Tourist Attractions in Jinja

Tourist Attractions in Jinja are many in number and the town itself welcomes you with the Nile Bridge after which you will enjoy the amazing city features. Jinja is endowed with numerous magnificent local attractions both natural and artificial that your eyes can’t help to miss looking at. These attractions have birthed a number of activities for the pleasure of the locals and tourists.

These attractions include;

The Source of the Nile: The source of the Nile is situated in Jinja and is a place worth telling a story about. Lake Victoria was first sighted by a European British explorer John Hannington Speke in 1858. It’s indeed this lake that gives birth to the world’s longest river at one point in Jinja Town. Travelers visiting the source of the Nile can see amazing and still pristine nature around and also beautiful wildlife such as birds, lizards, insects, fish, chameleons, and others. All these living creatures have their habitats at the source of the Nile. Tourists can also embark on a boat ride on the Nile.
Birds: For tourists who love bird watching, Jinja is an ideal destination for all your birding activities. There are a number of bird species that one can spot and these include fish eagle, Kingfisher, Shoebill and more.
White-water rapids: The Nile has most thunderous waterfalls which offer the ideal spots for white water rafting activities. There are a variety of white-water rafting activities which range from grade 1, suitable for first-time rafters and children of all ages to grade 5 rafting courses which are for adults and present far greater challenges along the Nile’s rapids.
Owen Falls and Bujagali Dams: The Owen Falls Dam is the ultimate gateway to Jinja town. It together with Bujagali Dams are the major source of electricity in Uganda. These two dams are worth paying a visit.

Swaminarayan Hindu Temple: The main Hindu temple is situated on the way to the show grounds from Jinja town. This temple is a lovely monument that was constructed in dedication to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi whose ashes were poured in the Nile as per his death wish.
Kyabazinga Palace: This is one of the Tourist Attractions in Jinja where Tourists can visit the Kyabazinga palace. It is the first palace Bugembe was built in 1963 and was occupied by Kyabazinga William Wilberforce Nadiope Kadumbula. When kingdoms were abolished in 1966, the palace was occupied by the army. The palace was destroyed during a war in 1979 and later reconstructed years after the war ended. The palace in Bugembe is situated on Igenge Hill. It is large, spacious with 40 rooms in total, libraries and sitting rooms. The Kyabazinga Palace also houses the offices of the Prime Minister, the Katwikiro. Tours around the palace are just memorable and can be accessed using motorbikes (Boda Bodas) from Jinja Town.
Village Cultural Tours: Tourists can opt for cultural tours to the surrounding villages in Mutai. While there, tourists can experience how people live in villages, how they prepare meals and how they farm. They can as well stay with these families overnight, fetch water from wells, bath in the basin, and indulge in farming activities and even buy organic foods and fruits.
Craft Shops: There are quite a number of art and craft shops along the main street and at the source of the Nile. Here visitors are able to buy purely African crafted materials ranging from clothes, jewelry, musical instruments, bags, wallets, curving and molds, paintings and antiques.
Rippon Falls: The Rippon falls are some of the Tourist Attractions in Jinja are located in the northern part of Lake Victoria in Uganda. These falls were discovered by a European explore named, John Hanning Speke, in 1862. It is from the Rippon falls that the Nile leaves Lake Victoria, as the Victoria Nile, and flows 130 kilometers north into Lake Kyoga and proceeds to the Albert Nile. The Rippon falls acted as an outlet for Lake Victoria until the construction of Owen falls dam was completed in 1954. However, the construction of the dam led to the submerging of Rippon Falls. Tourists visiting the falls can engage in water sport activities such as white water rafting and kayaking.
Itanda Falls: Itanda Falls are located on Victoria Nile in Jinja town. These falls replaced Bujagali Falls as an alternative spot for most rafting activities. Itanda Falls are located about 27 kilometers from Jinja Town, which is about a 45 minute drive. Activities done at the falls include; kayaking, white water rafting, river bugging amongst others.

Do check out our Uganda tour packages for a one or two day trip to Jinja and do not hesitate to contact us to make a booking or inquire more.