How to contact us?
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Get in touch
Send an email to : info@matoketours.com
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Opening hours
Monday to Friday, 9AM – 5PM (EAT)
Send an email to : info@matoketours.com
Monday to Friday, 9AM – 5PM (EAT)
Being amongst Uganda’s leading tour companies and DMC’s, it is our responsibility to actively take part in maximising tourism potential for Uganda. Our goal is to further develop Uganda as a prime-destination, with care and respect for the destination and its people.
Uganda’s tourism sector is currently majorly focussed on primate-tracking activities, making the south-western region a travelers’ center of attention. But, with its incredible diversity of nature, culture and wildlife, Uganda is the perfect destination for authentic adventures – beyond primates. With over 45 tribes, Uganda as well presents a rich cultural diversity and variety in languages and dialects, foods, dressing, customs and beliefs. Unique and responsibly developed activities allow genuine interaction with communities and create unforgettable immersive experiences. Developing and promoting Uganda as an adventure travel destination is one of our approaches to work towards a more inclusive destination with opportunities to participate in and to earn revenue from tourism activities for all regions in Uganda.
Gender inclusion is another important pillar that Matoke Tours focuses on. Cultural, societal and economical barriers often make it impossible for women to consider a career in tourism in Uganda. To facilitate a change in perception, Matoke Tours actively involves women to participate in (tour guiding) training programs and develops female-only initiatives to stimulate dialogue about female participation in the tourism industry amongst tourism stakeholders, aiming to trigger a sector-wide participation in achieving positive social change.
Lastly, Matoke Tours carefully selects activities to offer & initiatives to support that actively contribute to nature preservations, restoration and/or wildlife conservation. When traveling with Matoke Tours, you can trust that your itinerary will include responsibly developed activities in support of nature and wildlife protection. In 2023, Matoke Tours was awarded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in appreciation and recognition of our support towards wildlife conservation.
With its incredible diversity of nature, culture and wildlife, Uganda is the perfect destination for authentic adventures. A knowledgeable, experienced tour guide is key to an unforgettable travel experience. In 2019, we formalized our cooperation with partners from the tourism industry to further develop Uganda as an adventure tourism destination. Multi-day hiking and cycling trails and cultural activities have been developed and product trainings conducted. Matoke Tours has introduced a specialist training program for Adventure Travel Guides. In 7 intensive course trainings over the course of 3 years, qualified tour guides gained in-depth knowledge about adventure travel. The trainings as well contributes to further developing the guides’ soft-skills, such as high-level customer service, planning and intercultural communication.
The Matoke Academy is designed to offer on- and offline training opportunities for tourism professionals. We are currently developing the first online destination training. Stay tuned!
Being a DMC in Uganda since 2007, we know that it can be difficult for agents abroad to always stay updated on new activities, new itinerary options and to have all the general knowledge about Uganda. In order to give our agents all the tools they need to be able to represent Uganda to the best of their abilities, we create destination-training courses covering a wide range of regions, so that they can familiarize themselves easily with the country and logistical information.
In 2019, Matoke tours developed a Female-Only Tour Guide Training- & Mentored Internship-Program in collaboration with Ukarimu Academy. Societal, cultural and economic barriers often make it difficult or even impossible for women to consider a career in tour guiding in Uganda. To make a step towards a change in perception, this program actively gives women the opportunity to follow their dreams and to reach their full potential as a tour guide, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive tourism industry. The program covered an intense theoretical tour guide skill-set training for a duration of 4 weeks, followed by a practical exposure field trip and an internship program working together with seasoned tour guides and tour operators in Uganda. So far, 31 women successfully graduated after completing the 6-month courses in 2021 and 2022. We’re proud to share some success-stories.
To facilitate networking and growth opportunities for Women in Tourism, we facilitate multi-day Bootcamps where women are encouraged to share, connect and mentor each other. We are excited to see more women actively participating throughout the value chain of the tourism industry, and look forward to take more steps towards changing perception on gender balance within the tourism industry together.
