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Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

Arrival (See Getting There for more details)

  • A transfer from the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
  • Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1

Travel to Rwenzori Foothills

Travel to Rwenzori Foothills

After your breakfast, you will be picked up from your place of stay and begin the drive to Rwenzori Mountains. Upon arrival, we will check into our booked accommodation for lunch and rest for the remaining day in preparation for the next day’s start of our Rwenzori Challenge.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
Equator Snow Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located near Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2

Hike to Nyabitaba

Hike to Nyabitaba

The central circuit starts at the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services offices at Nyakalengija. You need to arrive in the morning to allow ample time to rent equipment and meet your guides and porters. The trail begins by passing through farmland to the park boundary beyond which it follows a thick forest along the Mubuku River, crossing its Mahoma River tributary before starting a long, steep climb up onto a massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba hut. During this part of the trip, you may hear chimpanzees and see black and white colobus, blue monkey, and the brilliantly colored Rwenzori Turaco.

The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
Nyabitaba Hut
  • Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 3

Hiking to John Maate 3505asl

Hiking to John Maate 3505asl

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. At Johnmaate you will be able to get nice views of Mount Stanley and Magherita with clear skies. The hike takes an average of 7 - 8 hours.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
John Matte Hut
  • Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4

Hike to Elena

Hike to Elena

From Johnmaate Hut the trail drops down to cross the Bujuko River and enters lower Bigo Bog, the home of Giant Lobelias jumping from tussock. Following the Bujuku River we continue with the ascend to Elena Camp. You will get some incredible views of Stanley and Baker Mts as you go along till you finally reach Elena for dinner and some much-needed rest. The hike takes about 5-6 hours.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
Elena Hut
  • Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5

Summiting Magherita Peak

Summiting Magherita Peak

Early in the morning, we start to ascend to Margherita passing Stanley Glacier, the very first sight of endless snow requiring crampons. Depending on weather conditions and the pace of your climb, you should be able to make it up 5-7 hours. This part of Rwenzori requires some experience and skill as it gets very technical. Once at the peak, we will congratulate ourselves and take some pictures before we set back down using a different route to John Maate for dinner and overnight. Be prepared for a very long day.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
John Matte Hut
  • Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 6

Descend to Nyakalengija-1615Asl

Descend to Nyakalengija-1615Asl

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 trek by the evening at Nyakalengija, the base camp. The descent takes 7 – 8 hours.

Main Destination:
Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Accommodation:
Equator Snow Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located near Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 7

Transfer to the home of the Mountain Gorillas

Transfer to the home of the Mountain Gorillas

We will not set off too early because we would need some rest from the previous day's intense hike from Rwenzori. We will transfer to the home of the Gentle Giants thereafter. We will enjoy the most breathtaking scenery as we head to Kisoro and we will take time to make stops to enjoy it all and take pictures. Once we arrive, we will check into our accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination:
Kisoro (Town)
Accommodation:
Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located near Kisoro (Town)
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 8

Face to Face With the Mountain Gorillas

Face to Face With the Mountain Gorillas

After briefing, we venture into Bwindi Forest on foot and enter a world suspended outside of time! The undergrowth thrives with diverse plants, mammals, and birds. It's a grueling task to press on through walls of vines and vegetation as your hearts pump from effort and anticipation. It may be minutes or hours before we come upon a Gorilla family but when we finally do, the encounter sweeps us into a timeless moment. We watch the juveniles play as the impressive adults groom and keep a sly but watchful eye on their human visitors and in this moment a feeling of kinship rises to close the gap that grew between us and our primate relatives over millennia. We descend elated and arrested in a timeless moment to be told and retold for years to come. Return to the lodge to catch your breath and relax for the evening or you can choose to do a community walk.

Main Destination:
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Gorillas)
Best Time To Visit June to August and December to January
High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)
Best Weather Jun to Aug and Dec to Jan (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Mgahinga Gorilla NP

GorillaCommon
ElephantOccasional
BuffaloOccasional
Show more
LionNone
ZebraNone
HippoNone
Accommodation:
Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge
  • Mid-range lodge located less than 1hr drive from Mgahinga Gorilla NP
Meals & Drinks:
  • All meals included
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 9

Transfer to Entebbe

Transfer to Entebbe

Check out of the safari lodge after breakfast and exit Bwindi impenetrable to begin your journey to Kampala with lunch en-route. As we cross the equator into the northern hemisphere, you feel the distance of the impenetrable forest but the memory lingers close by accompanying you as you journey on homeward.

Main Destination:
No major destination visited
Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks:
  • Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
  • Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

  • Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
  • A transfer back to the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
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Disclaimer

  • This tour is offered by Bushman Safaris, not SafariBookings.
  • This operator reserves the right to change rates advertised on SafariBookings.
  • If you request changes to this tour, the advertised rates will likely change.
  • The exact order, contents and rates of this tour are subject to availability.
  • If an accommodation is fully booked, the operator will suggest a comparable alternative.
  • Gorilla tracking permits are subject to availability.