19-Day Uganda Cycling Tour: Western Uganda, Murchison Falls & Gorillas

You will fly from Amsterdam to Entebbe. Once you arrive in Uganda, you will immediately be introduced to the warm culture and the cheerful vibes of the Ugandan people. It feels like a warm embrace and is a perfect start to your holiday. Welcome to Uganda, the pearl of Africa. Our team will be waiting for you after customs.

Accommodation: 2 Friends Beach Hotel

Meals: Not included today (most flights arrive late in the evening)

Following breakfast, you will be collected from the hotel early in the morning. The bustle of the city gradually makes way for the open landscape as you drive north, heading for Murchison Falls National Park – the largest and perhaps most impressive national park in Uganda.

En route, you will make a special stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, located in the Nakasongola district, near the village of Nakitoma. Here, accompanied by a ranger, you will set off on foot to track the rhinos that live in this protected area. The reserve is now home to over 49 of these animals. It is a vital initiative, aimed at reintroducing the rhino to Uganda’s national wildlife parks in the near future. The encounter with the rhino is intense and impressive. The moment you come face to face with these giants, you experience just how fragile and powerful nature can be.

After this walk, you will enjoy lunch before continuing the journey towards Murchison Falls National Park. Upon arrival, you will drive straight on to the waterfalls.

Originally, Murchison Falls were known as the Kabalega Falls. Here, the Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge just 8 metres wide, before plunging 43 metres downwards as the river continues its course westwards to Lake Albert. It is the most powerful waterfall in the world, and you can truly feel it. The roaring water, the rising mist, and the panoramic views leave a lasting impression. Do take the time to walk to the top of the falls and experience this raw power of nature from above.

Still awestruck by the waterfall, you will drive further to the lodge. Along the way, there is a good chance you will already spot wildlife beside the road.

At the end of the day, a place to relax awaits, surrounded by nature, with the sounds of the African evening in the background. A day that instantly shows you what Western Uganda is all about: pure nature, large animals, and landscapes that stay with you.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Early in the morning, you will set off for a game drive on the northern bank of the Nile, on the savannahs of Murchison Falls National Park. As the first light turns the landscape a golden hue, this is the moment when nature awakens and the animals are active. Together with your guide, you will scan the vast plains. Elephants wander peacefully by, lions lie hidden in the tall grass, and Cape buffaloes stand massively and unflappably in the field. Rothschild’s giraffes, hartebeests, waterbucks, oribis, and bushbucks also frequently show themselves here. With a bit of luck, even a leopard might cross your path.

After lunch, you will swap the savannah for the water. You will take a boat trip upstream on the Nile, towards the base of the falls. The boat approaches within a few metres of the impressive ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, where the water converges with tremendous force. Along the banks, you will see pods of hippos bobbing in the water and crocodiles lying motionless on the sandbanks. Over a stretch of about 17 kilometres, there is a high chance that elephants, waterbucks, and Uganda kobs will also make an appearance by the river.

Furthermore, this stretch of the Nile is a paradise for bird lovers. Species such as the Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelicans, kingfishers, and various hornbills feel right at home here. With a bit of luck, you might even spot the rare shoebill stork – one of Africa’s most extraordinary birds.

Afterwards, you will return to the lodge. There will be time to relax and let the day’s impressions quietly sink in.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today you will transfer from Murchison Falls National Park to Katambale. It is a longer travel day, but one full of impressions. You will stop several times along the way. Uganda unfolds along the roadside: colourful markets, small market stalls, waving children, women carrying baskets on their heads. See something that sparks your curiosity? Please feel free to mention it – the driver is more than happy to stop.

Upon arrival at your accommodation, there is time to test the mountain bikes. We will ensure everything is adjusted correctly, so that tomorrow you can start the real cycling adventure relaxed and full of confidence.

Accommodation: The Coffee Lodge at Clarke Farm

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

The cycling adventure in Uganda truly begins now. You will ride amongst fragrant coffee plantations and rolling tea fields, through lush forests and along quiet country lanes. The landscape is green, fertile, and diverse.

Along the way, you will pass through small villages where daily life takes place outdoors. Children run alongside and wave enthusiastically, whilst locals greet you warmly. The interactions are spontaneous and heartfelt, which is exactly what makes cycling here so special.

You will spend the night at the atmospheric Kyaninga Lodge, overlooking a crater lake.

Accommodation: Kyaninga Royal Cottages

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Fort Portal offers impressive views of the Rwenzori Mountains. You will start the route with these mountains as your backdrop. Today you will cycle past numerous crater lakes, through forests, banana plantations, and vast tea fields—a landscape that continues to surprise. In small villages, you will be greeted with an enthusiastic “Mzungu!”, which means “white person”. You will stop in Rwimi for a drink at a local bar. Afterwards, you will get into the car for a transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will spend the night at Simba Safari Camp, situated on the edge of the park. You can see the savannah in the distance.

Accommodation: Simba Safari Camp

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

You will wake up to the sound of singing birds and hippos in the water. In the morning, you will go on a trek through the Kyambura Gorge. This 100-metre-deep gorge, covered in tropical rainforest, slices like a green tear through the landscape. During the walk, you will search for chimpanzees. In addition, red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white and red colobus monkeys, and countless bird species live here. Furthermore, there are crater lakes in the rainforest where, with a bit of luck, you can see bright pink flamingos.

In the afternoon, you will go on a game drive in the park, and there is a high chance you will see the Big Four (excluding the rhino). Following this, you will visit the salt lakes and meet a local community that lives within the park.

At the end of the day, you will return to Bush Lodge, where the evening peacefully transitions into night alongside the sounds of the savannah.

