1 Day Jinja Tour

Jinja is the source of the world’s longest river, the Nile.

Once the industrial town of Uganda, Jinja is now known as the “Adventure Capital of East Africa.” National Geographic even once stated that Jinja offers the best ‘white water rafting’ anywhere in the world.

Situated about 50 miles east of the capital Kampala, the journey to Jinja is also dotted with many other attractions and it is very common for tourists to make stopovers.

Ssezibwa Falls:

These magnificent falls are situated at the edge of Mabira forest about 30kms before getting to Jinja Town. There is a fairytale that an expecting lady knelt to deliver and instead of a baby, a river was born. The Baganda traditionalists believe that some of their gods reside at the falls including a resident African Rock Python. They perform rituals for healing, luck and blessings. A local guide will give you detailed information about the falls as you take a mild hike to the summit.

Mabira Forest:

Covering an area of about 300 km², Mabira is Uganda’s largest natural forest and it is located along Kampala-Jinja highway. This forest is a phenomenal player in the biodiversity of the area working as a source for several rivers and streams. With about 300 bird species, the forest is an Important Birding Area (IBA)! These constitute about 30% of the birds in Uganda. Species like Nahan’s Francolin are globally threatened. The forest is also home to primates such as Mangabey species, olive baboons and red-tailed monkeys among other species. An ever-green tropical forest, Mabira has amazing tree species, some of which are sources of herbal medicine. A local guide gives rich information about the forest and its respective residents.

Source of the Nile: The World’s Longest River begins its epic journey northward from Jinja.

Nile is derived from a Greek word “Nelios” which literally means “river valley”! The Nile is credited for one of the greatest civilisations in human history. For centuries this mysterious river fed the great Egyptian civilisation with volumes of water and silt but the source remained unknown.  About 1862, John Speke, a great British Explorer reached the present day Jinja and exposed to the rest of the world the vivid source of the Nile.  Today, tourists get to take a motorized canoe and sail down to “Point Zero”; concrete demarcation that shows where the waters of the Nile leave those of L. Victoria to embark on a more than 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) journey to the Mediterranean sea.

The Jinja trip starts from Kampala at about 7:30am and ends with a drop-off to your residence before dark.

Distance from Kampala to Jinja: 80Kms (50 miles).