Village/cultural tours in Uganda are amazingly the most remarkable way to experience a true African village. Explore different traditional ways of life, enjoy the dances, and music performances and engage in hands-on experience during harvesting, food preparation, or cooking with the opportunity to have a taste of what you prepared, etc.
While Uganda is considered to be a pure adventure travel destination mostly attracting visitors for gorilla trekking or mountaineering, there are multiple opportunities to experience the actual rural way of life on any of the village tours. Most village tours are conducted in the nearby villages at the main tourist destinations such as National Parks, Reserves, Lakes, Forests Rivers, etc.
Top villages in Uganda to visit for a relaxing vacation
- Boomu Cultural Village
Also popular as Boomu Women’s Group, the Boomu village is located adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park, North-western Uganda. It is one of the best villages for Uganda safari travelers in Murchison Falls NP to experience an authentic African experience. Formed in 1999, Boomu Women’s Group/Cultural Village is comprised of subsistence farmers from Kihaguzi and Kigaragara villages.
Village tours in Boomu Cultural Village introduce you to the rural life of local communities, lifestyles, traditions and daily practices, enjoy the stories told by the elders, etc. At Boomu, there are also bandas with single, double/twin rooms and camping opportunities.
- Batwa community
For Uganda safari travelers to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a visit to the Batwa community for a cultural experience is what makes a gorilla safari complete. The Batwa community is inhabited by the indigenous Batwa pygmies- the original forest inhabitants who lived in the forest for thousands of years as hunters and gatherers.
The Batwa pygmies were later evicted when Bwindi and Mgahinga were designated as National Parks. There are different options to visit the Batwa- the Forest Keepers. You can go on actual Batwa community/cultural visit or experience or Batwa cultural trail established in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
- Etanda Cultural Village
Etanda village is one of the most beautiful villages in Uganda worth visiting for relaxing vacation. It is an exceptional cultural safari village in Uganda known for its unique arts and crafts, culture, traditions and great performances.
Etanda is located in Mityana district, about a 1-hour drive starting from Kampala. A visit to Entanda guarantees enthusiastic cultural safari travelers authentic cultural experiences and visitor experiences include exploring the various traditional methods of animal keeping, farming, beekeeping, food harvesting and preparation, cooking and service, etc.
Besides unique cultures, Entanda is an exceptional historical site. Its existence dates back to a thousand years when Kintu- the first man to live in Buganda encountered death spirits who were interested in killing Nambi his wife.
The death spirits are better known as Walumbe and it is believed that these spirits could dig deep pits to hide from and kill people. Over 240 deep pits are believed to be existing at Entanda with the Nambi rocks currently used for traditional worship. The main activities awaiting you on Entanda cultural safari include hunting, traditional dances, walking through the banana and coffee plantations, and forests, and also engaging in food preparation and cooking or having lessons on the traditionally made musical instruments.
- Karamoja village
Located in far North-eastern Uganda, Karamojong community/village tour introduces visitors to unique traditions, cultures and practices of the Karamojong people. The Karamojong village also best referred to as Manyatta (s)- traditional homesteads for the Karamojong.
Experience authentic Karamojong cultures, traditions, the unique dances and music performances after or before your Uganda wildlife tour in Kidepo Valley National Park or visit the IK people on Mount Morungole. The Karamojong are renowned pastoralists and they still practice their traditions as nomadic pastoralists.
- Katwe Village
Katwe village is a cultural village located in Kasese district, Western Uganda. It is one of the beautiful villages found at the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park. salt mining is amazingly one of the main activities that is carried out in this village. A visit to Katwe village allows you to explore salt mining methods and so on.
- Nshenyi village
Go experience the Ankole cultures and traditions by undertaking a cultural safari in Nshenyi Village. Nshenyi is found right on a farm nearby the Ntugamo district in Kitwe town, a 1-hour drive from Mbarara city and 30 minutes drive from Ntugamo town. Plenty of activities are conducted at Nshenyi including milking the Ankole long-horned cattle, visiting the primary schools and local markets, traditional cooking, nature walks, tree planting and more.
- Rubuguri village
Located at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda’s leading mountain gorilla trekking destination, Rubuguri village is one interesting village worth visiting for unforgettable cultural experiences. It is an isolated village but known for its warm welcoming residents. While on Rubuguri village tour, the key activities to expect include visiting the schools, and enjoy the Kikiga dances as the locals also sing energetically before you.