Depart early for the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. This is largely a travel day from Entebbe to the western town of Kasese. Transfer by road from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese airfield at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. Our guide will pick you up early so you can have a more comfortable 6-7 hour drive to the Rwenzori Mountains, also famously known as the Mountains of the Moon. Once in Kasese, check into your hotel to rest or explore town as you prepare for the next day’s start of the mountain trek.

Today is you embark on your hike into the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. After an early breakfast at your hotel in Kasese, your guide will drive you to the trek starting point at Trekkers Hostel at the foothills of the mountains.

The Rwenzori Mountains, often referred to as the “Mountains of the Moon,” offer a truly unforgettable mountaineering experience. These majestic peaks, second only to Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, are renowned for their stunning beauty, diverse ecosystems, and challenging terrain. Ascend through lush rainforests, traverse across glaciers, and summit towering peaks, all while being surrounded by breathtaking scenery. The Rwenzori Mountains offer a unique blend of adventure, natural beauty, and cultural immersion, making it a must-do for any avid mountaineer or nature lover.

Today’s your hike starts off at 1450 meters. After the briefing from the guides, start the trek into the famed Mountains of the Moon. You destination is at Sine Camp 2596m above sea level. Warm dinner and overnight here.

Hike to Mutinda Camp at 3,588 meters (11,752ft), giving you a height gain of 992m (3,255ft). The trek ends in Mutinda Camp, which sits near a small waterfall. You will be staying here for the night. You can now wash, refresh and simply enjoy being in the Mountains of the Moon. Or if you do have what it takes, climb up to the Mutinda Lookout -3975m (13,041ft) – which is one and a half hours up, and one hour down. You will be rewarded with great views of Kasese town and on a clear day, even Lake George in the savanna plains farther away in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. This afternoon trek is also good for acclimatization.

Bugata Camp: The day’s trek will take you hopping from tussock to tussock through the garden of everlasting flowers and giant lobelia in the Mutinda Valley. Hike to Bugata camp at 4062 meters, with a height gain of 412 meters through the valley of amazingly unique beautiful plant species, streams and waterfalls while we head to Bugata camp at 4100 meters. The trek gets tougher and exhausting with the steep ridges, mud and boggy sections, but the rewards are enormously beautiful.

Start out at 8.30am after a hot breakfast. Hike to Hunwick’s camp at 3,874meters (12,710ft) via Bamwanjara pass at 4450m. Hunwick’s Camp which, is situated on the top of a deep valley, has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismanns Peak and McConnell’s Prong. The trek is 8.3km (5.2miles), which is 5.18miles. It takes 6 to 10hrs of hiking. It goes through nature’s garden of everlasting flowers, giant groundsel and giant lobelia. The garden is a favorite of the scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird, which is common and endemic to the Rwenzori Mountains.

This extraordinary trek leads you across crystal-clear rivers and through lush, picturesque landscapes, culminating at the Scott Elliott Pass before reaching the renowned Margherita Camp at an altitude of 4,485 meters (14,715 feet).

The journey retraces the steps of Italian Prince Luigi Amadeo di Savoia, the Duke of the Abruzzi, who set up camp here in 1906 during his expedition to conquer the legendary Mountains of the Moon.

The trek from Scott Elliott Pass to Margherita Camp covers a distance of 5.1 kilometers and typically takes between 3 to 5 hours to complete, depending on your pace and the conditions. Along the way, you’ll be captivated by the stunning flora and fauna unique to the Rwenzori region.

Once you arrive at Margherita Camp, you’ll settle in for an overnight stay, where you can prepare and acclimatize for the exhilarating summit ascent. This historic hiking experience not only offers physical challenges but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the natural beauty and rich history of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Today is the momentous highlight of your Rwenzori hike. Start the day early with a 2:00 AM wake-up and breakfast. Begin your climb of Mt. Stanley by 2:30 AM and on to Margherita Peak. Due to the unpredictable weather, reaching the summit by 10:00 AM is important. If conditions are unfavorable, you may need to turn back for safety.

Margherita Glacier is challenging, with steep ice sections, and the effects of global warming have created unstable conditions. For those with less mountaineering experience, we recommend climbing a vantage point on the southern edge of Alexandra Peak for incredible views over Congo and the lower mountain ridges. You could also choose our new trail to Cheptegei Peak (4907m), which is less technical but just as thrilling and fulfilling.

After summiting Margherita Peak (5,109m), descend to Hunwick’s Camp (3,874m) for the night. At 5,109m (16762 feet) above sea level, the Margherita is Africa’s third highest peak after Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya.

From Hunwick’s Camp we start the day by climbing up a ridge towards McConnell’s Prong where you get the best views of all three peaks and Scott Elliott’s Pass before reaching Oliver’s Pass at 4,505 metres. The distance from Hunwick’s Camp to the top of Olivers Pass is 3km the trail then cuts across below Weismann’s Peak to the confluence of the Nyamwamba River which flows down thought Kilembe and Kasese to Lake George in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

If you wish to climb Weismanns Peak 4,620 metres from Olivers pass you may do so at an extra cost of $20 each. On a clear day, you get fantastic views of Margherita and Mt Stanley, Mt Speke and Mt Baker.

After crossing the confluence, the trail meanders down the valley to Kiharo Camp at which is situated in a deep valley with high cliffs and dense vegetation. On the way down the valley after each bog you will climb over a ridge of stones and earth which seems out of place but actually was pushed there by slow moving glaciers which eventually stopped moving, melted and left a pile of rocks and debris in front of where the glacier once stood.

It is time to say goodbye to Africa’s greatest secret and botanical garden. Enjoy the sunrise before breakfast and the trek back to base. The Nyamwamba Valley offers stunning scenery, with cascading waterfalls, moss-covered rocks, and some of the best forests in the Rwenzori Mountains. After passing several Duiker clearings and breathtaking waterfalls, you’ll climb up and over a ridge before descending through dense forest. Stop at Forest View Camp for lunch before completing the final leg of your adventure at Trekkers Hostel.

From Kiharo Camp, you’ll trek 16 kilometers downhill to the park gate, plus an additional 2.8 kilometers to Trekkers Hostel. It takes about 5 to 8 hours to do the trek. Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers will debrief you before you exit the national park.

Your guide will then transfer you to a local coffee farm lodge where you will freshen up and rest for the night. Enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee as you listen to the night sounds of the countryside.

Begin the day with a cup of Ugandan coffee right where it’s grown. Take a guided coffee tour to learn about the bean-to-cup journey and meet the people behind the brew. This local coffee estate supports over 800 community members. Learn how coffee is grown, harvested, roasted, and brewed. After a memorable safari experience, transfer to Entebbe to the next destination.

Optional add-ons on request:
Big Game safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park;

Chimpanzee Tracking,

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi