOUR DOLLARS PUT TO WORK. Via our charity, Cameras For Girls, we teach photography to marginalized females endeavouring to become journalists. We will depart the hotel at 9 am so we can start the training at 10 am. We teach photography to 15 young women from either Makerere University or Uganda Christian University and over three days together we will impart our knowledge and see them blossom. You will get the opportunity to learn aside them, and also lend a hand in the training if you so desire. The training will end on Day 3 & 4 at 4 pm and on Day 5 we will end at 2pm. We will stay overnight in Forest Cottages on Day 3 & 4 and check-out in the morning on Day 5. Evenings we will dine out or at the hotel. We can gather after dinner to view the photos you will have taken during the training as you have gotten many amazing opportunities for street photography.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Kampala, Uganda - Cameras For Girls Training -Day 3 out of 3
2 stops
7
Kampala
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE YOU GET TO SEE THE POWER OF YOUR DOLLARS PUT TO WORK. Via our charity, Cameras For Girls, we teach photography to marginalized females endeavouring to become journalists. We will depart the hotel at 9 am so we can start the training at 10 am. We teach photography to 15 young women from either Makerere University or Uganda Christian University and over three days together we will impart our knowledge and see them blossom. You will get the opportunity to learn aside them, and also lend a hand in the training if you so desire. Day 5 we will end at 3pm.
5 hours • Admission ticket free
8
We depart the Cameras For Girls training and travel by car to the city of Fort Portal. Fort Portal or Kabarole is a "Tourism city of Uganda", located in the Western Region of the country. It is the seat of both the Kabarole District and the Toro Kingdom.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Sight seeing around Fort Portal
3 stops
9
After breakfast, we will go for a guided swamp walk in the Bigodi Wetlands in the morning. An observation tower and boardwalk that traverses the papyrus bed give the best wild walking experience. The walk is about 4km in length, taking 3-4 hours at a slow pace. All proceeds go to the community to interact with the locals and their culture.
4 hours • Admission ticket included
10
In the afternoon, we head to the Semuliki hot springs. Semuliki is one of Ancient Africa’s national parks found in western Uganda on the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon and characterized by diverse forests. It’s famous for the hot springs bubbling up from the depth to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have shaped the rift valley for the last 14 million years. few. Features like thatched huts with West Africa’s oil palms, River Semuliki miniature version of the Congo River, Central Africa’s wildlife species and a local population of Batwa (pygmies) that originated from Ituri rain forest also live here. It accommodates 66% of the total bird species of Uganda’s forest birds. It's home to 53 mammal species and 11 of them are endemic to the park, including the pygmy antelope and two flying squirrel species. After dinner, we will gather to review the photos we have taken from the last two days.
2 hours • Admission ticket included
11
The Hot springs appear in a lush swampy clearing. The ‘female’ spring Nyasimbi- meaning female ancestors, spurts bubbling water up to 2m high and the steam can be seen from as far as 2km away while the ‘Sempaya’ hot spring –‘male’ hot spring measures 12m in diameter. The locals take advantage of the springs to boil food and eggs and take a bath here for cleansing themselves of bad omens. We shall return to stay another night at Mountains of the Moon Hotel.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Cultural Exploration and Hiking in the Rwenzori Mountains
2 stops
12
Rwenzori Moutains National Park
A big part of our photo tours is the ability to interact with the local community, as that's what travelling is all about. You get to see how your tourism dollars directly impact various communities that rely on tourism dollars for survival. We shall visit communities, have a feel of the lifestyle, and experience local crafts by learning from a local craftsperson. We shall also experience cooking with a local chef and taste the local foods.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
13
While in the Rwenzori area, we will take a short hike to see the amazing flora and fauna. Get your cameras ready to find the elusive strange-horned chameleon. In the evening, we shall transfer to The Mweya peninsula in Queen Elizabeth National Park for our stay overnight. In the evening, we shall transfer to The Mweya peninsula in Queen Elizabeth National Park for our overnight stay. After dinner we will gather to review the photos from Semuliki and the Community Interaction After dinner we will gather to review the photos from Semuliki and the Community Interaction
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 7
Safari Day
1 stop
14
Queen Elizabeth National Park
We will go for a Game drive of Queen Elizabeth National Park in the early morning with a packed breakfast. You will have an opportunity to touch the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs, have a glance at the lions, elephants, buffaloes and other wild animals in their natural habitat. Besides the stunning scenery, it is a well-known habitat for about 95 mammals along with 612 species of birds. It’s here that you will have an opportunity to be at the Equator in the wild, where you will make a stop for a photo opportunity. You will also have a view of the snowcapped mountains of the moon while at the Equator. We will have lunch at Mweya Safari Lodge. At 2:00 pm, we will go for a boat drive along the Kazinga Channel for 2 hrs exclusively. Here you will see the abundant birdlife of the channel and the elephants, buffaloes and hundreds of hippos that are cooling off at the shores; this cruise will be one of the highlights of your safari.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 8
Travel day to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest + Tree Climbing Lions in Ishasha
1 stop
15
In the early morning, we shall head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector, where we are likely to have an opportunity to see the tree-climbing lions. Rwenzori Safaris team will verify and determine the family of Gorillas you are trekking. We shall arrive in the afternoon and check-in at the hotel. In the evening, we shall have a nature walk and visit some of the waterfalls in Bwindi. After Dinner, we will review the photos taken from the safari trip.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 9
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
1 stop
16
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The gates for Bwindi will open at 9:00 am for us to start tracking our next of kin, the Mountain Gorillas in the Virunga Eco-system. We shall carry along a packed breakfast and, at 8:30 am, we shall gather at the assembly point for a briefing before starting the journey to trek the gorillas. We shall also have a packed lunch and water. Your ultimate life experience will be the encounter with the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park tucked away in the southwestern corner of Uganda. Mountain Gorillas live in structured groups with defined home ranges. A meeting with the gentle giants of Bwindi! Especially hikers will love hiking in the beautiful ecosystem of the park. Please note No use of flash is allowed. You may hire a local porter to help you carry your belongings on the trek. In the afternoon, we will return and check out of the hotel and head off the Bunyoni for a rest and overnight stay.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 10
Bunyoni and flight to Tanzania
2 stops
17
We shall do a quick tour of Bunyoni and the spectacular lake area. We will then head off the equator for a photo opportunity and check out the crafts to buy a souvenir for the memory of your trip to the Pearl of Africa. In the early afternoon, we will board a flight to Tanzania where we will spend the next 6 days.
