The Pearl Of Africa
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Explore Uganda on a journey to the Pearl of Africa. Engage with partner communities, learn traditional dance and drumming, witness breathtaking natural wonders, and encounter mountain gorillas up close. We’ll be staying in the eastern part of Uganda, where we’ll have a real connection with communities we’ve been working with for years. We’ll visit Buyanga Primary School, teach, meet students and teachers, learn to cook Ugandan style, meet with women’s groups, hike to Sipi Falls, white-water raft on the Nile, and you’ll have the option to spend Shabbat with the Abayudaya community.
You can add on optional extensions that add depth through culture, history, and nature. Time in Kigali includes markets, city tours, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial, offering perspective on Rwanda’s resilience and renewal, while the Gorillas and Golden Monkeys extension brings travelers to the Virunga Mountains for rare, intimate treks with two of Africa’s most extraordinary primates. |
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Trip Overview
Uganda Impact Journey (Base Program)
This portion of the trip is rooted in connection and purpose. Travelers spend meaningful time in schools, homes, and community-run businesses, meeting the people whose lives are being directly impacted through Global Village Connect’s education and economic empowerment programs. Jewish life and Shabbat with the Abayudaya community offer a rare and deeply moving experience of faith, resilience, and belonging.
Rwanda Culture & History Extension
This extension offers insight into Rwanda’s remarkable story of recovery and renewal. Through markets, city tours, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial, travelers gain perspective on reconciliation, leadership, and how a nation rebuilt itself with intention and vision.
Rwanda Gorillas & Golden Monkeys Extension
This luxury wildlife extension brings travelers into the Virunga Mountains for two of Africa’s most extraordinary primate encounters. Gorilla and Golden Monkey treks offer rare, intimate moments in protected forests — a powerful and unforgettable contrast to the human connections experienced earlier in the journey.
This portion of the trip is rooted in connection and purpose. Travelers spend meaningful time in schools, homes, and community-run businesses, meeting the people whose lives are being directly impacted through Global Village Connect’s education and economic empowerment programs. Jewish life and Shabbat with the Abayudaya community offer a rare and deeply moving experience of faith, resilience, and belonging.
Rwanda Culture & History Extension
This extension offers insight into Rwanda’s remarkable story of recovery and renewal. Through markets, city tours, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial, travelers gain perspective on reconciliation, leadership, and how a nation rebuilt itself with intention and vision.
Rwanda Gorillas & Golden Monkeys Extension
This luxury wildlife extension brings travelers into the Virunga Mountains for two of Africa’s most extraordinary primate encounters. Gorilla and Golden Monkey treks offer rare, intimate moments in protected forests — a powerful and unforgettable contrast to the human connections experienced earlier in the journey.
Students and Entrepreneurs
We'll be visiting our partner schools, Buyanga, Hadassah and Semei Kukangulu Schools and we'll visit business entrepreneurs who have graduated from our business training program. Buyanga Primary School enrolls approximately 1600 children between the ages of 5 and 16. That’s a lot of lunches, the only meal of the day for some students. That’s why we planted a 13-acre farm.
We also support over 50 students in various schools. We will have an opportunity to visit students in their schools and in their community.
We also support over 50 students in various schools. We will have an opportunity to visit students in their schools and in their community.
The Abayudaya
The Abayudaya (the name means “people of Judah” in Luganda). They keep kosher, celebrate Jewish holidays, and welcome people from around the world to come and pray. There are approximately 3000 Jews in Uganda in 14 different villages with 16 synagogues. Enjoy a musical Shabbat, with the Abayudaya community, African style. All are welcome!
Nile River White Water Rafting or a Boat to The Source of the Nile
Home to some of the world’s finest white water rating and other adventure activities. Whether you are a first-timer, family, or high adventure enthusiast, you’ll find your perfect white water adventure. The water is warm, the scenery is beautiful and you can choose to do a wild rafting with grade 5 rapids or a mild float with no rapids, perfect for those with young kids or who prefer a relaxing experience throughout.
Kigali City Tour
Explore Kigali through a guided city tour that brings together daily life, history, and Rwanda’s remarkable transformation. Visits include Kimironko Market, where vibrant stalls showcase local food and commerce, and neighborhoods that highlight reconciliation, modern infrastructure, and a growing spirit of entrepreneurship. Time at the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre offers hands-on cultural engagement through a traditional cooking class or local handcrafts, followed by a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a powerful and essential experience that honors the past while illuminating Rwanda’s path forward.
Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Golden Monkey Trek
The thrill of spending time observing the endangered mountain gorillas is an awe-inspiring experience to be remembered. The hike may be easy or physically demanding, but the reward of coming face to face with these remarkable animals is unforgettable. This experience is paired with a Golden Monkey trek through bamboo forests, offering a lighter, energetic hike and the chance to observe these playful, endangered primates up close, creating a rare and powerful wildlife encounter not to be missed.
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Dates: Nov 8-17, 2026
Cost: $3,862 per person $931: Single Supplement |
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Add-ons include $1500 gorilla permit, accommodation and meals as indicated
All costs are based on double or triple occupancy and a minimum of 10 total participants.
All costs are based on double or triple occupancy and a minimum of 10 total participants.
Itinerary
Day 1, November 8 | Departure
Leave U.S.
Day 2, November 9 | Arrive Entebbe, Uganda
Welcome to Uganda! After your international flight lands, a representative will be waiting for you at the exit gate. Overnight in Entebbe.
Day 3, November 10 | Drive to Jinja
Travel east toward Jinja, following the Nile through lush countryside. Visit the legendary Source of the Nile and choose between a peaceful boat ride or an exhilarating white-water rafting experience before relaxing riverside.
Day 4, November 11 | Jinja → Buyanga School→ Mbale
Visit Buyanga Primary School, where students and teachers welcome you with warmth and pride. Spend time with students and see first hand how education transforms lives. Continue onward to Mbale at the foothills of Mount Elgon.
Day 5, November 12 | Women’s Empowerment & Entrepreneurship
Go to the local market to help shop for Shabbat meal. Then, meet women entrepreneurs who have launched businesses through Global Village Connect’s training programs. From a community chicken farm to a women-owned salon, these visits highlight dignity through opportunity. Participate in a hands-on activity such as making mandazi or traditional bricks.
Day 6, November 13 | Shabbat Meal Prep & Abayudaya School Visit
In the morning, help prepare the Shabbat meal alongside the Abayudaya community, visit nearby Hadassah Primary School and Semi Kakungulu High School, meeting students and educators. Dinner and Shabbat at the Stern Synagogue.
Day 7, November 14 | Shabbat with Community or Sipi Falls Hike
Observe Shabbat in Mbale with another Abayudaya community and synagogue. Share lunch with the community following services, then conclude the day with a Havdalah under the African stars. Option 2 for those not interested in services will be to hike the beautiful Sipi Falls.
Day 8, November 15 | Mbale → Entebbe / Kampala
Travel back toward Entebbe, stopping to visit the Mukono Synagogue and community leaders. In the evening, enjoy a vibrant cultural dinner and performance at the Ndere Cultural Centre.
Day 9, November 16 | Depart Uganda, Flight to Kigali or return to the US
Depart Uganda and fly to Kigali, Rwanda’s dynamic capital. This transition marks a shift from immersion and impact to reflection and perspective.
Day 10, November 17 | Kigali: Markets & Modern Rwanda
Explore Kigali through visits to Kimironko Market and a guided city tour focused on reconciliation, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship. Visit Nyamirambo Women’s Centre and participate in a cooking class with local Rwandan dishes.
Day 11, November 18 | Kigali → Volcanoes National Park
After the Genocide Memorial, continue north to Volcanoes National Park. Arrive at your lodge nestled in the Virunga Mountains.
Day 12, November 19 | Kigali → Mountain Gorilla Trek
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.
Day 13, November 20 | Golden Monkey Trek → Return to Kigali
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.
Day 14, November 21| Arrive Home
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Inclusions
Uganda
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Exclusions
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Download the itinerary |
Download the sign-up form |
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