11 Days Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountains safari
This 11-day Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountains safari will give you a chance to explore one of Uganda’s gorilla parks, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, to witness the magic of trekking these majestic gorillas in their natural habitat and hiking the Rwenzori mountains in Rwenzori Mountains National Park to experience the magnificent mountain climbing.
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will be received and welcomed by our company representative, who will also be your travel guide. You will start the long journey to Bwindi and have a stopover at the Equator for photography. Proceed to Bwindi with an en route lunch in Mbarara town. Reach the booked lodge late evening for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking Experience- 11 Days Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountains safari
Have a delicious breakfast at the lodge and drive to the park headquarters for a briefing by the ranger guides about the rules and regulations to be followed during the gorilla trekking experience. Every group will be allocated to the gorilla family to trek, and once traced, they will be allowed to spend 1 hour as they watch them and also take some pictures of these gentle apes. After the experience, the trekkers will be awarded a certificate for their recognition. You will drive back to the lodge for lunch and later go for a walk at Bigodi wetland. The wetland is famous for hosting various bird species and some animals.
Accommodation: Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 3: Transfer to Rwenzori Mountains National Park
In the morning, after your breakfast, you will make a transfer to Rwenzori National Park, where you will arrive during lunch hours. You will check into the hotel, have lunch, and relax here as you prepare for your trek the next day.
Accommodation: Snow Heights Lodge
Day 4: Nyakalengija (1615m Asl.) – Nyabitaba camp (2651m asl.)
The central circuit starts at the Rwenzori Mountaineering Services offices at Nyakalengijja. 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 coloured Rwenzori turaco. The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours.
Day 5: Nyabitaba – 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. The hike takes an average of 7 – 8 hours.
Day 6: John Matte – 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 acclimatisation for clients attempting the summits of peaks Mount Stanley and Mount Speke. Dinner and overnight at Bujuku hut. The hike takes an average of 4 – 5 hours.
Day 7: Bujuku – Elena Camp (4541m asl.)-11 Days Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountains safari
Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical 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 he 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. The hike takes an average of 5 – 6 hours.
Day 8: Elena Hut – Margherita Peak (5109m asl.) – Kitandara Camp (4430m
asl.)
Very early in the morning, you attempt to climb 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 onto 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. The descend from Margherita peak back to Elena Hut will take you about 2 – 3 hours. 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 for dinner and overnight at the Kitandara camp. The descend takes an average of 3 – 4 hours.
Day 9: Kitandara – 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 Freshfield Pass 4282m asl. At this point, you can look 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. The hike takes an average of 6 – 7 hours.
Day 10: Guy Yeoman – Nyabitaba – Nyakalengija (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 trek by the evening at Nyakalengijja, the base camp. The descent takes 7 – 8 hours.
Dinner and overnight at Snow height lodge.
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe for your departure flight- 11 Days Gorilla and Rwenzori Mountains safari
Have your breakfast at the lodge and meet your guide for the transfer back to Entebbe for your departure flight or overnight in any hotel of your choice
