1 Day Source of the Nile Tour is one of the most adventurous Uganda safari tours. This 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour is a short Uganda safari tour that has travelers experiencing the amazing adventurous activities on River Nile, the longest river in the world that serves up to 10 African countries. Travelers after adventure in Uganda should look to book this short 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour.

Safari Highlights of 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour:
Boat cruise, Source of the Nile Visit, Zip-lining

Trip summary of 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour:
Early Morning; you shall be picked up from your hotel/apartment of stay by our Uganda safari guide to start your short 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour. Your guide shall brief you shortly about your 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour and then proceed for a drive from Kampala to Griffin falls camp for zip-lining. Enjoy the road drive passing through Mabira Forest, and street foot and fresh produce markets like Najembe and Namawojolo. After zip-lining, you shall proceed for a lunch at the Rain Forest Lodge, located in Mabira Forest. You shall thereafter continue to Jinja City, the adventure capital of Uganda from where you shall get to visit River Nile.

You shall have an afternoon adventure session on the mighty River Nile. You shall have a boat cruise to the very source of River Nile, the longest river in the world! Enjoy spotting various features and water animals and waterbirds including reptiles. After, you shall embark on your return to Kampala and be dropped off at your hotel/apartmennt of stay.

About Jinja
Jinja lies in southeastern Uganda, approximately 54 miles (87 km), by road, east of Kampala. The town is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, near to the source of the Nile River. The nearby Owen Falls Dam regulates the flow of the White Nile and generates electricity. Jinja town is the largest metropolitan area in Jinja District, and is considered the capital of the Kingdom of Busoga.

Jinja Municipality is the second largest town of Uganda. It was formerly a fishing village that benefited from being on long-distance trade routes. The town was founded in 1901 by the British as an administrative centre for the Provincial Government Headquarters for Busoga region. This was around the time when a lake steamer service operated between Jinja and Port Florence (, the port that in 1901 became the terminus of the railway from the coast.

Trip overview
The one day Jinja tour will take you to some of the attractions in and around Jinja with the first stop being Mabira Forest. This is the most significant forest reserve closest to the city centre, and it boasts of a 315 bird record with 74 of the 144 species of Guinea-Congo Forests biome that occurs in Uganda. The forest has well-established trails that include the Red-tailed Monkey, Turaco and the Buttress trails will ease life for you in your search for Nahan’s Francolin which is an IUCN Red list’ endangered species, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf-kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Forest Woodhoopoe, African Pied Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, African Shrike-flycatcher, Jameson’s and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, the Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-capped Robin-Chat, the Speckle-breasted, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared, Grey and the Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Little Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Sooty Boubou, Grey-green Bush-shrike, just to mention but a few.

The forest is a natural Habitat of 312 species of trees including the Diphasia angolensis which is not known elsewhere in Uganda and five species which are of international conservation concern, the Cordia Millenii, Militia Excelsa, Irvingia gabonensis, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonii. The Warbhugia Ugandenesis which has medicinal properties and known to cure over forty ailments; and the vulnerable prunus. In Mabira Forest, you will do a nature walk and zip-lining. After ziplining, there is a lunch break at the Rain Forest Lodge.
After lunch, we drive to the source of the Nile in Jinja for a sunset boat cruise on the Nile River to its source.

Detailed Programme

Morning session. Drive from Kampala to Griffin falls camp and zip-lining
After a morning breakfast at your hotel, lodge or place of residence, our driver guide will pick you and brief you about the day activities. Start off the morning drive on the Kampala Jinja highway to our first stop which is Griffin falls camp in Mabira forest about 44km from Kampala city. Mabira Forest is Uganda’s only urban jungle. The forest is located between two major urban centres, on the main Kampala-Jinja highway about 54 km, an hour’s drive from Kampala and 20 km from Jinja. The forest centre is on the edge of Najjembe Trading Centre, whose roadside market is famous for roast chicken and gonja (plantain).

The forest is home to 312 tree and 218 butterfly species. Some of the tropical tree species reach up to 60 feet in height. Some have protruding buttressed roots along with an abundance of lianas and vines. Some are estimated to be 80 to 100 years old. Some of the important tree species in Mabira are: Diphasia angolensis which is not known to occur elsewhere in Uganda. Other species of international conservation concern are: Cordia Millenii, Militia Excelsa, Irvingia gabonensis, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonii, Warbhugia Ugandenesis ( known to cure over forty ailments) and the vulnerable Prunus. For birders the forest boasts of a 315 bird record with 74 of the 144 species of Guinea-Congo Forests biome that occurs in Uganda. The hottest item in the birding menu is the Nahan’s Francolin which is on the IUCN Red list of endangered species. Other birds in the forest are: Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf-kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Forest Woodhoopoe, African Pied Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, African Shrike-flycatcher, Jameson’s and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, the Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-capped Robin-Chat, the Speckle-breasted, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared, Grey and the Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Little Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Sooty Boubou, Grey-green Bush-shrike, just to mention but a few.

On reaching the zip lining site, you will be briefed and dressed in the zip-lining gear. Thereafter, you will take a 30 minutes’ walk through the breathtaking forest to the sky ways zip-lining platform. The network of five zip-lines sends you between the tallest trees in the forest as you enjoy the forest canopy. After the activity continue to Rain Forest Lodge for lunch after which you drive to Jinja.

Afternoon session. Sunset boat cruise to the source of the Nile
The source of the Nile in Jinja is a point where the River Nile flows out of Lake Victoria to start its 6650km three months long journey to Mediterranean Sea. By visiting the source of the Nile, you would get to see the source of the longest river on planet earth and also the largest fresh water lake in Africa – Lake Victoria. The cruise will give you the view of the sun as it’s rays are reflected on water.

Then in the evening drive back to Kampala.
This is a private Photographic Safari and can be booked by an individual or a group of a maximum of people per vehicle.

Tour Price/Cost Inclusions of the 1 Day Source of the Nile Tour

  • Transfer to and from the hotel
  • Transport in a 4×4 Safari vehicle
  • Services of an English speaking driver guide
  • Fuel for the whole safari
  • Boat cruise
  • Lunch
  • All the activities mentioned in the itinerary
  • Drinking water in the Vehicle

Thank you for choosing Snap Uganda Tours. We will be pleased to hear your comments after the Photographic Safari.