Every year we select a cause to support with our team. We like to choose initiatives involved in wildlife or nature conservation, or initiatives that support communities through tourism activities. For example, in 2019 Matoke Tours volunteered at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary, which takes care of chimpanzees that are rescued victims from either pet or bush-meat trade. Do you have the perfect initiative for our Matoke Tours team to volunteer at on this years’ volunteer day? Feel free to get in touch to let us know how our team would be able to help.
Matoke Tours’ annual Product Showcase is an initiative dedicated to spearheading sustainable tourism in Uganda alongside local suppliers who are committed to creating unique experiences with respect for the environment and local communities. Our mission is to foster a more inclusive tourism landscape, where innovation drives responsible exploration in every corner of the destination.
At the Product Showcase we nurture a collaborative environment and invite local suppliers to showcase products that stimulate responsible growth for Uganda’s tourism sector.
As part of the Product Showcase, ‘Trails of Tomorrow’ invites individuals with groundbreaking ideas to step onto the stage and pitch their visionary tourism concepts, and we may just transform your dream into reality. Whether it’s a pioneering eco-conscious adventure, a community-driven initiative, or technological advancement in travel, ‘Trails of Tomorrow’ provides an opportunity to kickstart your trailblazing concept together with Matoke Tours.
In December 2022, Matoke Tours received the Ekkula Tourism Award for being the ‘Most Sustainable Tour Operator’ in Uganda! With sustainability as a guiding principle at the core of our business, we will always strive to contribute to a more inclusive tourism industry, diverse low-impact tourism products and tours designed to create a positive impact for our destination.
In 2023, Matoke Tours was awarded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority in appreciation and recognition of our support towards wildlife conservation.
In 2024, Matoke Tours has been awarded “One to Watch” for Employing & Upskilling Local Communities at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards.
We are thankful to see our efforts recognised by colleagues in the tourism industry through these important awards.
“I joined Matoke tours as a trainee back in October 2021, where I was given the opportunity to do an internship as an (assistent) guide during their tours. Even before finishing my first trip, I was overjoyed in receiving a 5 star review!
Currently I’m leading big tour groups across Uganda. During a trip, I’m making sure everything runs smoothly and be a source of information, so our clients can fully enjoy all the great things that Uganda has to offer; beautiful nature, great wildlife and last, but definitely not least, it’s interesting culture.
One of my personal goals in life is to inspire women who would love to be a guide, but feel nervous stepping into a typically male dominated industry. I’m happy to say that Matoke shares my believes and therefore organises bootcamps for aspiring female tour guides. During one of these bootcamps, I was given the opportunity to give a speech about my experience being a female tour guide in the industry. I shared my journey thru life with a group of about 15 young ladies and it made a big impact! After the speech, they were inspired and motivated, some even started sharing their own stories and experiences! This is exactly why I did it; inspire, motivate and help. A succes in my book!
So with all this being said, I’d like to close this story by thanking Matoke tours for placing trust in me and giving me the opportunity in becoming a guide in your company.”
“What a great few days it’s been, from mammal watching in the dead of night, to exploring a beautiful cycad sanctuary, surrounded by a gorge with some of the best waterfalls off the beaten path, to a taste of the hiker’s high of the Rwenzoris. Our imagination, so beautifully stretched, will not shrink back anytime soon.
And like they say, what one learns is most influenced by those one learns it with. From the guidance of some of the most senior guides in the country, to being shown around by the most accomplished site guides anywhere. It’s amazing, how this amazing team was put together.
I personally, like everyone else, look forward to putting into practice what has been learnt. I’m a fuller guide than I came, more adventurous, and definitely more wholesome. Thanks again, Matoke, for your visionary leadership. Blessings all yours, and ten thousand beside..”
We have a dedicated team that is passionate about making a difference within the tourism industry.
Read testimonials from our partners and guides, reviews from our travelers, and more information about our awards and impact.
More about Partner with Matoke Tours