12 Days Rwenzori Hiking and wildlife 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 8 days, you will enjoy the various attractions that the park has to offer to thrill while on Uganda Safaris Tours
Highlight of the itinerary
Day 1; Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking
Day 3: Climb from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba hut
Day 4: Climb to John Matte hut (3,503m)
Day 5: Climb to Bujuku Hut (3,962 m):
Day 6: Climb from Bujuku to Kitandara (4,023m)
Day 7; Climb to the Summit Margherita (5,109m)
Day 8: Climb Mt Stanley to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,260m)
Day 9: Connect to Nyakalengija/Kampala
Day 10: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – community tour
Day 11; Game drive and launch cruise
Day 12: Return to Kampala/Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park:
Depending on your location in Kampala/Entebbe, you will depart with your safari guide and connect to Kibale forest national park. It’s a about 5-6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch in Fort Portal. Proceed to your lodge with en-route visit of the crater lakes and other features as advised by your safari guide. Proceed to check-in your lodge, dinner and overnight stay at Isunga lodge for budget/Chimpanzee forest guest house for mid-range/Kyaninga lodge for luxury
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking:
On the 2nd day of your 12 Days Rwenzori Hiking and wildlife safari, After breakfast, your safari guide will drive you to the park headqauters for briefing before you head to the starting point of the trek of the chimpanzees. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale’s 795km2 National Park contains one of the most beautiful and with the most varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees. On finding the chimpanzees which takes about 2-5 hours, you will be allowed to view them for 1hour before you return to meet your safari guide.
Connect to Fort portal town for lunch then connect to your accommodation at the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori national park in Kasese district which is about 2 hours’ drive from Kabarole town. Check-in your hotel for dinner and overnight at Ruboni Community Banda for budget/Hotel Margarita for mid-range/Equator Snow Lodge for Luxury
Day 3: Climb from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba hut
Have breakfast and then drive to Nyakalengija trailhead which is at a height of 1648m at the park headquarters where you will meet your ranger guides and porters for a briefing about the hike. The hike usually starts at 8 am through the foothills of the mountain, following the River Mubuku through the bamboo forest, rock and bluffs. Cross the Mahoma River and climb steeply through break fern slopes and podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut which is about 2,651 meters high for overnight. Expect to see some primates including the Blue monkeys, Colobus monkeys and the Rwenzori Turaco
Day 4: Climb to John Matte hut (3,503m)
On the 4th day of your 12 Days Rwenzori Hiking and wildlife safari, From Nyabitaba hut, after taking a hot cup of tea, 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 for some hours. Proceed to the Nyamileju rock shelter where you will have sights of Mount Stanley and Mount Speke 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 John Matte Hut. While here, you will enjoy the views of Margherita glaciers.
Day 5: Climb to Bujuku Hut (3,962 m):
On this fouth day of the hike, wake up with a cup of Coffee at the hut site, walk across from the John Matte Hut to cross to the Bujuku River to the upper Bigo Bog which gives the real experience of jumping and cross the Bujuku Lake, have a lunch break at a beautiful narrow stream with views of Mt Baker to the South and Mt Stanley to the west and Mount Speke in the north. Retire form the hike at Bujuku hut for dinner and overnight stay
Day 6: Climb from Bujuku to Kitandara
After breakfast, leaving Bujuku hut and connect to the newer trail that raises and falls twice before climbing the steep slopes west of the lake, passing through the magical Groundsels Gully as it ascends to Scott-Elliot Pass at 4,372m. While at the steepest section, there is a short ladder that leads to Elena Hut at 4,430m. You will continue a few steps below the pass to a sheltered spot for a good break before the Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders. This is a base camp to climb to Margherita peak and requires an extra day. The left path leads to Scott. Elliot passes and down to Kitandara Lakes.
Day 7: Climb to the Summit Margherita
For those interested in reaching the Margherita peaks at 5,109m, continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier to reach the Margarita peak. This hike will take 4 to 7 hours to the summit of Margherita depending on the weather conditions and the climbing pace. This is a tough walk taking you to over three glaciers, slippery rock, Ice and very exposed areas. 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 walking. 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 Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent.
Start to descend, returning to Scott- Elliot pass with incredible views back to Bujuku lake and Mount Speke down to Kitandara Lakes. After the trail, pass via an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and connect to Kitandara Hut for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Climb Mt Stanley to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,260m)
On the 8th day of your 12 Days Rwenzori Hiking and wildlife safari, From Kitandara hut, the trail ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain 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. At this level, you will view into Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. Overnight at the hut
Day 9: Connect to Nyakalengija
After breakfast, continue to descend down the mountain, 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. Have lunch at Nyabitaba then proceed to Nyakalengija about 3 hours. Nyabitaba starts the 40 minutes trial to see Lake Mahoma and back to the hut for descending to the Park Head Quarters where you will meet your guide and connect for dinner and overnight stay at Ruboni Community Banda for budget/Hotel Margarita for mid-range/Equator Snow Lodge for Luxury
Day 10: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – community tour
After enough rest from the hike, have breakfast at leisure then meet your safari guide to connect to Queen Elizabeth national park about 2 hours’ drive away from Kasese, en-route visit the exploration crater lakes and do a community tour around the park with en-route lunch. Dinner and overnight stay at Pumba Safari Cottages for budget/Parkview Safari lodge from Mid-range/Kyambura Gorge lodge for luxury
Day 11: Game drive and launch cruise
Enjoy an early morning a game drive in the Kasenyi sector and be able to spot various animals like the elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards on lucky days among others. Return to the lodge for lunch then connect for an afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel where you will spot various animals including Hippos and crocodiles, the cruise will also enrich you with various birds along the sand banks. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 12: Return to Kampala/Departure
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge then check-out of the lodge to drive back to Kampala with lunch en-route in Mbarara town and a stopover at the Equator for photography and the experiment. Proceed to Kampala and arriving in the late afternoon. Proceed to your hotel or transfer to Entebbe airport for your onward flight.