15 Days Mountaineering and Primates safari : Mountain Rwenzori Hiking – Central circuit safari takes 7-8 days hiking to the summit Margarita peak and the other days trekking the Uganda Chimpanzees and Queen Elizabeth national park wildlife. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori is one of the challenging experiences of hiking in Uganda and visitors are advised to be prepared to be able to reach the summit. Visitors must be physically fit and in good health. On this trip, you will have large extent of adjustments on the mountain by the trekkers through joining longer routes and stretches. Within the 15 days, you will enjoy the various attractions that the park has to offer combined with primates tour visit the Chimpanzees in Kibale national park and the Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Safari highlights
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe airport – Kampala
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park – Bigido swamp walk
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking – transfer to Mount Rwenzori foothills
Day 4: Climb – to Nyabitaba (2,650 meters) through Bakonjo homestead:
Day 5: John Matte hut (3,350 meters)
Day 6: Bujuku Hut
Day 7: Mount Stanley
Day 8 Summit Margherita – 5,109 meters
Day 9: Climb Mount Stanley to Guy Yeoman Hut – 3,260 meter
Day 10: Climb Nyabitaba -2,650 meters
Day 11: Climb Nyakalengija – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Day 13: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 14: Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Day 15: Transfer to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe airport – Kampala
Upon arrival at Entebbe international airport, meet your safari who will be with you throughout the whole safari. Meet and greet then transfer to your booked hotel in Kampala city. Depending on your time of arrival, you will get time to explore Kampala city visiting some of the main Kampala attractions like the Gadaffi mosque, Art and craft markets, Uganda Museum, Uganda Independence monument to mention a few. Dinner will be served at your hotel stay at
- Luxury accommodation: Kampala Serena Hotel/Sheraton Hotel
- Mid-range accommodation: Fairway Hotel/Skyz Hotel Nakuru
- Budget accommodation: Forest Cottages
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park – Bigido swamp walk
After breakfast, you will be picked up your safari driver who will drive to Kibale national park- the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Arrive in the park in the afternoon for lunch in fort portal town, then go for a 2-3 hours’ nature walk in Bigodi wetland before you proceed to your lodge in Kibale. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Guest house main house for mid-range/Isunga lodge for budget/Kyaninga lodge for luxury on full board basis.
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking – transfer to Mount Rwenzori foothills
On the 3rd day of your 15 Days Mountaineering and Primates safari, After breakfast you will go for chimpanzee trekking with your packed food and water. Meet your guide at the head office then enter the rainforest to start searching for the chimpanzee, this will take 2-5 hours to find the chimpanzees. On seeing them, you will spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees while taking pictures. After tracking, you will refresh at the lodge then proceed to the foothills of Mount Rwenzori. Check-in relax, dinner and overnight stay at Hotel Margarita/Equator Snow lodge
Day 4: Transfer to Kasese – Mount Rwenzori national Park
After breakfast at your hotel, check-out of the hotel and embark on your journey to Kasese district, home of the Rwenzori Mountain ranges in Uganda. It’s a 8-9 hours’ drive via Mubende – Fort portal highway with en-route lunch break and visit the crater lakes in Fort portal town before you proceed to Kasese which is about 2-3 hours from Fort portal town. Upon arrival in Kasese town, continue to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay with scenic views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges.
- Budget option: Springs International Hotel
- Mid-range option: Magherita hotel
- Luxury option: Equator Snow lodge
Day 5: Climb – to Nyabitaba (2,650 meters) through Bakonjo homestead:
Have breakfast and then drive to Nyakalengija trailhead (1600m) where you will start hiking up to Nyabitaba hut; walking through the banana sambas on the side of the steep foothills, past the typical Bakonjo homesteads! Follow the trail along the Mubuku River, through landslides and up and down rocks and bluffs, Cross the Mahoma River and climb steeply through break fern slopes and podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut for overnight.
Day 6: John Matte hut (3,350 meters)
From Nyabitaba follow the trail that drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. Passing through the bamboo forest, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From the Nyamileju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Mount Speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel. You will reach John Matte Hut after passing through the tiring bog, for Dinner and Overnight at the Hut.
Day 7: Bujuku Hut
On the 7th day of your 15 Days Mountaineering and Primates safari, After John Matte Hut, the trail drops to cross the Bujuku River. The upper Bigo Bog gives way to Bujuku Lake, with views of Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the west. Bujuku Hut, well located in the shadow of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Steinmann pass.
Day 8: Mount Stanley
Leaving Bujuku, the trail climbs the steep slopes west of the lake, passing through the magical Groundsels Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4372m. At the head of the gully a metal ladder takes you over a steep section after which the trail splits into two. The right leads up to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders. The left path leads to Scott. Elliot passes and down to Kitandara Lakes.
Day 9: Summit Margherita – 5,109 meters
When climbing Margherita peak , continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. It can be a four to seven hour walk to the summit of Margherita. It is only for the physically fit and is a technical climb which requires roping up, crampons and appropriate equipment for cold, windy and icy conditions. It is best to attempt the final climb in a minimum group of 4- two climbers and two guides; climb on to the glacier, cross the Stanly Plateau and proceed with the ascent. Returning to Scott- Elliot pass, descend to the Kitandara Hut for overnight, past the Kitandara Lakes.
Day 10: Climb Mount Stanley to Guy Yeoman Hut – 3,260 meter
From Kitandara, the trail ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh field pass. From the pass, the long muddy descent continues, passing the rock shelter at Bujangolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.
Day 11: Climb Nyabitaba -2,650 meters
The path down can be slippery and muddy with little to hold on to and requires careful balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock. An overnight stop at the Nyabiaba Hut
Day 12: Climb Nyakalengija – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Descend Nyabitaba and continue via Nyakalengija taking about 3 hours. At Nyabitaba start the 40 minutes trial to see Lake Mamoha and back to the hut for descending to the Park headquarter. Upon reaching the park headquarters, meet your safari guide and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. It’s about 2 hours’ drive from Mount Rwenzori national park. When you reach your booked lodge, check-in, have lunch and relax for the rest of the day with excellent views of the mountain. Dinner and overnight at
- Budget option: Pumba Safari lodge
- Mid-range option: Parkview Safari lodge
- Luxury option: Mweya Safari lodge
Day 13: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
On the 13th day of your 15 Days Mountaineering and Primates safari, After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It’s a 5-7 hours’ drive depending on your gorilla trekking sector with en-route lunch. Drive via Ishasha sector for chances of seeing the tree climbing lions as you proceed to Bwindi park. Check-in your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at
- Budget option: Buhoma Community Rest Camp
- Mid-range option: Buhoma Haven lodge
- Luxury option: Buhoma Lodge
Day 14: Gorilla trekking experience
After an early morning breakfast, drive to the park headquarters at 7 :00 am for briefing about the park and its habitants and also you will be advised on your expectations during trekking and be allocated a gorilla family to trek. Bwindi impenetrable national park has the world’s largest population of the mountain gorillas with four different sectors with each having more than three gorilla families. After briefing, drive to the starting point of the trek and enter the forest with your provided armed range guides to search for the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking may take about 2- 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla up and down the hilly jungle, and on meeting them, stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour, before you descend back to the starting point where your driver will be waiting for you to return and relax at the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Transfer Back to Kampala
Enjoy an early morning breakfast and transfer back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for lunch, arriving in Kampala in the evening. Drop off to your hotel in Kampala or the Airport for your onward flight marking the end of your Safari. End of Safari
