Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
Welcome to the capital of Kenya! If you have a window seat on the flight, you'll likely see Nairobi National Park before touching down on the runway. One of the many aspects of what makes this city unique is the closeness of its 73-square-mile (117 km) park. This area is not a zoo, but rather a vast protected space where many of Africa's wild animal species roam happily and free.
Upon landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you'll be picked up by primate Safari Experiences Safari Guide and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free time to explore any way you'd like. You might want to rest after the journey or visit some of the city's produce and flea markets. Cap off the day by eating a meal at an authentic Kenyan café or restaurant.
Accommodation at Nyati Hill Cottages
Day 2: Safari in Nairobi National Park & Wildlife Conservation Tour
Today, you'll join an exciting excursion in the capital that gets you close to some of Kenya's best wildlife. It starts with an early pick-up to skip the traffic as you head to Nairobi National Park's main gate for entry. You must stay inside the car due to the unpredictability of wild animals. On a lucky day, you will spot lions, buffaloes, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, gazelles, ostriches, and many more. At some point during the visit, you'll have breakfast in a picnic area.
By mid-morning, you will drive outside of the city and visit an Elephant Orphanage—a project that rescues and takes care of orphaned elephants from potential poachers when their mother dies. When they're old enough, the elephants return to the jungle.
From here, you'll visit a Giraffe Center, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Watch and feed these charming animals while learning more about the center's conservation successes. If there's time, make sure to check out the walking trail through the nearby Gogo River Bird Sanctuary.
Your driver will then drop you off in an area of the city with great restaurants for lunch. Take the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the city any way you'd like.
Accommodation at Nyati Hill Cottages
Day 3: Transfer to Mount Kenya, Trek to Old Moses Camp
After an early breakfast, your driver will transfer you to the town of Naro Moru (107 miles/173 km), where you'll meet a local guide and sort out all the equipment required for your climb. Then, continue your drive to Mount Kenya National Park.
The scenery as you get closer to the park is breathtaking. Mount Kenya is not only a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. Within its boundaries are landscapes including alpine vegetation and dense forests, lakes, glaciers, mineral springs, as well as rare and endangered species of animals.
You will take the Sirimon trekking route to Old Moses Mountain Camp for your overnight. After you pass through the park entry and pay your fees, you will begin the day's 5.6-mile (9 km) hike through forests of bamboo and rosewood—home to buffalo, elephants, antelope, and hundreds of species of birds. Old Moses is a well-run mountain lodge at 10,837 feet (3300 m) with clean bathrooms, dormitory bunks, a kitchen and dining area, and spacious grounds for setting up tents.
Enjoy dinner and sunset views while meeting fellow trekkers from around the world.
Day 4: Trek to Shiptons Mountain Hut
Today will be one of your longest and most interesting hiking days so you'll need to hit the trail early. You will be trekking about 8 miles (14 km) through moors and the Mackinder Valley before you reach the outpost at Shiptons Mountain Hut. Be on the lookout for unique wildlife like soaring eagles, hyrax, and sunbirds at this higher altitude.
Upon arrival, check in at Shiptons with time to relax and have dinner.
Day 5: Trek to Hausberg Col
Today, you'll have an easier acclimatizing round-trip hike to the 15,000 feet (4,600 m) point known as the Hausberg Col. This route will cover a distance of around 4 miles (7 km). Once you arrive, you'll have time to rest and enjoy the nice scenery of Mount Kenya's west ridges before you return to Shiptons for another overnight stay.
Day 6: Trek to the Summit & Descend to Met Station
Today, you'll wake up shortly before dawn for the 3-hour hike to the summit of Mount Kenya! The trail is around 8 miles (14 km) and it will take you up steep slopes where you may have to climb over rocks on your way to Point Lenana. At 16,355 feet (4,985 m), this beautiful outlook is known as the hikers' summit.
After you take in the views and snap some panoramic photos, you will descend to Mackinder's Camp for a meal and another rest before you descend for another 3 hours to get to Met Station for your last night of the trek.
Day 7: Complete Trek, Transfer to Nairobi Airport
It's time to say goodbye to Kenya! But first, you will wake up early for an easy 2.5-hour descent. This 6-mile (10 km) path will take you through tropical foliage including rosewood and bamboo forests. When you reach the park gate, your driver will be there waiting to take you back to Nairobi (107 miles/173 km).
