3-Day Jinja Itinerary: Things to do in the Adventure Capital

Jinja, the adventure capital of East Africa, is also famous as the source of the Nile. It is a vibrant town with all the colorful buildings in the center. Just 100 km from the capital, Jinja is a hidden gem and should be on your Uganda itinerary.

Whether it is white water rafting through raging rapids or bungee jumping over the Nile, Jinja is packed with adventure. Let me take you through Jinja, the adventure capital, as I share the top things to do and my 3-day itinerary.

Is Jinja worth visiting?

Jinja is undoubtedly worth a visit—not just for its wide range of adventures, but because it truly has something for everyone. You can walk around the lively town and markets that still show signs of its colonial past, enjoy a peaceful sunset cruise with your loved ones, or dive into the thrill of quad biking, tubing, rafting, and even bungee jumping. Whatever your style of travel, Jinja promises an experience you won’t forget. 

Planning a trip to Uganda? Read my Uganda travel Guide

How to reach Jinja

There are two options to reach Jinja: one is to take a tour package, which will cover pickup from Kampala and all internal sightseeing in Jinja, as I chose, and the second option is to take a matatu (mini-bus) from Kampala, which will take approximately 2 hours. If you’re short on time, you can also take a flight, but it’ll be on the expensive end.

Before I start with my Jinja itinerary, I want to give a shoutout to Buffalo Safari Camps for showing me around Jinja like a local. They are based in Jinja and were my tour operator for my entire Uganda trip. If you’re looking for a Uganda trip, please reach out to them and ask for Emma as your guide. Now, let’s get back to the itinerary.

Jinja Itinerary Overview

• Day 1: Picked up from Kampala and went straight for white-water rafting on the Nile — pure adrenaline! Had lunch at the campsite and spent the evening relaxing by the river.
• Day 2: Tried zip-lining along the Nile, took a boat ride to its source, and visited the Mahatma Gandhi statue. Ended the day with some shopping and an amazing Ethiopian injera dinner.
• Day 3:Started early with an ATV ride through the village and near the dam, then slid into the Nile to cool off. Wrapped up with bird watching on the Nile and a quiet evening by the pool.

Day 1: Kampala to Jinja

I was really looking forward to visiting Jinja, known as the adventure capital of East Africa. After spending three amazing days in Kampala, I was ready to head there. It also marked the start of my Uganda trip with Buffalo Safari Camps, with whom I’d be exploring for the next two weeks — and Jinja was just the beginning.

Early in the morning, around 6:30 am, I was picked up by Sandy in the Land Cruiser. Our first stop was the Adrift Adventure site. Since we wanted to avoid Kampala’s traffic, leaving early was the best idea. It took us about two and a half hours to reach the Adrift camp.

I was starting my Jinja trip with the most thrilling activity — white-water rafting on the Nile.

River Rafting on the Nile

As soon as we reached the Adrift Camp, we were given a short briefing. There were seven of us in the group. After explaining all the safety instructions and course details, we were ready to jump into the water — well, the raft, actually!

I had gone rafting earlier in Rishikesh, India, but this one felt much safer. We had about four or five extra team members from Adrift who accompanied us throughout the trip on their rafts and kayaks. The whole rafting experience lasted around four to five hours, with snacks and refreshments served along the way.

There were several rapids on this course — the highest, Grade 5, was called the Washing Machine. At every rapid, our group voted to go right through the centre for the biggest adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, our raft never toppled (yes, you read that right!). I mean, where’s the thrill in rafting if your raft doesn’t flip at least once? I won’t give away too many spoilers — it’s something you should experience for yourself!

It was almost 2 pm by the time we finished the rafting trip and got back to the van, which took us back to the Adrift Camp.

Website: Adrift Uganda

Price for rafting: Starting from $140 per person

Stay by the river 

We then had lunch at the camp, which was included in the rafting package. For the first night, I decided to stay at the Adrift site instead of going into Jinja. Rafting was quite tiring, so I just took a nap afterward.

