About Kisoro Tours

  Responsive, considerate, personable and professional! - After having spent a lot of time in East Africa for work, I decided to extend a work trip by a week and see some of the sights I had... read more always wanted to see. After reading through reviews of dozens of different tour companies online, I reached out to a few. Dan at Kisoro Tours was by far the most responsive. My time and budget were limited, and I didn't have the time or bandwidth to sort out all of the permits, transportation and entry fees that would be needed if I were to plan a trip on my own. Dan helped to develop an itinerary adapted to my interests at a price I could afford - a 6-day budget trip to see the gorillas in Bwindi, hike Mt. Sabinyo and go on safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park. Throughout the planning process, Dan always responded quickly and thoroughly.

COVID has done a number on tourism in Uganda, which is a real shame for the country, though things are slowly starting to pick up. It was to my advantage, though, since I essentially had the gorillas to myself during my tour. Bwindi is a really exceptional rainforest, and I enjoyed learning about the fascinating flora and fauna around me almost as much as I enjoyed hanging out with a gorilla family for an hour. All of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority guides were really excellent throughout and struck me as knowledgeable and genuinely committed to and passionate about the animals and places they are working to protect.

I was doubly lucky on my hike to the base of Mt Sabinyo in Mgahinga National Park the following day, when we ran into a huge lone silverback gorilla right in the middle of the trail, arms crossed and unfazed. After checking him out for a while, we continued up the mountain, crossing several vegetation zones, all distinct and all spectacular in their own way. The third summit of the peak, which you access via a series of precipitous ladders and staircases and which is where the borders of DRC, Rwanda and Uganda meet, is well worth the exertion.

After the adventurous start to my tour, the trip to Queen Elizabeth NP felt relatively easy and luxurious. The drive was long but memorable - we encountered many creatures, large and small, on the road, including a large herd of elephants. Bush Lodge is technically the budget accommodation option there but felt like glamping, with an amazing outdoor shower, three course meals and hippos singing you to sleep at night. The boat tour of the Kazinga Channel (leaving directly from the lodge) was incredible - such an abundance of species within the span of a couple of hours - and the safari drive through QENP was also great, with sightings of a lion, hippos, warthogs, numerous antelope, buffalo and various types of monkeys and baboons.

Thanks to Dan, the tour was everything I could have hoped for. From the moment he picked me up on day 1 of the tour, Dan was reliable, professional, personable and considerate. He knew just how to put together the itinerary and did all of the legwork, before and during the trip, so I could just enjoy the experience. He clearly loves his country, especially his home region of Kisoro, and is committed to making sure you have the best possible experience during your visit. I can't recommend Kisoro tours highly enough.

  Dan did an amazing job of developing a specialized itinerary for us. We had very specific places and activities that we wanted to see and do in Rwanda & Uganda.... read more That wasn't a problem for Kisoro Tours. Dan coordinated everything so smoothly and effortlessly. Everyday we were able to relax and enjoy without feeling any stress about our trip.

Dan has such a welcoming and fun personality. It was easy to see that he is well-liked and respected by others within the tourist industry. When we arrived at our accommations and the national parks, others went out of their way to greet Dan and talk with him. Definitely made me more confident and comfortable that we choose Kisoro Tours.

It can be a little uncomfortable to send money using a bank transfer when you don't know the other person/company. However, this seems to be a normal practice in some places. The transfer was easy and there weren't any problems using this process for payment.

Would love to take another trip with Dan & Kisoro Tours Uganda Ltd!

  Wow, where do I begin, I have just returned from the most incredible trip to Uganda to see the Chimpanzees and Gorillas, which was a lifelong dream. I was... read more met at Entebbe by Dan, and he made sure I was safely booked into the hotel and was waiting for me the following morning.

I can strongly recommend Kisoro Tours. As a woman of 68, traveling solo, I felt safe the minute I was met by Dan, who straight away calmed my nerves. Dan was my personal tour guide for a whole week, making sure I was extremely well taken care of.

