Skip links

+256 753 518 160

+256 777 842 166

info@gogorillasafaris.com

Stories From Our Travel Blog Stories From Our Travel Blog
Let's Go Trek
Let's Go Trek
Go Gorilla Trekking Safari

7 Day Mountain Rwenzori Hiking

I look like a gorilla, just the way I'm built.

Overview

For clients already at the base, we recommend the 7-day Mountain Rwenzori Hiking Central Circuit; however, those departing from Kampala will need to include an additional day for transportation to Kasese town, transforming it into the 7-day Mountain Rwenzori Hiking tour—the pinnacle of trekking in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

The following is a list of the services we offer: transportation from Entebbe to the start and end points of our 7-day Mountain Rwenzori Hiking tour; lodging during the trip; and transportation back to Entebbe for your flight out.

  • DAY 1: Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba hut
  • DAY 2: Nyabitaba to John matte hut
  • DAY 3: John matte to Bujuku hut
  • DAY 4: Bujuku to Elena hut
  • DAY 5: Elena hut (4563m) – Kitandara (3979m)
  • DAY 6: Kitandara hut (3979m) – Guy Yeoman hut (3505m)
  • DAY 7: Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija

Booking this African safari itinerary guarantees an unforgettable wildlife experience, immersing you in breathtaking landscapes and close encounters with iconic animals like gorillas, lions, elephants, and rhinos. It combines luxury and adventure, with expert guides ensuring safety and the best game-viewing opportunities. Carefully planned routes take you through diverse ecosystems, from savannas to lush wetlands, maximizing your chances of witnessing the Big Five. With seamless accommodations, cultural experiences, and conservation-focused travel, this itinerary offers a once-in-a-lifetime journey into the heart of Africa.

DAY 1: Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba hut

You will be informed on the entire hike at RMS headquarters after breakfast at the camp. Leave Nyakalengija and make your way through the Bakonzo villages to the gate of Mount Rwenzori National Park, where you must register in order to enter the park. Amidst tall elephant grass and dense shrubs, you will begin your trip around the center circle trail.

Forest elephants, chimpanzees, hyraxes, black-and-white colobuses, duikers, L’Hoest’s monkeys, three-horned chameleons, and countless more species call this forest home. In addition to a wide variety of trees and plants, the area is home to a wide variety of birds, including the Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Long-eared Owl, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Strange Weaver, Archers’ Robin-chat, and Rwenzori Batis. Some of these are likely to be visible to you.

Walking distance between Nyakalengija and the Nyabitaba hut is around 8 kilometers. Stayed the night at the Nyabitaba hut for dinner.

DAY 2: Nyabitaba to John matte hut

Once you’ve had breakfast in the hut, it’s only a half-hour hike through dense woodland and shrubbery to the Kurt Shafer bright, located at the mouth of the Bujuku and Mubuku rivers. After that, for a couple of hours, you’ll make your way through a mix of bamboo, montane forests, and moss-covered rocks. You can also anticipate seeing a variety of forest-dwelling bird species as you hike.

After lunch, you’ll make your way up to the Nyamulejju rock shelter, the same spot where the first hikers slept and slept. Mount Stanley and Mount Speke, when the weather permits, can be seen from this vantage point. After that, you’ll keep hiking through the mountain forest until you reach the John Matte hut, where you may rest your weary head and have a hearty meal. Most trekkers take a dip in the icy, invigorating water of the Bujuku River, which is close to the cabin. On Mount Stanley, between the Alexandra and Margherita summits, you can also see the Margherita glacier. The distance from Nyabitaba to John Matte is approximately 11 kilometers.

DAY 3: John matte to Bujuku hut

The journey to the lower bigo bog begins after breakfast at the cabin and continues through the forest, crossing the Bujuku River. The huge lobelias call this valley swamp their home. Because of the heavy vegetation and the difficulty of hopping from one tussock to another, this section of the Rwenzori used to be the most challenging for trekkers, especially women.

As it is, trekkers have it considerably simpler thanks to a walk board that extends all the way to the end of the swampy area. Along your journey, you can anticipate encountering groundsels, everlasting blooms, and massive lobelias. The beginning of the upper bigo bog is reached after a strenuous ascent up a hill. A walkway leads to Lake Bujuku as well. Attempting to traverse the remaining small swampy region without walk boards to reach Bujuku hut follows the board walk. From here, you can see Lake Bujuku, Speke, Baker, and Stanley, among other mountains. You may now climb Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. Approximately 5 kilometers separate John Matte and Bujuku. Spend the night at Bujuku after dinner.

