Rwenzori mountain- Central circuit trail.
If you are looking a trek through lush jungle driven on by thought of snow capped peaks, a natural land scape with everlasting flowers , an ice climb to see the curvature of the earth as it meets the heart of Africa- Rwenzori mountain is your answer.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Kampala or Entebbe (*Starting from Fort portal or Kasese is also arrangeable upon advanced request.)
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Hotel in Entebbe or kampala
Whatever time you will arrive at Entebbe international airport, you will meet me or one of our expert guide who will warmly welcome you and shortly brief you and transfer you to a hotel in Entebbe or Kampala for a rest.
Transfer to the Rwenzori Mountains
After breakfast at 9:00am on the same day of your arrival, you will embark on a 6-7 hour drive to the western part of the country at the slopes of Mountain Rwenzori as you pass through tea estates before you arrive in Fort Portal town. On arrival in Fort portal you will have lunch at Gardens Restaurant and later at 2:00 pm proceed to Rwenzori Mountains for accommodation.
Day 2: Transfer to Nyakalengija (1615m) and Hike to Nyabitaba Hut (2651m
On this day after breakfast at 9:00am you will meet all the guides, potters, chefs and you will check on the hiking gears to ensure that you have received the equipments of your size during the summiting day.
After, your driver together with the guides will drive you to the Uganda wild life Authority headquarters/Rwenzori gate. The guide will introduce you to the park warden and receive an induction, briefying and registration before starting the trek.
Thereafter, you will officially begin the hike by passing through farmland to the park boundary, which follows along the Mubuku River. You will cross the Mahoma tributary before starting a long steep ascent onto a giant ridge until you reach Nyabitaba Hut at 2651m. During this part of the trail you will pass in the grass land, Montana forest zone and heather which are tropical rain forests, on the right hand side you will see Portal peaks, you may be lucky enough to hear or see chimpanzee calls and to see Black and White Columbus monkeys, Blue monkeys, and the brilliant Rwenzori Turaco and see different chameleons, you will pass through different rivers and waterfalls until you reach Nyabitaba Camp.
Hike duration: 5 -6 hours. Elevation height: 1,036m
Day 3: NYABITABA (2651m asl.) – JOHN MATTE CAMP (3505m asl.)
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
Nyamuleju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Mount Speke can be seen before passing into the
Zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel. Finally reach John Matte Hut after passing
Through the tiring bog, for dinner and overnight at the hut.
Hike duration: 7 – 8 hours. Elevation height: 854m
Day 4: JOHN MATTE (3505m asl.) – BUJUKU CAMP (3962m asl.)
From John Matte Hut the trail drops down to cross the Bujuku River and enters Lower Bigo Bog, the home of giant lobelias.
Jumping from tussock to tussock, the bog is finally crossed but rarely without the feet sampling some of the freezing ooze below.
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 Stuhlmann Pass.
This camp is good for acclimatization for clients attempting the summits of peaks Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku hut.
Hike duration: 4 – 5 hours. Elevation height: 457m
Day 5: BUJUKU (3962m asl.) – ELENA CAMP (4541m asl.)
Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical and forest of Groundsel Gully. Turn to your right up to Elena Hut and Mount Stanley on a steep trail over large boulders, while the trail on your left leads to Scott-Elliot Pass and down to Kitandara Lakes the trail on the left leads those who are not climbing Margarita Peak to Kitandara Hut.
Those climbing the peak will have their Dinner and overnight at the coolly and Icy Elena Hut.
Hike duration: 5 – 6 hours. Elevation height: 579m
Day 6: ELENA HUT (4541m asl.) – MARGHERITA PEAK (5109m asl.) – KITANDARA CAMP (4430m asl.)
Very early in the morning, you attempt climbing the highest peak, Margherita of Mount Stanley.
To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 4 -5 hours depending on the weather conditions and the pace of climbing this mountain. This tough walk takes you over three glaciers, slippery rock, ice and very exposed areas which are open on many sides.
Climbing on to the glaciers, cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and coolly weather, scramble up to the summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori Mountains.
