Itinerary
1 Arrival in Entebbe/Kampala & Transfer to Kibale national Park
According to your time of arrival, you will be briefed about your 11 days Rwenzori Central circuit trek and chimpanzee tracking after which you will be transferred to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee tracking. Check in your Lodge for dinner and overnight sleep.
Luxury Lodge : Chimpundu Lodge
Mid Range : Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Budget : Kibale Forest Camp
Day 2 Chimpanzee Tracking at Kibale national Park
Start your day with breakfast and after leave for chimpanzee trekking briefing, which is scheduled before 8:00am. By the help of a ranger guide, You will head to the forest to search for the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking and tracking takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours with an inclusive 1 hour spent intarracting with them, as you watch them do their daily chores such as feeding their young ones, climbing from one tree branch to another, etc.
Return to your lodge for lunch, a long afternoon rest and overnight rest.
Day 3 Transfer to Kasese- Nyakalengijja
After a relaxed breakfast, set off for Rwenzori national park. You will reach Nyakalengijja in time, check in your hotel, enjoy your lunch and after head to Rwenzori Mountaineering Services head offices for registration. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 4 Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba
On this first day of your Rwenzori hike, you will head to Rwenzori Mountaineering services headquarters at ibanda to make payments, meet your Rwenzori trekkers/hiker guides, porters, after which you proceed with a warm up trek to the Mount Rwenzori national park’s main gate for park registration before entering the park. The trek leads you through the Bakonjo settlements and plantations. Your central circuit trail hike starts from the main gate, right after registration to Nyabitabba hut at 2652m, which may take approximately 6-7 hours.
Day 5 Nyabitaba to John Matte
Follow the trail from Nyabitabba to John Matte, after your early morning breakfast. Cross over Kurt Schuffer bridge( lying between Bujuku and Mubuku river), after which you will continue trekking over slippery moss covered and steep rocks a longside bamboo mixed with montane forest. The forest contains various bird species that you may spot as you trek through the forest, continuing upto Nyamileju rock shelter, where you will have your lunch break. Enjoy remarkable views of mount Stanley and speke(only on a clear day). Proceed to john Matte hut through the alpine forest, arriving at the at the hut in the afternoon for dinner, next day’s briefing and an overnight stay.
Day 6 John Matte to Bujuku Camp
After an early morning breakfast, you will cross the Bujuku river to the bigo bog region. Follow the steep path to the upper bigo bog, after which you will reach the drier ground upto Lake bujuku. Enjoy the beautiful views of Mount Stanley to the west, Mount baker to the south and speke to the North. Arrive at Bujuku camp at 3,962m, after a 4-5 hour walk. Dinner, next day briefing and an overnight stay.
Day 7 Bujuku Camp to Elena
On this day, you will trek for about 6-7 hours from Bujuku hut to Elena hut. Since the hut is situated within the cold, rocky region of mount Stanley, you will pass via the upper bigo bog, and then through the steep slopes of Lake Bujuku to the West as you ascend to the 4372m Scott-Elliot pass. Proceed through several swamps as well as the beautiful ground gully. Walk through the steep sections above the gully by using a metal ladder reaching a junction with two divided trails, whereby the right trail heads to the Elena Hut, rising through a steep trail above the large boulders to Mount Stanley otherwise the left trail heads to the Scott-Eliiot pass as you descend to Kitandara hut. Arrive at Elena hut in the afternoon, and enjoy the breath views of Mount Baker and Mount Speke, which is sometimes hard to see due to fog. Dinner and an overnight at the hut.
Day 8 Elena hut to Magherita peak to Kitandara
You will wake up at 2:00am, enjoy your breakfast, and embark on your hike to the top of Magheritah peak starting from 3:00am. Hike through the Stanley plateau to the top of Mount Stanley. While using ropes, you will hike through the steep rocky regions, as well as crampons and the ice ax on the glacial axe- as directed by the guide. This may last for a couple of hours, after which you will arrive at the bottom of magheritah glacier-the most challenging part of the 7 days Rwenzori central circuit trekking experience. Proceed to the top of the peak of Mount Stanley (Magheritah Peak) at 5107m.
While at the peak, enjoy the impressive views of Lake Ireen, Mount Speke and the surrounding environment, after then descend to Elena hut for lunch and later continue with your trek to Kitandara, through the Scott Elliot pass (also considered as the most beautiful spot of Rwenzori). Dinner and an overnight at Kitandara hut.
However, depending on your group’s strength, you may opt to spend a nother night at Elena Hut, and continue the next day to Kitandara then to Guy Yeoman.
Day 9 Kitandara to Freshfield pass to Guy Yeoman
After an early morning breakfast, spend your entire 6-8 hours’ trekking along the base of mount baker which is quite slippery. Ascend steeply up the headwall, that spreads from the base of Mount baker, as you proceed towards the southern side of Mountain Rwenzori to the Fresh field pass. Continue with the long stretch of the muddy trail, trekking through the Kabamba, Akhendahi and rock shelters of Bujongolo-the base camp for the historic expeditions by Duke of Abruzzi in 1906. Proceed with your trek along the Kabamba trail and later arrive at Guy Yeoman, which is established at the banks of river mubuku. Dinner and overnight at the hut.
Day 10 Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengijja
On this last day of your 19 days Rwenzori hike, wildlife and primate experience you will descend to Nyabitaba hut, after your early morning breakfast passing through the Bamboo forest. You enjoy great sightings of beautiful flowers and plants, bamboo forests and Kinchuchu and Mubuku Rivers, not forgetting the Kabamba falls. Arrive at Nyabitabba hut after a 4 hours’ trek, after which you will briefly spend 40 minutes visiting Lake mahoma. Return to the hut after after Lake Mahoma exploration and embark on your trek to Nyakalengijja where you will meet your guide to transfer you back to your hotel
Day 11 Return to Kampala/Entebbe
On this day, you will return to Kampala with enroute stop overs for lunch at the equator for photography. You can also purchase some souvenirs from the crafts shop. Arrive in Kampala in the afternoon, and later on checkin in your hotel, otherwise proceed to Entebbe international airport to catch up with your scheduled flight.