Dan is fantastic company, with a great sense of humour and knowledge of Uganda, who went above and beyond to ensure I had best experience possible. He even arrange something special for my birthday, the bed in my room was decorated and at the evening meal, the staff of Rushaga Lodge came in singing, dancing and bringing me a birthday cake. This has to be my best birthday ever. I hope to return to Uganda one day to see more of the Uganda and its people who are so friendly.

If you are looking for an independent tour company, then Kisoro Tours is definitely worth looking at, you won’t be disappointed. I hope their business grows, as Dan certainly deserves it.

Even my husband and sons have such high praise for the way Dan took care of me.

I had booked the mid-range accommodation and each lodge was amazing, the staff were so attentive and friendly. Rooms were very comfortable and plenty of hot water for showers.

Our first stop was the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, then Murchinson Falls National Park. The Falls and river are amazing, took my breath away.

Next morning was a game drive, followed a cruise on the Nile.

Then onwards to the Kibale National Park and the Chimpanzee Habituation Trek the next morning, followed by a swamp walk in the afternoon.

Finally, it was on to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and my Gorilla Habitation Trek, a truly amazing memorable experience. The Rangers, Trackers and Porters made sure we were safe and helped us climb up the mountain, offering a helping hand when necessary. They did their best to make sure we had the best experience possible.

I have come home with some incredible memories and it's thanks to Dan and Kisoro Tours

  Great service, great safari - I travelled to Uganda for 16days over Christmas and New Year to meet up with my daughter who is out there for her 3rd year of university on placement. I... read more booked a 12 day safari with Kisoro Tours and found Dan very flexible and helpful in the planning stage; he altered our itinerary to be able to pick my daughter up and see all the things that we wanted to see. Dan was with us for the whole 12 days and worked hard to make our trip so memorable. We stayed in some lovely accommodation and lodges and saw so much more than I was expecting. I have no hesitation in recommending Dan and Kisoro Tours if you are looking for someone to guide you in Uganda

  Beyond Expectations-10 day personalized tour of Rwanda and Uganda!! - Beyond Expectations-10 day personalized tour of Rwanda and Uganda!!

