11 Days Rwenzori (central circuit without Margherita), wildlife & Gorilla trekking takes you to Rwenzori Mountains, Queen Elizabeth National National Park and Bwindi Forest National Park.
ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS 11 DAYS RWENZORI & GORILLA TREKKING
- Rwenzori Mountain Climbing
- Wildlife Tours involving boat cruise and a game drive
- Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Full 11 Days Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala to the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
After breakfast, depart for Rwenzori Mountains National Park going through Mubende, Fort-portal and Kasese to the mountain foothills. Enjoy an enroute lunch in Fort portal and overnight stay at Ruboni Community Camp. (Full board).
Day 2: Nyakalengija (1,615m) to Nyabitaba Hut (2.651m)
Climbing of Rwnezori along the Central circuit trail begins – After briefing, begin your 5 hours’ climbing with the porters from the 1615 meters (Nyakalengijo) to the 2651 meters (Nyabitaba Hut), your fast familiarity on the legendary Mountains of the Moon.. This trail commences by going through farmland to the park periphery beyond which it trails the Mubuku River by crossing its Muhoma tributary before opening a long sharp ascent up into a huge crest to reach Nyabitaba hut. The hike takes about 5 hours. Take dinner and overnight stay at Nyabitaba Hut.
Day 3: Nyabitaba to John Matte Hut (3,50m)
This is a 7 hours climbing where you will trek from Nyabitaba Hut (2651m) to John Matte Hut (3505 m), crossing the Kurt Shafer Bridge at Bujuku River passing via heath to Nyamileju hut for lunch. Continue the hike for 2 hours amidst steepness and rocky through the woodland to John Matte Hut. This is an amazing trekking experience. Have dinner and overnight at John matte Hut.
Day 4: John matte hut to Bujuku Hut (3,962m)
On this day, the mountaineering experience is challenging because of mud as you climb from John Matte Hut to Bujuku Hut (3962m), which is the base of Mount Speke. This zone offers a great outlook of Mount Speke, Mount Baker and Mount Stanley and Lake Bujuku. The trek can sometimes last 4 – 5 hours. When you reach this point, you will make a choice on whether to climb to the highest summit or carry on with the circuit. However, hiking to Margherita peak is done from Elena hut (4541 m) and this is about 4 hours trek from Bujuku. Enjoy and overnight and dinner at Bujuku Hut.
Day 5: Bujuku Hut to Kitandara Hut (4,023m)
Begin the day with a morning hike from Bujuku taking a trajectory that continues up a vertical rock slope over Scott Elliot (4372m), the uppermost point on the central circuit. This trail offers magnificent sights back down to the Bujuku valley and that of Mount Stanley and Mount Baker soaring above. The trek finishes at the hut besides the lower Lake Kitandara, a good-looking spot encircled by towering mountain ops. Take dinner and overnight at Kitandara Hut.
Day 6: Kitandara Hut to Guy Yeomen Hut (3,505m)
On this day, you get on yet another puzzling sharp march experience starting from Kitandara Hut to Guy Yeoman Hut (3505m). this last around 5 hours to reach the Fresh field Path (4282m) with the attractive falls at Kabumba cave along the way to sum up an exciting scramble on Uganda’s highest mountain range. Stay overnight with a dinner at Guy Yeoman Hut. The hut enjoys an attractive position close to Mubuku River with awesome views of the forthcoming Mount Baker to the north.
Day 7: Guy Yeoman back to Nyakalengija, drive to Queen Elizabeth national park.
This is a four hour descent extending from Guy Yeomen to Nyabitaba Hut. The course runs down the overhangs of Kichuchu. After Kichuchu, the mud-covered pathway crosses the Mubuku River twofold before descending downward to Nyabitaba to finish the marvellous central circuit. Have lunch and drive directly to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will reach in the evening for dinner and overnight rest at your preferred lodge.
Day 8: Game Drive & afternoon boat cruise Safari in the park and drive to Bwindi Forest.
This is another good day for your Uganda Safari tour. Wake up very early for your morning breakfast and set off for the a morning game drive to catch-up with the early risers and predators returning to their hideouts and you will most likely meet grazing Hippos, Elephants and Lions, spotted Hyenas, bush buck, water buck, stripped jackal, comical warthogs and the fierce leopard. Return for lunch and later on take on an afternoon Launch cruise along Kazinga Channel which joins Lakes Edward and George. The cruise is an astonishing way to see hippos, buffaloes, kob and the occasional Nile crocodile plus a spectacular bird watching on the water banks. Many who experience the launch cruise consider it the best part of their entire African safari. Return for dinner and overnight at your lodge. (full board).
Day 9: Uganda Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Very early in the morning drive to Kymbura gorge Chimpanzee tracking expereince, where you will meet face to face with the chimpanzees for at most 1 hour when you find theme in their natural home. Thereafter, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, as you pass through the Isasha sector. You might see the tree climbing lions on the tree branches. Lunch will be en-route, while dinner & overnight stay at your preferred lodge. (Full board).
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking & Afternoon
Set off early with guides after breakfast to track the Uganda mountain gorillas in their home. The thrill of your encounter will wipe out the difficulties of the potentially laborious climbing. Come with jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet. Use time in wonder watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy to the extremes when adults are feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters play and swing from vines in a pleasantly good-humoured show. Bwindi Impenetrable Forestt is a magnificent green swaddle of dense rain forest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it is one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas estimated at 600. There is also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together. Dinner and overnight at Bwindi at your booked accommodation.
Day 11: Transfer back to Kampala
Enjoy breakfast as a routine and start a day’s drive back Kampala. First, you will stop in Mbarara for a lunch break and secondly stop at the Uganda Equator for a photo moment. You will be in Kampala in the evening. Night at proffered hotel Hotel. (Full board).