3-day Sipi Falls tour with coffee processing experience

Hike to three waterfalls while learning to roast coffee over fire

A 3-day guided tour from Kampala to Sipi Falls on Mount Elgon's slopes, with village-based coffee processing, waterfall hikes and cultural walks in local communities. The guide meets you at your hotel, handles transport throughout, and leads you through coffee washing stations and traditional roasting methods using a wooden mortar and dry saucepan. Entrance fees, guiding and activities are included. Meals and accommodations are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Sipi Falls hike and coffee tour

• Meet guide and start journey
• View lush vegetation and plantations
• Arrive Mbale and rest
• Lunch at Mount Elgon Hotel & Spa Resort
• Visit coffee fields and washing machines
• Check in accommodation and have dinner

Day 2: Hike Sipi Falls and nature walk

• Wake up early and have breakfast
• Hike Mount Elgon foothills with guide
• Visit all three Sipi waterfalls
• Lunch break
• Nature walk in nearby communities
• Learn local traditional beliefs
• Return to lodge for dinner and overnight

Day 3: Departure and city tour

• Have breakfast and pack belongings
• Brief city tour in Mbale
• Purchase banana and snacks
• Travel to Kampala
• Lunch in Kampala
• Driver drops at hotel or airport

The experience

The tour starts with a driver pickup from your Kampala hotel and a drive through tea plantations, sugar cane fields and Mabira forest to Mbale, where you'll rest and have lunch before heading to a coffee farm. You'll see how coffee is processed at community fields and washing stations, then spend the evening at one of the lodge options near Sipi Falls. The coffee experience happens in a village setting and walks you through the organic process: pounding dry beans in a wooden mortar to remove the husks, then roasting them in a dry saucepan over firewood. The operator offers red honey, yellow honey, natural and semi-washed coffee methods, so you'll see the variations.

Day two is the waterfall hike. You'll wake early, have breakfast and set out with your guide to walk the foothills of Mount Elgon, passing through lush vegetation and spotting bird species along the way. The three Sipi Falls are the centerpiece of the hike. You'll visit all of them during the day. After lunch at the lodge, there's a nature walk through nearby communities where the guide explains local traditions and beliefs. You return for dinner and another night at the lodge.

On the final morning, you'll have breakfast, do a brief city tour in Mbale to pick up bananas and snacks, then drive back to Kampala. The driver will drop you at your hotel or Entebbe airport depending on your flight time. Lunch happens in Kampala before departure.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to Sipi Falls and Mount Elgon.
• guiding by a live English-speaking guide.
• coffee processing activities in the village.
• the waterfall hike and nature walk with cultural explanation.
• hotel pickup in Kampala and transport throughout the 3 days.
• lodge accommodation for two nights.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (19 to 23 years) · Senior (24 to 29 years) · Youth (18 years) · Child (5 years): free · Infant (under 1): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Discover Sipi

Is this one for you?You do the coffee processing yourself (pounding, roasting and brewing) rather than watching a demonstration, and the guide leads both the hike and the cultural walks, so this suits travelers who want hands-on experience and don't want to navigate the route alone. A moderate level of physical fitness is needed for the Mount Elgon foothills hike.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (18 years); Child (5 years): free; Infant (under 1): free.

What's involved in the coffee processing part of this tour?

The coffee tour happens in a village setting on the slopes of Mount Elgon and teaches you the organic process step by step: you pound dry coffee beans using a wooden mortar to remove the husks, then roast them in a dry saucepan over firewood. The operator shows different methods (red honey, yellow honey, natural and semi-washed coffee), so you see how each one changes the final product.

How many waterfalls do you visit during the Mount Elgon hike?

You visit all three Sipi Falls during the day hike on day two. The walk takes you through the foothills with views of lush vegetation and bird species, and the waterfalls are the main stops along the route.

Does the tour include a guide, and what language does he speak?

Yes, a live guide in English meets you at your hotel in Kampala and stays with you throughout the 3 days, handling the drive, the coffee tour, the waterfall hike and the cultural walks in local communities.

What accommodation options are available at Sipi Falls?

You can choose between Sipi Falls Lodge or Sipi River Lodge (luxury options) or Sipi Valley Resort and Home of Friends Guest House (mid-range options). The lodge is included in the tour price, though you book your preference when you reserve.

Does this tour include meals?

Meals are not included in the tour price. Lunch happens at Mount Elgon Hotel & Spa Resort on day one and at the lodge on day two. Breakfast and dinner are at your lodge. On day three, lunch is in Kampala before you depart.