Kisoro Tours Uganda provided a wonderful, personalized tour of Rwanda and Uganda. Dan selected accommodations that were locally owned... read more and operated which was important to me. Kisoro Tours Uganda was the only adventure tour company to advertise the ability to cross borders and tour in both Rwanda and Uganda. This made efficient travel possible given our limited vacation time. My cousin and I started in Kigali, Rwanda, and traveled to Volcanoes National Park, then entered Uganda, visiting Bwindi NP, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kibale Forest National Park, and flying out through Entebbe, Uganda. There was no time spent backtracking and driving back to Kigali, which left more time for viewing wildlife and other activities. Dan has contacts and friends throughout both countries, and we took full advantage of this. Some highlights for me was to stay in Muhabara Hotel, Room 12, which was Dian Fossey’s “Home away from home” and hiking to her grave site with local college students, majoring in tourism. They were so energetic, polite, and fun even while we all struggled through the mud! Our porters, Dany and Jean Claude, and our guide, Odela, were invaluable! We were lucky to see a gorilla along this hike which is not common! We then went onto Uganda and did 2 days of gorilla habituation in Bwindi National Park. We stayed a Rushaga Gorilla Lodge in a beautiful location. Our rangers, Patrick and Eleisha, were knowledgeable and professional along with our porters Gloria, Abel, Innocent and Ronald. The gorillas were amazing and even visited a cave where they had not been seen to utilize before! We then hiked from Nkuringo to Buhoma through Bwindi National Park. Our guide, Mandela, was also knowledgeable. On this hike, in addition to the black and white colobus, red colobus, L’Hoest, and vervet monkeys, we saw a chimpanzee, which Mandela said was the 1st time one had been seen. They usually run from humans! We stayed at the beautiful Haven Lodge in Buhoma, which is community owned! From here we traveled to Queen Elizabeth National Park where, in addition to the common sightings of cob, waterbuck, topi, warthog, hippo and elephant, we saw 2 milky eagle owls, 2 hyenas lounging in a watering hole, a lioness hunting cob and a leopard, who posed just for us! We stayed at the Buffalo Safari Lodge. When we walked into our room, we said “WOW”! We also went on the boat tour in the channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. Bambili, was our guide and has a degree in wildlife and natural resources. He did a phenomenal job! We saw many, many hippos, crocodiles and elephants as well as several bird species. From there we traveled to Kibale Forest National Park and stayed at the Rwenzori View Guest House. This place had “family-style” meals which offered us a chance to get to know other travelers. We did the chimpanzee habituation experience and enjoyed that very much. Our guide was, Edison, who had worked for the National Park Service for 22 years! Dan then arranged for a tour of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is a local, conservation area spearheaded, developed and managed by the community. This won an award from UNESCO Wetlands Sustainable Tourism Project as the best community sustainable tourism project! Katie was our guide and was wonderful. The monkeys in the area are somewhat habituated, so we saw red colobus, black and white colobus, red-tailed, and vervet monkeys. We also saw many bird species. On our last day, we toured the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves near Fort Portal. Ignatious “Iggi” was our knowledgeable guide with over 7 years of experience. We also hike to the 3 Explosion Crater Lakes where we climbed to the highest peak and had a 360 degree view of the area. Absolutely beautiful! From there, we drove the last few hours to Entebbe, where we enjoyed Burundi drummers on the beach of Lake Victoria, before flying out. Dan, owner of Kisoro Tours Uganda, can be trusted with providing you with a personalized tour, is professional and has a contagious smile! I would highly recommend Kisoro Tours Uganda! "Dan is the Man!"

  Experienced Guide w Connections - I am so impressed with this guide! I had a difficult request and the last company refunded my money and couldn’t help. This guide made it happen!! ... read more And so much more! I could not recommend them more. Professional and extremely customer focused. This trip was 1000 x better than I dreamed. And I dream big 🙂

  The more information you give Dan the better your trip will be. - What is there to say about Kisoro Tour Uganda? Dan is easy to work with well organized, punctual and will customize your tour to your specifications. We started with the... read more golden monkey tracking in Rwanda. The rest of the trip was in Uganda with two days of gorilla tracking , a land, safari and a river safari which was cool and different in a good way. The hotels Dan picked were good and the food was beyond my expectation. Uganda and Rwanda are beautiful countries that deserve to be explored.

  Reliable, punctual, and a great sense of humour - I have visited Uganda two times, and both times Dan has provided high level of support with transportation from Entebbe to Uganda’s Eastern Region. Dan is very communicative and responsive... read more to questions and requests, and has also been exceptionally punctual and reliable. Overall, Dan has gone out of his way to make the transportation convenient and smooth.

Dan is also very enjoyable to be around. He has a great sense of humour and is always more than happy to answer my seemingly endless questions about Uganda. I would highly recommend Dan to anyone who is looking to visit Uganda for work or pleasure.

  Dan is the BEST driver in Uganda! - I cannot emphasize this enough: If you are ever in Uganda, you MUST use Dan as your driver. Dan met me at the airport, brought me to a currency exchange... read more with a good rate, drove me six hours east to Mbale in record time, drove me wherever I needed to go, taking great pictures of me the whole time, helped me check into a good hotel, then drove me back towards Entebbe-- again, in RECORD time-- all for a very affordable price. This was my first time in Africa, and I cannot imagine what it would have been like without Dan. I would give Dan 100 stars if I could.

P.S.: If you are Jewish and wish to visit the Abayudayan Jews of East Uganda, Dan is very well acquainted with the community. Your trip will be a lot smoother if use him.