Rhino Trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Experience the best rhino trekking tour at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in the central region of Uganda. Rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a guided tour. You are led by professional ranger guides into the bush to track the southern white rhinos. This site covers about 70 square kilometers of land. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary started with only 6 rhinos that were introduced in 2006 after the ranch’s establishment in 2005. At the moment, the ranch has 42 rhinos. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is approximately 176 kilometers from Kampala city via the Gulu highway.

This is the only place where you can see the southern white rhinos in the wild since they were locally extinct. If you are going for a tour to either Murchison Falls National Park or Kidepo Valley National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a stop-over destination. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary has a variety of habitats. These are savannah, woodland, swamp, etc. Other animals that can be seen in these habitats include warthog, duiker, Uganda kob, reedbuck, monkeys, waterbuck, bush pig, bushbuck, etc.

What is the price of rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary?

The price for rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is USD 50 for adults and USD 30 for children up to the age of 12. This price also caters to the entrance. However, the price does not cater to other activities besides rhino trekking and driving inside the ranch if you are using vehicles offered by Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. For more information about when and how to pay for a rhino trekking tour, contact a registered tour operator like Standard Safaris. We are a locally based tour operator with great reviews regarding organizing tour activities in Uganda and beyond.

We also plan a comprehensive and tailor-made itinerary with you. This will encompass meals, transport, accommodation, and a vast assortment of your preferred tour activities. We also offer car hire services, including 4X4 safari vehicles as well as drivers to elevate your tour experience. We recommend that you plan the tour to make it smoother and memorable.

How to do rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary?

Rhino trekking is experienced starting from 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM every day. First, you must attend a safety briefing by the ranger. This is very important as you are equipped with safety tips as well as the rules and regulations you will follow to ensure the success of your adventure. Rhino trekking is generally done on foot and you are accompanied by an armed ranger. You may drive to reach the rhinos if they have moved quite a distance away into the bush. Depending on the location of the rhinos, you may experience this captivating trek for 1½ to 2½ hours.

Best time to go for rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary?

Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary at any time of the year. But if you dislike muddy conditions while you track the rhinos, visit during the dry season. The driest months of the year occur in June and July. Other dry months are January, February, August, and late December. During the dry season, the rains are not as frequent as the wet season. This ensures that you get an uninterrupted experience. The vegetation is also not as dense as it would be during the wet season. This makes visibility better for you.

Other activities to do at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

While Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is mainly known for rhino trekking tours, this peaceful destination offers the following activities that you will enjoy.

Shoebill trekking tour

Enjoy this guided tour as you look for the shoebill stork while on a canoe ride on the pristine Lugogo Swamp. Looking for this prehistoric bird species normally starts at around 6:00 AM, hence only available if you spend the night at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The activity takes about 4 hours while canoeing on the swamp. A shoebill stork trek costs an additional USD 25 if you are an adult and USD 15 for children up to the age of 12.

Birdwatching tours

With about 300 bird species that have been sighted at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, you will have joy while searching and photographing these colorful animals. This guided tour takes about 2 hours. And birds to spot include the golden crested crane, sulfur-breasted bush shrike, red-headed weaver, black-headed heron, little sparrow hawk, yellow-throated longclaw, African green pigeon, African harrier hawk, double-toothed barbet, African pied wagtail, speckled mouse bird, tawny eagle, Meyer’s parrot, and black-headed gonolek.

There are 4 different birding trails and the activity is available for you from 7:00 PM to 5:00 PM every day. Besides your entrance fee, you will need to pay USD 20 if you are an adult and USD 10 if you are a child until the age of 12.

Nature walk

This is a 2-hour guided experience available for nature lovers at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The ranch is a good destination to walk on foot while in need of witnessing nature. You have a huge chance of encountering any of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary’s birds, primates, butterflies, and mammals. You could encounter the long-horned cattle, duiker, black and white colobus monkey, Uganda kob, reedbuck, and bushbuck among others. Enjoy seeing the beauty of nature while you walk through the savannah and woodland. There are also exciting moments of spotting more bird species. These include fork-tailed drongo, brown-backed scrub robin, collared sunbird, and black-headed heron.

Nighttime nature walk

This guided adventure is also available for you from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. This is a great opportunity offered to you for an experience of the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary under the night sky and stars. This tour will cost you an additional USD 20 if you are an adult and USD 10 if you are a child of up to 12 years old. Nighttime nature walks offer quite a different perspective of biodiversity and the scenery in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You have a chance of encountering nocturnal animals like a leopard, aardvark, genet, and the crested porcupine among others.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.

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