6 hours • Admission ticket free
18
We will depart Uganda and head to Tanzania via a 1-hour flight. We will be picked up in Tanzania from the Airport upon arrival: JRO / Kilimanjaro meet and greet, then transfer to our hotel in Arusha. After dinner, we will review the photos from the Gorilla Trek in Bwindi.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 11
Maasai Tribe Village Cultural Tour
1 stop
19
After breakfast, you will be picked up at 9:00 am for the cultural experience at a typical Maasai tribal village. The Maasai (/ˈmɑːsaɪ, mɑːˈsaɪ/) are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best-known local populations internationally due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress. During this amazing day, you will be involved in Masai life, by learning how they live, dancing with them, and testing the local BBQ. You will also see how even they make local medicine and drink the raw blood from the animals they hunt for food. It will be a culturally immersive experience like no other. After dinner we will review the last few days photos.
6 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 12
Drive to Serengeti National Park for an Evening Game Drive
1 stop
20
Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, we depart the lodge and slowly drive to the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania's prized park, for the best wildlife viewing. The drive takes 5 hours where you will also see local life through the various villages we will travel through. Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania is known for its annual migration of wildebeest and zebra. Seeking new pasture, the herds move north from their breeding grounds in the grassy southern plains. Many cross the marshy western corridor's crocodile-infested Grumeti River. Others veer northeast to the Lobo Hills, home to black eagles. We will arrive in the Serengeti for the evening and sunset game drive.
8 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 13
Serengeti Game Drive by Day
1 stop
21
Serengeti National Park
This day we have a full-day game drive in the Serengeti, through this park, which is famous for the big five and Great migration. We will have a game drive and picnic lunch, we will only return to the camp after sunset for dinner and overnight at Serengeti Acacia Camps. In the evening after dinner, we will have a photo review of the photos we have taken on safari
6 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 14
Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Ngorongoro Crater
1 stop
22
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
On this day, you will do a Hot Air Balloon tour over the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 180 km west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northern Tanzania. Some things are worth getting up early for and this is certainly one of them. Rising before the birds and heading out in the silence of the pre-dawn towards the launch site is all part of the anticipation. Your pilot takes you through the important safety briefing ahead of your flight as the sky begins to lighten and the crew inflates the balloon - an envelope of savannah gold and acacia green billowing into the cool morning, lit by the flames of the burners. You climb into the basket and prepare to lift into the dawn. You will get photos of the Serengeti and its inhabitants from a topdown view that will blow your mind.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 15
Ngorongo Crater Visit and Eyasi Bushmen Cultural Tour
1 stop
23
Ngorongoro Crater
After an early breakfast at 6:00 am, we will descend the crater 600 meters, do a game drive in the crater and have a picnic lunch. Afterwards, we head to Lake Eyasi to meet the local Hadzabe people, where we will learn all about their nomadic and hunting lifestyle.
6 minutes • Admission ticket included
Day 16
Cultural Tour of the Hadzabe Tribe and Drive back to Arusha
1 stop
24
Early breakfast, we head to the Hadzabe Tribe or Bushmen; you will learn how they live, hunting with them, and dancing with them. Ancient hunter-gatherers who inhabit the land near Lake Eyasi, a gorgeous soda lake that's part of the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, witness their unchanged, traditional way of life and harmony with the earth. We return to the camp for lunch then slowly we drive to Arusha the drive will take us 3 hours In the evening after dinner, we will have a photo review of the photos we have taken on safari
6 hours • Admission ticket included
Day 17
Airport transfer for flight home
1 stop
25
Our East African photo tour comes to an end but the memories will remain forever :) You will be dropped off at the airport for your flight home and will depart directly from JRO / Kilimanjaro.
2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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