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Craft & Culture in Motion

From designer fashion studios, to bustling markets, delve into a city of heritage and innovation on an epic journey of craft and climate.

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Craft & Culture in Motion
with Lubugo Tours

Get your hands moving in this immersive three-day creative experience. From the high energy of Owino Market to full-day workshops in Uganda’s top sustainable studios, this itinerary gives you the opportunity not just to see, but to make - and to understand the full journey of fashion in Uganda, from textile waste to hand-crafted beauty.

Please note, prices vary depending on season, group size, activities, accommodation and more. To get a quote for a tour, fill out our enquiry form and one of our travel consultants will get back to you as soon as possible. If you're looking for other options on where to go, what to see and what to do, take a look at our home page:

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Trip Overview

This immersive 3-day experience takes you inside Uganda’s emerging sustainable fashion scene, offering hands-on workshops, insider studio visits, and cultural deep dives. You’ll connect with the makers, materials, and movements that are transforming Uganda’s creative economy—while crafting your own wearable art along the way.

Trip Highlights:

See Uganda’s fashion systems from waste to wear
Visit fashion design studios like IGC Fashion
Make your own banana-fibre and batik creations
Meet the designers, makers and thinkers leading a sustainable fashion movement

Perfect for travelers seeking heritage and hands-on craft.

1/5

Inclusions:

Accommodation: 2 nights' accommodation in Kampala City as specified in the itinerary (Budget, Mid-range, or Luxury options provided).
Meals: Meals as indicated in the itinerary (Lunch and Dinner on Day 1, Full Board on Day 2, Breakfast and Lunch on Day 3).
Transportation: All ground transportation in a safari vehicle around Kampala sites.
Driver/Guide: Professional, English-speaking driver-guide.
Tour Guide: Tour guide for studio and market tours.
Water: Bottled drinking water in the safari vehicle.

Activities:

Private car transfer to and from all activities
1.5 hour tour of IGC studio
3-4 hour tour in Owino market with IGC guide
3 hour workshop at Mawejje Creations
Full-day batik workshop at Letasi Design Studio
Materials and equipment throughout

Daily
Itinerary

Choose this tour or use it to inspire your own custom-designed journey.

Day 1: Context & Creation – Studio Tour & Owino Market

Morning:
Start your journey at the IGC Studio, home of one of Uganda’s leading avant-garde sustainable fashion labels. Go behind the scenes to see how traditional and recycled materials like Lubugo barkcloth and Matembe are turned into contemporary pieces. Learn about the design process, from concept sketch to final stitch.
Afternoon:
Head to Owino Market, East Africa’s largest secondhand clothing hub. Walk through its vibrant alleys and learn about the global secondhand clothing trade, its environmental impact, and how local creatives reclaim and reinvent discarded fashion.
Evening:
Return to your accommodation. Relax, reflect, or explore more of Kampala’s nightlife or food scene.

Meal Plan: Lunch included

Accommodation: Boutique guesthouse or eco-lodge in Kampala (options available for various budgets)

Day 2: Banana Fibre Workshop – Mawejje Creations, Mpigi

Full Day:
Travel to Mpigi District for a full-day immersive workshop with Mawejje Creations—pioneers in banana fibre innovation and sustainable fashion. Join the team in every step of the process:
Extracting fibres from banana stems
Processing and softening the fibres
Designing and crafting your own item using their custom-built machinery
Creative takeaway:
Leave with your own handmade fashion piece, crafted from banana fibre and rooted in local sustainability practices.
Evening:
Return to Kampala and unwind at your accommodation.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch included

Accommodation: Boutique guesthouse or eco-lodge in Kampala

Day 3: Batik Printing Workshop – Letasi Design Studio

Full Day:
Spend the final day at Letasi Studio, a hub for fashion and textile experimentation. Under the guidance of experienced artists, learn the traditional East African art of batik—a wax-resist dyeing technique used to make vibrant, storytelling textiles.
Participate in the entire process:
Designing patterns
Applying wax
Dyeing and finishing your custom batik textile
Celebrate your creative journey and take home your finished textile piece as a souvenir of skill, sustainability, and style.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch included

Accommodation: Not included (trip ends after workshop)

Susanne S, USA

“As someone working in sustainable fashion, gaining first hand insight into Uganda’s approach to waste reduction, and local fashion innovation has been revelatory. It renewed my sense of purpose in what I do. I highly recommend this for corporate groups looking to understand the landscape of sustainable fashion from the local angle.”