Combine a stay in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, with a safari through the country’s stunning landscape. Visiting and local youth connect through global citizenship activities, environmental education and plenty of time for play. Volunteer in the community and tour renowned heritage sites together with local residents. Uganda’s richly diverse ecosystems give this trip a focus on environmental stewardship.
Our host in Uganda is UYDEL (Uganda Youth Development Link), a local organization that empowers Kampala youth to lead healthy and productive lives.
Highlights Include:
– Chimpanzees, lions, elephants and more
– Visit homes and villages, get to know local children/families
– Community service (dig a water hole, build a home, etc.)
– Gorilla trek (ages 15 and up)
Cost:
From $4,900 per person
Included:
– Accommodations for 7 nights in Kampala and 5 nights on safari (details below)
– Airport transfer at arrival and departure
– Ground transportation for all program activities
– Trip leader and trip guides
– Entrance fees for all listed excursions except gorilla trek
– Three meals a day
– Pre-trip reading list and resources
– Global Buddies T-shirts
– Modest donations to our local host organizations
Not Included:
International flights; visa fees; travel insurance (highly recommended); personal expenses, including local purchases, alcoholic beverages and tips; gorilla trek permits (optional activity for travelers 15 and up).
Airfare:
International flights and travel insurance are arranged seperately. Families may make their own arrangements or work with us to secure competitive airfares and insurance rates.
Register:
A deposit of $500 per person will hold your place on this trip, plus an additional $500 if you wish to reserve a gorilla trek permit. Please register early, as our trips fill quickly.
While we make every effort to maintain the listed price, drastic fluctuations in fuel costs and currency exchange rates may require the addition of a fuel surcharge or foreign exchange adjustment. All prices based on double occupancy; single supplements apply.
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ARRIVAL: You will be met at Entebbe International Airport and transported to your accommodations in Kampala, where Global Buddies will greet you and orient you to the area. Traveling families gather for opening dinner to welcome them to Uganda. |
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PROGRAM BEGINS: Visiting and local families meet for the first time at UYDEL, with a community ceremony to welcome them to Kampala. Youth and adult activities begin, followed by dinner and a performance at the Ndere Cultural Centre for the whole group. |
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Share in the community’s joyful spirit with an optional morning visit to a local church, followed by exploring Kampala craft markets. After lunch, visiting families are invited to visit homes in the village to see how people live and grow their food. Festive group dinner concludes the day’s activities. |
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Locals and visitors journey together to the Jinja, source of the Nile. On the way, we’ll stop in a rural village and school that is home to one of the Ugandan Global Buddies. Visit classrooms, meet students and teachers, talk with local families. |
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Youth program continues, while adults work on service project. After a lunch featuring local cuisine, the entire group tours the community. Enjoy a chance to meet traditional healers and elders and take part in an exciting drum lesson. |
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A visit to the Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary in Lake Victoria, where visiting and local Global Buddies learn together about the dangers facing chimpanzees and efforts to protect them. Watch the chimps be fed and enjoy their playful antics! |
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Closing ceremony at UYDEL celebrates Global Buddies time in Kampala. Adults help prepare a community lunch, followed by traditional dances, youth performances, and games for all. |
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Leave Kampala for safari in southwestern Uganda. Head to the remote Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where game drives may give a view of Ishasha’s famous tree-climbing lions or herds of migrating elephants. Visit Kololo Primary School and Ishasha Community Project. Two nights at Ishasha Wilderness Camp. |
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Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to half the world’s 700+ remaining mountain gorillas. Forest walks, community meetings and optional treks to see Bwindi’s majestic gorillas (ages 15 and up). We offer access to highly restricted gorilla permits — limited number available. Two nights at Buhoma Lodge. |
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Help build a home for the Batwa, then continue on to Lake Mburo National Park. Choice of activities includes boat ride, bush walk or game drive. Overnight at Mantana Tented Camp. |
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DEPARTURE: Return to Entebbe International Airport via the Equator – a real place, not just a line on a globe – and stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern! Families may explore further on their own or begin their journey home. |
We reserve the right to adjust individual items on this itinerary as needed; the main components will not change.