DAY 4: Bujuku to Elena hut

Start your five- to seven-hour trek to Elena Hut after breakfast at Bujuku Hut. The upper Bigo bog will serve as a pathway for your travels. The next step is a climb up the rugged hills of Lake Bujuku. Along the way to the 4372 meter Scott-Elliot pass, which is situated on the western slopes of Lake Bujuku, you’ll encounter further bogs and the exhilarating Ground gully. At the gully’s crest, you’ll need a metal ladder to traverse a particularly treacherous portion.

At that point, the route splits in half. The left track descends to Kitandara Lakes via Scott-Elliot pass, while the right trail begins at the Elena Hut and climbs steeply over huge stones to reach Mt. Stanley.

There is too much cold near Elena’s hut, which lies on the rocky side of Mount Stanley. Here you can see Mount Baker and Mount Speke in the distance as you stand atop the Rwenzori Mountains’ highest peak. When the fog rolls in, it makes it nearly impossible to see these two mountains. Spend the night at Elena’s hut after dinner.

DAY 5: Elena hut (4563m) – Kitandara (3979m)

Wake up as early as 2 in the morning on this particular day. Start your day at Elena Hut with breakfast, then get dressed for the weather. Don your harness, gloves, and headsock, and don’t forget your helmet, headlamps, and sunglasses. Ascend the Stanley plateau and reach the summit of Mount Stanley, also known as Magherita Peak. The ropes will be your best friend when navigating steep, rough terrain. On the ice, you will learn how to use the gear from the guide. Your trusty ice axe, crampons, and ski boots will come in handy on the glacial sections.

You will arrive at the base of the Margherita glacier after a couple of hours of walking after passing the Stanley plateau glacier. If you’ve ever hiked the Rwenzori Mountains, this is the hardest portion. The margherita summit (5109 m) atop Mount Stanley is accessible by a trek across this glacier. Views of Ireen Lake, Mount Speke, and the landscape below are yours at the peak. Drop down to Elena Hut for lunch, and then head to Kitandara—the most picturesque spot on the Rwenzori—via the Scott Elliot pass. After your dinner, spend the night at Kitandara. Staying the night at Elena’s hut and continuing the next day is an option if the group is large.

By following an alternate route from the Bujuku Hut to Scott-Elliot Pass, you can shorten days 4 and 5 if you’d rather not climb Mount Stanley. A trailhead leading to the Elena Hut can be found at the pass. Just south of the pass, there’s a particularly rocky section of terrain; but, after a short while, it flattens out and continues on to Kitandara Lake Hut.

DAY 6: Kitandara hut (3979m) – Guy Yeoman hut (3505m)

Start your day with breakfast at Kitandara before carefully making your way across the treacherous base of Mount Baker. A steep ascent of the headwall separates Kitandara from the rest of the trail, which leaves the base of Mount Baker and follows the southern slope of Rwenzori Mountain all the way to Fresh Field Pass. Passing the rock shelter at Bujangolo—the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906—the long muddy descent continues from the pass.The Guy Yeoman hut, situated on the banks of the Mubuku River, is a good place to stop for dinner and the night after a journey that should take no more than five to seven hours.

DAY 7: Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija

You will be led through the bamboo forests on your descent to Nyabitaba from Guy Yeoman. Delicate balancing is required on the sometimes slick and muddy descent, as there is little to grab onto when one descends steep rock faces or mud slopes. You will enjoy a lunch break at the Nyabitaba hut after approximately five hours of trekking. The next three hours will be spent descending to Nyakalengija.

You have the option of returning to Kampala by car after arriving at Nyakengija in the late afternoon, spending the night in Kasese town, or adding on further safari activities, such as gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Final Stop

Includes

Excludes

  • All transportation as scheduled
  • All Activities Included in the itinerary
  • All park entrance fees
  • Meals: breakfast – lunch and dinner as shown
  • English speaking driver guide
  • Complementary bottled water
  • Airport transfers on first and last day
  • Every Accommodation included
  • Anything outside the regular itinerary
  • Alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks
  • Any items of personal nature
  • International vaccinations
  • Local and international flights
  • Personal Travel insurance
  • Visa Fees
  • Tips and souvenirs

Collection of Unforgettable Moments

Plan Your Dream

    The Best View Comes After The Hardest Treks In A Place Worthy Going..

    This website uses cookies to improve your web experience.