Timed to coincide with Uganda’s spectacular cultural festivals, this immersive tour offers privileged access to events few foreigners witness. At the biennial Empango ceremony in Fort Portal, visitors sit among Bunyoro royalty as hundreds of drummers and dancers perform rituals honoring ancient kings. The experience includes private workshops with court historians, learning to play royal instruments like the amakondere (long trumpets) and engage in the complex etiquette of the Omukama’s court.
During the Imbalu circumcision festivals, initiates share their months-long preparation process while elders explain the symbolic meanings behind each ritual dance and costume. The tour also includes smaller, unexpected cultural moments – helping villagers construct massive festival floats from papyrus reeds or learning the proper way to present barkcloth gifts to local chiefs. These carefully orchestrated encounters, arranged through direct community partnerships, ensure authentic participation while respecting sacred traditions.