Accommodation: Bush Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

The day begins with a special experience: a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. After a short bike ride to the jetty, you will step aboard. Sometimes you might even encounter elephants on this short cycling stretch. From the water, you get a completely different perspective of the park. Bubbles on the surface betray the presence of hippos, crocodiles lie motionless on the banks, and buffaloes and elephants come to drink at the water’s edge. Warthogs and countless bird species can also be seen from close by.

Following the boat safari, you will choose a shorter or longer cycling stage (approximately 50 to 75 kilometres) through the park. As you ride along the savannah roads, buffaloes, elephants, and even the famous tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector might cross your path.

Accommodation: Embogo Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

The landscape changes dramatically. The flat savannah gives way to a hilly area that becomes increasingly green and densely vegetated. Villages and tea plantations alternate; you will see just how many shades of green Uganda possesses.

The friendly greetings from the locals provide a boost of energy exactly when it is most welcome. Then the climb begins. On unpaved roads, you slowly ascend into the misty hills towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – one of the most biodiverse rainforests in Africa and home to the majestic mountain gorillas. It is a challenging but exceptionally beautiful stage.

Accommodation: Ride 4 A Woman Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

A day you will not easily forget. In the early morning, you will head into the rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in search of the impressive mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorillas are critically endangered and live in the wild in only three countries in the world. Uganda is one of them. Meeting these gentle giants, hidden deep in the dense forest, is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary nature experiences Africa has to offer.

During the trek, you will be accompanied by experienced, armed rangers. Their presence is not only to protect the gorillas but also for your safety. After all, other wild animals also live in the rainforest. A young elephant or an animal defending its food or territory can react unpredictably. However, you are in professional and reliable hands.

The walk itself requires exertion. The terrain is sometimes steep and muddy, and the path is not always visible. But the moment you come face to face with a gorilla family, everything falls silent. The tranquillity, the intelligence in their eyes, the way they interact with each other – it is a moving encounter that will stay with you for a long time.

Accommodation: Ride 4 A Woman Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

The route starts gently, along a rolling dirt road that is ideal for loosening up the legs. After a suspension bridge, the character of the stage changes. A tough climb presents itself, followed by a technical descent that requires concentration. This is a section that challenges you both physically and mentally.

Would you like to skip this tough section? That is, of course, possible. There is always an alternative available. Whether you cycle the full stage or take a transfer for part of it, cycling through the rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park remains a special experience. The dense vegetation, the filtered light through the trees, and the feeling of moving right through pure nature make this day unforgettable.

Accommodation: Gorilla Mist Camp

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Setting off from the lodge, you will hop on your bikes for the final kilometres through the rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Once you reach the main road, a transfer follows to Lake Bunyonyi – the second-deepest lake in Africa, surrounded by 29 islands and endless shades of green.

After a delicious lunch by the water, you can get back on your bikes. A challenging route awaits, with short but punchy climbs that will test your legs one more time. The reward? Views over the lake that make every effort more than worthwhile.

Next, you will take a boat trip to Habuharo Island. As the boat glides across the calm water, you are surrounded by steep, green hills that give the lake an almost mystical atmosphere. Habuharo is an idyllic and wooded island with a secluded character.

Accommodation: Heritage Lodge, Habuharo

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today you will cycle from lake to lake through an incredibly beautiful and picturesque environment. With views of the volcanic Virunga Mountains – situated on the border of Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo – you will cycle past Irish potato farms, onion fields, and cattle ranches.

Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Your legs have earned a rest. After breakfast, we will load the bikes onto the car and depart for Lake Mburo National Park.

Along the way, you will stop at the Igongo Cultural Centre, where the history and traditions of the Ankole region come to life. Take a look at the traditional huts for livestock and arable farming — the Bariisa and Abahiingi — which together paint a picture of rural life in the past. A visit to the museum itself is also an option, featuring an impressive collection of arts, crafts, and historical photographs.

After arriving at your accommodation, you have time to spend the afternoon as you wish. Perhaps you would like to stretch your legs with a short walk in the area. Or do you prefer rest and a view? The lodge is situated on top of a hill, offering a panoramic view over the rolling landscape of Lake Mburo National Park.

Accommodation: Eagles Nest Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

This day is dedicated to a “cycling safari” in Lake Mburo National Park.

Together with a ranger, you will hop on your mountain bikes for a special ride through the park. Cycling among wildlife remains a unique experience. Zebras graze on the savannah, giraffes curiously stretch their long necks above the scrub, and various species of antelope cross your path. Along the way, you will visit the Hippo Pool, where hippos hide in the water. Next, the climb to the Kazuma Lookout Point awaits. At the top of this hill, you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of a lake surrounded by vast savannah. Later in the day, you will take a boat trip on Lake Mburo.

Accommodation: Eagles Nest Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

With mixed feelings, you will get into the car and head towards Entebbe, the final destination of this journey through Uganda. In the late afternoon, you will arrive at the lodge, beautifully situated on the vast Lake Victoria. The view across the lake is expansive and calm, a lovely conclusion to your trip through Uganda.

Accommodation: Avocado Bay Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

This day is dedicated to the journey home. Before you board your flight (a late evening flight), it is still possible to add one final special excursion.

An optional trip to the Mabamba Swamp is available. This vast wetland area on the edge of Lake Victoria is known as one of the best places in Uganda to spot the rare shoebill stork. In addition, countless other bird species and animals, such as otters, live here. Arriving at the swamp, you will step into a local canoe and glide silently among the papyrus reeds. A relaxing yet impressive end to your adventure in Uganda.

In the evening, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: Breakfast

After a long flight, you will land back on Dutch soil. Tired but fulfilled, and richer for an unforgettable journey.