In the evening, I had the option to try bungee jumping, which is also available at the Adrift campsite. But instead, I chose to walk around the property and check out the waterfalls. Right opposite the campsite is the Lemala Wildwaters Lodge, a perfect alternative if you’re looking for a luxurious and relaxing stay on the Nile.

The evening was calm and peaceful — I watched the sunset from the bungee tower, had dinner at the campsite, and called it an early night.

Day 2 in Jinja

In the morning, I was greeted by Emma, who was going to pick me up so we could start our journey to the town of Jinja. We first dropped our luggage at the Signature Hotel Jinja and then headed straight across the Nile for boating and zip lining.

Now, while the main boat rides usually start from the town, you can also take a canoe with the help of a local to reach the source of the Nile.

Boat ride to the source of the Nile

It was a surreal experience to reach the source of the Nile. There’s always been some debate about the river having two sources — one being Lake Victoria in Jinja, and the other Lake Tana in Ethiopia.

Lake Victoria, by the way, is shared by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

You can stop at Point Zero, a small floating platform at the source, to take pictures or buy a few souvenirs.

After clicking some photos, I came back and headed straight to Zip the Nile.  

Cost for boat ride: 20k – 30k Ugandan Shilling(UGX)

Zip Line along the Nile

At first, I was of the impression that we would be doing the zip-lining across the Nile, and it did look quite thrilling. But only later did I realise we would be doing it along the Nile, which was not as thrilling.

Since I was already here, I thought to give it a try. It is a 300m long Zip line, one way, and you get to do it twice and come back to the starting point. Even though it was not thrilling, it was definitely fun when you zip over a boat of people who are headed to the source of the Nile. Definitely worth trying.

Within the same campus is the Speke Memorial, which is dedicated to John Hanning Speke, who is said to have stood there in 1862 and declared that the Nile emerges from Lake Victoria. (There is a controversy on this; Google it to read more about it)

Zip the Nile

Address: Source of the Nile Gardens, Bukaya, Uganda

Price for Ziplining: 70k UGX

Visit the Mahatma Gandhi Statue and have lunch in an Indian restaurant

It was almost peak summer here with temperatures ranging up to 38℃. The next stop was going to be one of the main reasons why I chose to visit Jinja, the Mahatma Gandhi Statue. While Jinja has been a hotspot for Indians because of the trade, it was also here that they immersed the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. It is said that Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed not just in Allahabad(Prayagraj) but also in major seas and rivers, and Jinja(Source of the Nile) was one of the spots. 

To commemorate and respect him, they also have a statue dedicated to him. Only to my bad luck, when I visited the spot, they had moved the statue elsewhere(Feb’25) and were renovating the place.

A little disheartened because they could have said the same thing at the entry, and I wouldn’t have had to pay the entry fees.

Anyway, I then went to Moti Mahal and an Indian restaurant, for lunch. 

After this, I went back to the hotel because the heat was killing me. In the evening, I went to an Indian temple and wandered around the town. With the colorful buildings, the town does give a vibe like Cuba.

Address: Mahatma Gandhi Statue(Google Maps)

Entry Price: 30k UGX

Trying Ethiopian cuisine in Jinja

For dinner, I headed to Prudi’s corner with Tim, who is also the director at Jinja Hippos RFC and owner of Buffalo Safari Camps. We had a fun chat about all things travel and Rugby.

This was also my first time trying Ethiopian food, and before this, I had only heard good things about it. Trust me when I say this, it lives up to the hype, or even beyond. The injera was very similar to the Indian flat breads(Appam or Dosa). With all the veggies and the meat, the dinner was really delicious.

I liked it so much that I now look for Ethiopian restaurants wherever I travel. 

Prudi’s Corner: 230d Kiira Rd, Jinja, Uganda

Day 3: Quad Biking in the village by the Nile

Last morning in Jinja and still plenty of adventurous activities to try! We started by driving 30 minutes to try Quad Biking. Now I had once earlier tried quad biking in Mui Ne, and that was really adventurous, going for dune bashing, but we had someone experienced to drive it for us. 

