This 5-day trip pairs one of East Africa’s best-known adventure activities with one of Uganda’s great wildlife parks. The route begins in Jinja near the Source of the Nile for a day of white-water rafting, then heads northwest via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to Murchison Falls National Park, where the Nile is forced through a narrow gorge to create one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
Travellers who want chimpanzee trekking added to a Murchison Falls itinerary should look at our 4-Day Murchison Falls and Chimpanzee Trekking, while those who want the gorilla and chimpanzee trekking combined with this same Jinja rafting stop should consider our 8-Day Gorilla Trekking and Nile Rafting.
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$1,676 per person when 2 persons travel together
$1,676 per person when 3 persons travel together
$1,394 per person when 4 persons travel together
$1,394 per person when 5 persons travel together
$1,262 per person when 6 persons travel together
*n/a = not available. This tour is unavailable for solo travelers.
For a more accurate estimate, contact us with your specific requirements and budget. We'll send a detailed quote based on your itinerary, group size, and preferred level of comfort.
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Your driver-guide collects you from Entebbe International Airport in the morning and transfers you through Kampala to Jinja. Time permitting, stop at Ssezibwa Falls along the way, a site traditionally used as a place of rest and healing by the Kabakas (Kings) of the Buganda Kingdom.
Distance: Road transfer from Entebbe to Jinja, approx. 3-4 hours with stops
Activity: Travel day, optional Ssezibwa Falls stop
Accommodation: Hotel in Jinja
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
After a hearty breakfast, head to the launch point for a day of white-water rafting on one of the Nile’s most famous adventure activities, no previous experience required. After rafting, transfer to Kampala for dinner and an overnight stay.
Distance: Full-day rafting, then transfer to Kampala
Activity: White-water rafting
Accommodation: Hotel in Kampala
Meals: All meals included, drinking water provided
After breakfast, drive northwest through the Luwero Triangle via Masindi Town, taking in Uganda’s rural scenery and rolling green savannah along the way. En route, stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track rhino on foot, the only place in Uganda where this is possible.
Distance: Road transfer with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, approx. 5-6 hours total
Activity: Rhino tracking en route
Accommodation: Lodge near Murchison Falls National Park
Meals: All meals included, drinking water provided
A morning game drive along the northern bank brings the chance of lion, giraffe, elephant and Uganda kob, before returning to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon, take a 3-hour boat trip along the Nile for a close view of the falls thundering onto the rocks below, with hippo, crocodile and waterbirds along the shores. Travellers with good fitness can disembark for a hike to the top of the falls, only reachable from the south bank, for a different vantage point on this dramatic landmark.
Distance: Morning game drive, afternoon Nile boat trip, optional hike to the top of the falls
Activity: Game drive, boat trip and optional falls hike
Accommodation: Lodge near Murchison Falls National Park (second night)
Meals: All meals included, drinking water provided
Depart Murchison Falls National Park and transfer to the airport in time for your flight home, bringing the trip to a close.
Distance: Transfer to the airport
Activity: Departure
Accommodation: N/A, end of trip
Meals: Meals at own expense
Yes, the rafting trip on the Nile is designed to be accessible to first-time rafters, with experienced guides leading every raft and full safety briefings provided beforehand.
Most of the itinerary is vehicle- or boat-based. The optional hike to the top of Murchison Falls involves a steeper, more strenuous climb and is recommended only for travellers with good fitness; it can be skipped in favour of photographs from the rocks below the falls.
The dry seasons, from December to February and June to September, offer the easiest road conditions and game viewing. Rafting on the Nile runs year-round regardless of season.
The price covers park fees for non-residents, all activities unless labelled as optional, all accommodation unless listed as an upgrade, a professional driver-guide, all transportation unless labelled as optional, all taxes and VAT, roundtrip airport transfers, and the meals and drinks specified in the day-by-day itinerary. International flights, additional accommodation before or after the tour, tips and personal items such as souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees are not included.
Sighting rates at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary are generally very good, since the rhino population there is closely monitored and tracked daily by rangers, but as with any wildlife encounter no sighting can be guaranteed.
Yes. Our 8-Day Gorilla Trekking and Nile Rafting itinerary combines this same Jinja stop with chimpanzee trekking in Kibale and gorilla trekking in Bwindi, and our 4-Day Murchison Falls and Chimpanzee Trekking adds a chimp trek onto a Murchison Falls visit. Let us know if you'd like either built into a longer trip.
Most nationalities can obtain a Uganda tourist visa online before travel, and a regional East Africa visa covering Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda is also available. Travel insurance covering medical evacuation is recommended for any trip involving water-based activity and remote travel.
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