3-Day Uganda Cultural Safari Expedition

Wake up at leisure, have you breakfast and after our safari guide will pick you from your booked hotel, then begin your 3-days Uganda cultural tour in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, formerly known as the “hill of Impalas.”  Take a cultural tour of Kampala, which was founded over 700 years ago as the capital of the Buganda kingdom, one of the last intact African traditional monarchies. The Kabaka, a supreme king, is in charge of one of the most active kingdoms. His subjects, known as the Baganda, are a tribe of over 7.6 million people who speak Luganda, the most common language in Uganda. In addition to enjoying a true traditional culture, visit the cultural places to discover some of the Kingdom’s obscured and lost past. Visit the famous Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the tombs of four “Ssekabaka” (late Kings of Buganda) in a spectacular grass-thatched structure built like a dome.

For the Baganda people, it is a site of identification, spirituality, and belief. Explore Kabaka’s Palace, which was built in 1922 and was once the residence of the Buganda King. During the Obote and Amin governments, the palace was also used as an army barracks. The resident guide will give you all the information pertaining the recent history of the country and the palace grounds, including a tour of the armory, which was supposedly used as a torture chamber by Amin’s goons, even if you are not allowed inside the structure itself.

Visit Kabaka’s Lake, a man-made lake formed in 1880 by the Baganda people under the leadership of their King, Mwanga, to connect to Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, and provide an escape route during British military conflicts.  Relax and eat lunch. Following lunch, you may stroll up the fascinating Royal Mile to Bulange Parliament, Lukiiko’s traditional centre that demonstrates that Buganda had a working parliament prior to the arrival of Europeans. After, retire and get transferred to your hotel.

Accommodation: Serena Hotel (Luxury), Mistil Hotel (Mid-range), Fair Way Hotel (Standard)

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Get up for breakfast around 7:30 a.m. After that, drive 40 minutes from Kampala City to the Naggalabi Coronation Site, located in the Wakiso District on Buddo Hill. The Kabakas of Buganda have been crowned here for the last 700 years. Expect to get a confined interpretation of how this historical Naggalabi came to be the mother site of the coronation. More still, you will also get to know the significance of the various huts, buildings, and physical elements at the Buganda kingdom site, in relation to their roles in the coronation process. The mound where Kintu, the first King/Kabaka of Buganda, slew his brother Bemba Musota and declared himself Kabaka is explored.

You can see the Buganda house, where the Kabaka stays for nine days after his coronation date, as well as other traditional homes that are important to the King’s coronation. The Mbonelede Tree is believed to be one of the oldest trees in the Buganda Kingdom and the country overall. The tree functioned as a traditional court for several years during the pre-colonial Buganda Kingdom (Kintu’s rule). The phrase “Mbonelede,” which translates to “I have learnt my lessons,” was used by suspects to plead for forgiveness during court procedures, and it inspired the tree’s name. Return to your Hotel for Dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Serena Hotel (Luxury), Mistil Hotel (Mid-range), Fair Way Hotel (Standard)
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

You should wake up early, have an early breakfast and by 6:00am travel about 154 km (about 4 hours) east of Kampala to Kagulu Hill in the Busoga Kingdom. You will stop at Ssezibwa Falls in Mukono, which is located on the Sezibwa River, a “black-river water” that tumbles over the rocks into the pool below, after travelling around 45 kilometres (1½) from Kampala. It is a stunning location and a significant cultural landmark in Buganda.

Legend has it that the Sezibwa River was the child of a pregnant woman named Nakkungu, who lived many years ago and belonged to the Kibe (fox) clan. Instead of giving birth to twins as was expected, a twin river poured out of her womb. These beautiful, ethereal falls have long been a favourite of Buganda’s Kabakas, who use them as a natural sanctuary. Ssekabaka Mwanga II planted a huge tree here in remembrance of the Ssezibwa Falls, and Muteesa II did the same.

After Jinja city, head to the Buyende region, where you will hike the 3,048-meter Kagulu peak, near the source of the Nile River, the longest river in the world. On reaching there, the local guide will brief you about the dos and donts of the place. It takes 30 to 1 hour to reach the summit, which offers stunning panoramic views of Lake Kyoga, the Busoga region, and waterfalls cascading down the mountain.

Kagulu hill is one of the historical landmarks in the history of Busoga Kingdom, since it was the first settlement for the Basoga people who had migrated from Bunyoro Kingdom under the leadership of Prince Mukama Namutukula. More to that, several other smaller hills at the Kagulu site such as Bukolimo, Butadewo, Mawaale, Nkyeere, and Mpanga, where for the wives of Kagulu.

A traditional shrine on the hill’s north is devoted to Mandwa Kagulu Nabiryo, an elderly oracle who is reportedly tormented by 45 ghosts that possess and guard Kagulu Hill. It is a magnificent place for sightseeing, adventure, and culture. Return to Kampala as the experience draws to a close. You will be transferred back to your hotel.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and lunch

Inclusions:

• All transfers from and back to Kampala
• A Visit to Sezibwa Falls
• Kampala City Tour
• A Hike to Kagulu Hill
• All ground transport for 3 days
• All government taxes and entrance fees
• An optional nature walk in Mabira Forest, ziplining, etc..
• Whitewater rafting in Jinja at the source of the Nile River
• Kayaking in Jinja on the Nile River
• Bottled water for the 3 days
• All accommodation for 2 days
• A boat ride to the Nile River’s headwaters and a bungee jump into the river

Exclusion

• Personal Travel Insurance
• Extra meals and accommodation
• Personal items such as Laundry, phone charges, gifts, souvenirs, and tips