Take Action / Travel With Us
Visit the communities behind the stories.
Spend nine days in Eastern Uganda visiting our partner schools, meeting graduates of our community development program, sharing Shabbat with the Abayudaya, rafting the Nile, and hiking Sipi Falls. Then add an optional Rwanda extension — Kigali, gorillas, golden monkeys.
One base program. Two optional extensions.
Pick the version that fits your time, budget, and curiosity. Many travelers combine all three.
Uganda Impact Journey
The base program. Meaningful time in schools, homes, and community-run businesses, meeting the people whose lives are being directly impacted through our programs. Shabbat with the Abayudaya community offers a rare and moving experience of faith, resilience, and belonging.
Rwanda Culture & History
An extension that offers insight into Rwanda's remarkable story of recovery and renewal. Markets, city tours, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial — perspective on reconciliation, leadership, and how a nation rebuilt with intention.
Gorillas & Golden Monkeys
A luxury wildlife extension bringing travelers into the Virunga Mountains for two of Africa's most extraordinary primate encounters. Rare, intimate moments in protected forests — a powerful contrast to the human connections of the base trip.
What you'll actually do.
No tourist box-checking. Every day on this trip is grounded in real, long-term relationships with the communities we serve.
Students & Graduates
Visit Buyanga Primary (1,600 students), Hadassah, and Semei Kakungulu schools. Meet community development graduates running real businesses — salons, poultry farms, market stalls.
The Abayudaya
"People of Judah" in Luganda. ~3,000 Jews in 14 Ugandan villages with 16 synagogues. Share a musical, African-style Shabbat with the Abayudaya community.
The Nile
White-water raft the Nile (grade 5 rapids, or a gentle float — your choice) or take a boat to the source. World-class adventure in warm water.
Kigali City Tour
Kimironko Market, Nyamirambo Women's Centre (cooking class!), and the Kigali Genocide Memorial — an essential experience of reconciliation and renewal.
Mountain Gorillas
A guided trek in the Virunga Mountains to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas. Plus a Golden Monkey trek through bamboo forests.
Sipi Falls & Foothills
Optional hike to Sipi Falls in the foothills of Mount Elgon — a stunning alternative for non-Shabbat travelers.
Trip Pricing
All costs are based on double or triple occupancy and a minimum of 10 total participants.
Per person (double occupancy)
Includes accommodations, transport, guides, water, meals as indicated, and pre-departure session.
Single supplement
If you prefer private accommodation throughout the base trip.
Per person (based on 4 persons minimum)
Kimironko Market, city tour, Nyamirambo Women's Centre cooking class, Kigali Genocide Memorial.
Single supplement
If you prefer private accommodation during this extension.
Double occupancy · 2 persons
Includes $1,500 gorilla permit, boutique lodge accommodation, and all extension meals.
Double occupancy · 3 persons
Pricing per person with 3 participants total in the trekking group.
Double occupancy · 4+ persons
Pricing per person with 4 or more participants in the trekking group.
Single supplement
If you prefer private lodge accommodation during the trekking extension.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
14 days from departure to return, including all optional extensions. The base program ends at Day 9.
Departure
Leave the U.S. for Entebbe, Uganda.
Arrive Entebbe, Uganda
Welcome! A representative will meet you at the Entebbe exit gate. Overnight in Entebbe.
Drive to Jinja & the Source of the Nile
Travel east toward Jinja, following the Nile through lush countryside. Visit the legendary Source of the Nile. Choose between a peaceful boat ride or exhilarating white-water rafting before relaxing riverside.
Jinja → Buyanga School → Mbale
Visit Buyanga Primary School, where students and teachers welcome you with warmth and pride. Spend time with students and see firsthand how education transforms lives. Continue onward to Mbale at the foothills of Mount Elgon.
Women Cooperatives on the Ground
Shop the local market for the Shabbat meal. Meet women cooperative members who launched businesses through our community development program — community chicken farm, women-owned salon, and more. Hands-on activity: make mandazi or traditional clay bricks.
Shabbat Prep & Abayudaya School Visit
Help prepare the Shabbat meal alongside the Abayudaya community. Visit Hadassah Primary and Semei Kakungulu High School, meeting students and educators. Dinner and Shabbat services at the Stern Synagogue.
Shabbat with Community · or Sipi Falls Hike
Observe Shabbat in Mbale with the Abayudaya community, sharing lunch and Havdalah under the stars. Option 2 for those not interested in services: hike the beautiful Sipi Falls in the Mount Elgon foothills.
Mbale → Entebbe / Kampala
Travel back toward Entebbe, stopping at the Mukono Synagogue. Evening: vibrant cultural dinner and performance at the Ndere Cultural Centre.
Depart Uganda · Fly to Kigali (or Home)
Base trip ends. Depart for home — or fly to Kigali, Rwanda for the optional extensions.
Kigali: Markets & Modern Rwanda Extension
Explore Kigali through Kimironko Market and a guided city tour focused on reconciliation, infrastructure, and community enterprise. Visit Nyamirambo Women's Centre for a Rwandan cooking class.
Kigali → Volcanoes National Park Extension
After the Genocide Memorial, continue north to Volcanoes National Park. Arrive at your lodge in the Virunga Mountains.
Mountain Gorilla Trek Extension
Set out early for a guided mountain gorilla trek — one of the most extraordinary wildlife encounters in the world. Return to the lodge for lunch and rest.
Golden Monkey Trek → Kigali Extension
Trek through bamboo forests to encounter Golden Monkeys, then return to Kigali for your final night.
Arrive Home Extension
Depart Kigali for the U.S., arriving home with stories to share.
What's included
- Accommodations throughout Uganda
- Transportation with our own local guide
- Transport for emergencies available at all times
- An experienced American guide
- Bottled water at hotels and in the vehicle
- Meals as indicated in the daily itinerary
- Pre-departure information session
- Rwanda Extensions: Gorilla trekking permit ($1,500 value per person), transport to/from Kigali airport and Volcanoes NP, AMREF Evacuation Insurance, meals as indicated
Not included
- Airfare to/from Uganda
- Airfare from Uganda to Kigali (approx $386)
- Gratuities
- Visa fees
- Emergency medical evacuation insurance (base trip)
- Personal items: souvenirs, gifts, clothing
- Soft drinks, wines, spirits, snacks between meals
- Weekend food away from standard accommodations
- Activities outside the planned project itinerary
Itinerary & Enrollment Forms
Download and review our official trip paperwork. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
"Build genuine relationships. Change lives — yours and theirs."
— What this trip is really forSpots fill fast.
Email us with any question — about pricing, accessibility, fitness level, age range of past travelers, anything. We'll get back to you within 48 hours.