The Descend from Margherita peak back to Elena Hut will take you about 2 – 3hours.
After your lunch at Elena hut, descend to the Scott-Elliot pass (4372m asl.), where there are spectacular views of Bujuku Lake and Mount Speke.
After, the trail passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes.
Dinner and overnight at the Kitandara camp.
Descend duration: 3 – 4 hours.
Day 7: KITANDARA (4430m asl.) – GUY YEOMAN (3261m asl.)
From Kitandara, take on the trail that 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 4282m asl.
At this point you can view into the Congo to the west and Mount Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long high alpine mossy.
Thereafter start the descend through steep rocky trails and the rock shelter at Bujongolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906 and then an overnight at Guy yeoman camp.
Hike duration: 6 – 7 hours.
Day 8: GUY YEOMAN (3261m asl.) – NYABITABA (2651m asl.) – MIHUNGA GATE (1615m asl.)
Below Guy Yeoman, the route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu.
Beyond Kichuchu the muddy path crosses the Mubuku River twice through a bamboo forest before climbing downwards to Nyabitaba to complete the circuit.
Continue descending Nyabitaba Camp and complete your Hike by the evening to park gate to end your 7 days Rwenzori Margherita peak Trek.
Descent duration: 6 – 7 hours
Upon the arrival, you will be welcomed by the community with the traditional dance celebrating for your success on conquering Rwenzori Mountain that is top most part of Uganda.
Entebbe or Kampala
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Round trip transportation, all meals, accommodations in wooden cabins and sleeping bags, bottled drinking water, all park fees for 7 days during the trek,
all hiking gears as shown bellow.
1 ice axes
2 harnesses
3 pair of crampons
4 sleeping bag
5 climbing rope
Visas, flight tickets and alcoholic beverages.
This trip can as well start from From Fort portal or Kasese where by you need to arrange with us earlier our guide to pick you from the hotel or bus station before the hiking day. Rwenzori mountain is very challenging it good for the physically fit however, you don't need to worry the guides are expert in Trekking Rwenzori we will give you Technical support to ensure that you have summited Margarita peak.
We have all the hiking gears for you, if you have yours its also better to bring them we make a compassion and if i find your gears are not suitable to summiting Rwenzori, i have a sore i will keep your luggage and gears safely until you return from Rwenzori.
Not available from Mid-September to Mid-November
Am a hard working person and am very keen to my job as a guide i work with other reliable, experienced and honest guides. in case am busy invite my very reliable and expert guides to guide my clients and the clients are ever satisfied or they get the best experience.
We work every day.
I am Emmanuel, from Fort portal and I am a professional tour guide for more than 20 years. I am very happy to say that in Fort portal I and my team of guides we are well known for our personalized and professional tour guiding skills for our vast knowledge about the geography, history and biodiversity, in and around Fort portal and Uganda.
I love meeting new people. sharing life time experiences. and I also must admit that I enjoy so much in playing soccer.
During his tour in Uganda, Winston Churchill became very inspired by what he found here and he wrote in his book that "For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for profusion of brilliant life — bird, insect, reptile, beast — for vast scale — Uganda is truly "the Pearl of Africa. "
As an experienced local guide, in addition to showing you all the beauties that Uganda has, and what has so impressed Winston Churchill, you can also fully rely on me in every situation because I have gained a lot of experience in my many years of work.
Your visit to Uganda the pearl of Africa and Fort portal the pearl of Uganda will be an exciting lifetime experiences as you explore the natural beautiful landscapes, Mountains like Rwenzori, Elgon, Game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison falls, Kidepo valley, primate experiences including the mighty Gorillas not forgetting the apes close to human kind the Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National park.
Fort portal has a lot to offer in the park and outside the park activities like the different cultures of different tribes in the area.
I welcome you on your next trip to the country of Fort Fort-Uganda, I invite you to feel free to contact me at any time and I will be very happy to meet your interests and expectations and create a customized travel plan that will suit you best.
$1,850/ per person
Reserve