Uganda Family Tours: Gorilla Trekking, Safari and Cultural Experiences.
Uganda family tours are exciting and adventurous holiday packages that are meant for families to share. A family tour in Uganda is full of thrilling, breathtaking, and memorable moments as you discover the famous national parks in Uganda. Families on these Ugandan safaris can participate in a range of interesting activities, such as game drives, boat trips, and cultural experiences, which will give them a well-rounded and enriching experience.
Chopper Tours and Travel is experienced in planning family safaris in Uganda, which include the famous national parks of Kidepo Valley National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Bwindi National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
What to consider during preparation for family Tours in Uganda
Minimum age
When planning a Uganda family tour or a family tour in Uganda, it is essential to factor in the age of the children. Children are considered to be people below the age of 15 years. In the process of planning, it is essential to note that visitors are required to pay entrance fees to enter national parks, but children below the age of 5 years are not charged any entrance fee.
Age is an essential component in the process of planning for a Ugandan family tour or family safari in Uganda because some activities have age limitations. For instance, gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is only allowed for children above 15 years of age. In a similar process, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park is ideal only for children above 12 years of age.
In the process of planning for a Uganda family tour or family safari in Uganda, if families want to engage in gorilla trekking or chimpanzee trekking, children can take part in other activities within the national parks. These activities include wildlife viewing of monkeys, baboons, birds, and tree species.
Vehicle
When it comes to a Uganda family tour, the vehicle you choose to use will play a significant role in ensuring that you have a comfortable and enjoyable time during the safari. A 4WD safari van would be the best vehicle to use, as it has the capacity to accommodate a family of up to 8 members.
Chopper Tours and Travel have a variety of safari vans that are roomy and designed to ensure that you have a comfortable time, with features such as charging points, large windows, and a pop-up roof.
Top Things to do on a Uganda Family Tour
Top activities on a Uganda Family Tour: Uganda has much to offer for tourists, ranging from primates, wildlife and cultural experiences. Here are the top Uganda family tour activities.
Family game drive
A game drive is an exciting and thrilling experience that enables tourists to discover the national parks in Uganda while taking advantage of the comfort of a safari van. The activity is one of the best ways to spot wildlife in their natural habitats and is a must-do in any family tour to Uganda.
During family tour vacations in Uganda, families can go for game drives at the most famous parks, including Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park (in particular along Buligi Game Track in the northern part of the park), and Queen Elizabeth National Park (in particular in the Kasenyi Plains).
The game drives at these parks are usually conducted in the early morning at 7:00 am or in the late afternoon or early evening, when the chances of spotting wildlife are highest. While on the game drive, you can spot the Big Five mammals, which include elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses, as well as other animals like giraffes, zebras, warthogs, oribi, elands, impalas, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda Kobs, and giant forest hogs.
One of the highlights of a family game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the opportunity to view the famous tree-climbing lions, which are usually spotted resting lazily in acacia and fig trees in the Ishasha sector. This is a must-do family activity for those who want to have an immersive experience with the wildlife of Uganda.
Family Birding excursion
Uganda has been blessed with different bird species, and some of them are not found in any other place. During a family tour, visitors can go birding, which is done in different places such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Mabamba Swamp, Mabira Forest, Bigodi Wetland, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park, to mention but a few.
On a family birding tour, visitors have a chance to see a variety of birds, including the secretive shoebill stork, green-breasted pitta, great blue turaco, short-tailed warbler, standard-winged nightjar, saddled-billed stork, grey-crowned crane, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black-headed lapwing, Goliath heron, giant kingfisher and many more.
Family Boat Cruise
A family boat cruise is a fun and engaging experience for private family tours in Uganda that offers a unique window into the unrivalled wildlife and breathtaking scenery of the country. A relaxing boat cruise on calm waters will bring you up close to wildlife, birds, and water animals during a family boat cruise in Uganda. The best places to take your family on a boat cruise in Uganda are the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kazinga Channel, Lake Mburo National Park, and Murchison Falls National Park.
Kazinga Channel, which is found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the second largest national park in Uganda, offers a 2-hour family boat cruise seeing hippos, crocodiles and other water animals. Along the shores, you can also see elephants, buffalo, waterbucks, lions, and various bird species such as pink-backed pelicans, saddle-billed storks, black crakes, African jacanas, long-tailed cormorants, open-billed storks, and the rare African shoebill.
In Murchison Falls National Park, the biggest and most-visited national park in Uganda, family boat safaris are done both upstream at the base of the falls and downstream at the Victoria Nile Delta. During the boat safaris, families have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful sights of crocodiles, hippos, monitor lizards, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and Uganda Kobs. Bird enthusiasts can also spot birds like the shoebill stork, malachite kingfisher, handsome francolin, red-throated bee-eater, grey heron, African fish eagle, and cormorants. The boat safaris offer families an opportunity to have an unforgettable experience and an encounter with the amazing wildlife of Uganda.
Horse riding tours
Horse riding is among the activities for families during a Uganda family tour, as it is a unique way to enjoy the natural splendour of the country. During your family tour holiday, you can engage in horse riding in Lake Mburo National Park and at the Source of the Nile, which will be conducted by professional guides. The guides will ensure that your safety is guaranteed by riding in front of you and also at the back in case you encounter any problems.
During your horse-riding experience in Lake Mburo National Park, families have the opportunity to ride through the open savannah and view wildlife while on horseback, which provides an exciting safari adventure for kids on ponies. At the Source of the Nile, the landscape is ideal for horse riding along the edge of the water, and families will have the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery, the communities, and even kids swimming in the water.
Cultural encounters
Uganda is famous for its diverse cultural heritage, with more than 50 ethnic groups and languages. Cultural encounters are one of the major highlights of your family tour in Uganda, providing a very enriching experience with the local communities around the national parks.
During a family visit, tourists have the opportunity to engage with the Batwa communities, or pygmies, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. These meetings will provide you with a very good insight into their hunting methods and former co-existence with the forest.
Family tours in Uganda that involve cultural encounters are very entertaining, with traditional music, dance, and songs. Families will also get the chance to learn about the local people’s way of life and get to enjoy some of their local cuisine.
During a family safari tour in Uganda, families can take part in some fun activities that will make their journey even more enjoyable. Some of the activities that you can take part in include quad biking and nature walks in some of the world-famous national parks in Uganda, including Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Furthermore, you can take part in cycling and canoeing safaris, which will give you an opportunity to experience the beautiful landscapes of Uganda uniquely and excitingly. Family travellers can also visit some of the famous places in Uganda, including Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking, Sesse Island, Ngamba Island, and the Source of the Nile.
Best time to go for a family tour in Uganda
The ideal time to go for a family tour in Uganda, including family safaris, is during the dry seasons in Uganda. The peak seasons when you can visit Uganda for your family tours are from June to September and from December to February. There are several benefits of visiting Uganda during the dry season for your family safaris, including less rainfall, which makes the grass in the national parks shorter. This allows visitors to have a clear view of the animals during the game drives. The roads leading to the national parks are also in better condition during the dry season, making it safe for families to visit. Animals congregate around water sources to drink, allowing families to take photos of the animals.