Whereas here I will be driving one by myself, and the best part is that they give you training and let you take laps around the venue for you to practice before you head out. A nice 10 minutes of practice session, and I was ready to head to the villages for an hour-long quad bike trip. 

We kept driving on rough roads in the surrounding villages, and seeing all the kids wave at you was a truly memorable experience. Some of the challenging parts of the ride were when we drove close to the Nile, and I have to say it was quite adventurous! And by the time you are back, you’re all covered with mud thanks to the jumpsuit they provide that saves you!

Just right by the All Terrain Adventures venue is Nile Explorers, where you can slide into the Nile. To my bad luck, we needed 4 people to try the activity, and I was traveling solo; some cons of traveling solo.

I sat there waiting for some time, enjoying the view, but unluckily, no one showed up that time.

Website: All Terrain Adventure

Address: Bujagali, Jinja, Uganda

Price for ATV ride: Starting from $55 per person

Buying a Rolex in Jinja

It was already peak in the afternoon, and I thought of having an early lunch because after this we had to go for another activity. I had to try the Rolex here in Jinja; it was not my first time trying it. Rolex is the short form of rolled eggs and is a very popular street food in Uganda.

Bird watching and visiting the source of the Nile

I had already seen the source of the Nile once, but still wanted to see what the other alternatives were to reach the Zero Point. It was time to take a bird-watching tour that also included a visit to the source of the Nile. 

The tour starts at the Jinja Sailing Club, and Java, the guide, starts by telling about the history of Lake Victoria. On the way, we stopped multiple times to spot different birds; one of the prominent ones I remember was seeing the Giant Kingfisher. Got some pictures clicked again at the Source of the Nile and came back to the town for some shopping.

In the evening, I just relaxed by the pool in the property and then called it a night by having dinner at the hotel.

This was my final day here in Jinja, and the next day we continued our Uganda journey towards Murchison Falls National Park.

Contact Java: Jinja Tours & Safaris

Price for boat safari: $35 per person

Plan your Jinja and Uganda trip with Buffalo Safari Camps

I did this trip with Buffalo Safari Camps, and it was hassle-free, and I didn’t have to worry about planning anything. Both Tim and Emma will help you have the best experience on your Uganda trip.

Website: Buffalo Safari Camps

Contact: +256 758 098428(WhatsApp)

Email: info@buffalosafaricamps.com 

More Things to Do in Jinja

While my 3 days were pretty balanced with adventure and relaxation, here are a few more things you can try on your visit to Jinja

• Bungee Jumping at Adrift: Starting at $115 per person
• Tubing the Nile: Starting at $25 per person
• Sliding in the Nile: Starting at 40k UGX

Best time to visit Jinja

Generally, just like any other place in Uganda, there are two best seasons to visit Jinja: Jun to Aug and December – February. During these periods, one can try all sorts of activities like white water rafting, tubing, bungee jumping, and many other adventure activities!

Where to stay in Jinja

Here are my best suggestions for your stay in Jinja

1. Adrift River Club – Please reach out to them directly or contact Buffalo Safari Camps
2. Signature Hotel Jinja: Perfect for staying right in the town, with a swimming pool
3. Wildwaters Lemala by the Nile: Perfect for couples and families who want to enjoy a luxurious stay by the Nile River

Jinja was one of those places that felt like everything slowed down, even though it has so much adventure to offer. I hope this Jinja itinerary helps you plan your trip. If you have any specific questions you want me to answer, please drop them in the comments or reach out to me directly on Instagram stories.of.raku

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This post contains details of my experience with Buffalo Safari Camps, who kindly hosted me during my trip across Uganda. All opinions, thoughts, and recommendations are entirely my own and reflect my personal experience with the services, planning, and hospitality provided by their team.