12 Day Mt. Rwenzori and Queen Elizabeth Safari

On arrival at Entebbe Airport, a guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

After breakfast you shall drive through Kampala and proceed to Kasese town located in western Uganda. .
In the evening, your guide will go to the Mountaineering Services Offices to ensure that all is arranged for the following days’ trekking adventure.

The Central Circuit starts at the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services offices at Nyakalengija. You will arrive in the morning to allow ample time to meet your guides and porters. The trail begins by passing through the farmland to the park boundary beyond which it follows the Mubuku River, crossing its Mahoma tributary before starting a long, steep climb up onto a massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba hut. The hike takes around 6 -7 hours. During this part of the trip you may hear chimpanzee and see black and white colobus, blue monkey and the brilliantly coloured Rwenzorituraco.

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, Mt Stanley and Mt 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.

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 Mt Baker and Mt Speke, is set in a narrow valley below Stuhlmann Pass. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku hut.

Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical Groundsel 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 is divided into two. The trail on your right leads up to Elena Hut and Mt 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 Margherita Peak to Kitandara Hut. Those climbing the peak will have their dinner and overnight at the coolly and Icy Elena Hut.

For those aiming at reaching Margherita peak (5109m), continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier. To reach the summit of Margherita, the climb takes about 5-7 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. Note that this climb is for only physically fit and technical climbers. Climbing on to the glaciers, cross the Stanley Plateau and proceed with the ascent. Acclimatized to fog, altitude sickness and cold weather, you will summit of Margherita the highest peak of the Rwenzori. . Prepare for your return through the Scott-Elliot pass, where there are spectacular views back to Bujuku Lake and Mt Speke, up to Mt Stanley and down to the Kitandara Lakes . After the trail that passes you through an alpine zone of sparse vegetation and rough boulders, descend past the Kitandara Lakes for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara.

From Kitandara, take on the trail that ascends steeply up the headwall, spreading out from the base of Mt Baker and continuing along the south side of the mountain to Fresh Field Pass. At this point you can view into the Congo to the west and Mt Stanley to the north. From the pass, take on the long trail passing the rock shelter at Bujongolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906. Overnight at Guy yeoman.

The descent to Nyabitaba takes around 6 -7 hours but with an early start it is possible to make it all the way down to Nyakalengija. Below Guy Yeoman, the route descends the cliffs of Kichuchu. Beyond Kichuchu the muddy path crosses the Mubuku River twice before climbing upwards to Nyabitaba to complete the circuit.

The descent from Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija takes 3 – 4 hours. Start hiking back and complete your trek by the evening. A cold beer and celebration await you at the local restaurant, before proceeding to your hotel.

After breakfast, you will have a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National park. Lying in the Rift valley, the park has a diverse array of ecosystems which include savanna, tropical forests, lakes and wetlands making it a prime home to big game, ten primate species and over 600 species of birds. In the afternoon you shall have a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel.

After breakfast you shall drive to Kampala crossing the equator along the way where you may have Souvenir Shopping before proceeding to the airport to catch your flight back home.