Upon arrival in the city , you can visit the local market for some souvenirs and have lunch before you're transferred to the airport for your departure flight to Entebbe.
Accommodation at 2 friends hotel Entebbe
Day 8: Transfer to Kasese
On this day, you will have breakfast the start your journey to Kasese. On arrival, you will check into your hotel and then prepare you equipment for trekking the Rwenzori mountains which will start the following day.
Accommodation at Equator snow lodge
Day 9: Nyakalengijja to Nyabitaba hut
After breakfast at the camp, you will go to RMS headquarters where you will be briefed about the 7 Days Rwenzori hike. Start the hike from Nyakalengija through the Bakonzo settlements to mount Rwenzori national park gate where you will be registered before entering the park. You will start the central circuit trail trek through the thick tropical with high elephant grass and dense bushes.
This forest is a home to various animal species like forest elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus, L'Hoest's monkeys, duiker, and three horned chameleon among many more. Some of the bird species include; Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Long-eared Owl, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Strange Weaver, Archers’ Robin-chat, Rwenzori Batis among many others as well as various tree and plant species. You will expect to see some of them.
It’s about 8km from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba hut. Dinner and overnight at Nyabitaba hut.
Day 10: Nyabitaba to John matte hut
Have breakfast at the hut, you will move through thick shrubs and forest for about 30 minutes to the Kurt Shafer bright which is at the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. You will then move though the bamboo mixed with montane forests and slippery moss covered rocks for a couple of hours. As you hike you will also expect to see various bird species that live in the forest.
You will continue to move up to Nyamulejju rock shelter where the first hikers used to at times camp and also spend the night, you will have a stopover here for lunch. At this point you will have a view of mount Stanley and mount Speke if the weather is clear. You will then continue to move through the alpine forest to John Matte hut where you will have dinner and spend the night. The hut is near river Bujuku and most hikers take a bath there, the water is so cold but so refreshing as well. You will also have a view of the Margherita glacier which is on mount Stanley between Alexandra and Margherita peaks. Nyabitaba to John Matte is about 11km.
Day 11: John matte to Bujuku hut
After breakfast at the hut, you will cross river Bujuku and through forest to the lower bigo bog. This is a swampy area in a valley and is a home to the giant lobelias. This area used to be hardest part of the Rwenzori since the area is so boggy, jumping from one tussock to another was not so easy for most hikers more so females.
Currently, there is a walk board up to the end of the boggy area which makes the walk much easier for trekkers. As you move you will expect to see giant lobelias, everlasting flowers and groundsels. You will then take a steep hike along a ridge which will lead you to the start of the upper bigo bog. There is also a board walk up to Lake Bujuku. After the board walk you will try to move through the remaining small boggy area with no walk boards to Bujuku hut. At this point, you will have a view of Lake Bujuku, mount Speke, Mount Baker and mount Stanley. At this point you are able to ascend mount Speke and mount Stanley. Distance from john matte to Bujuku is about 5km. dinner and overnight at Bujuku.
Day 12: Bujuku to Elena hut
Have breakfast at Bujuku hut then continue with the hike to Elena hut, which is 5-7 hours hike. You will move through the sides of the upper Bigo bog. You will then hike through the steep slopes the steep slopes of Lake Bujuku.
While climbing Lake Bujuku’s steep slopes on the west, the trail ascends to the 4372 meter Scott-Elliot pass, and you will pass through more swamps and the thrilling Ground gully. You will go over a steep section at the top of the gully using a metal ladder.
The trail is then divided into two. The two trails, the left trail leads to Scott-Elliot pass descending to Kitandara Lakes while the right trail heads to the Elena Hut and on a steep trail above large boulders to Mt Stanley.
Elena hut is at the rocky part of Mount Stanley and the area is too cold. At this point, you are at the highest mountain of the Rwenzori and you will have a direct view of Mount Baker and Mount Speke. Sometimes it is hard to view these two mountains because they are covered by fog. Have dinner at Elena hut then spend the night.
Day 13: Elena hut (4563m) - Kitandara (3979m)
This day you will have to wake up as early as 2am, Have breakfast at Elena hut, be ready in your warmest gear, put on your harness, warm hand gloves and headsock, have your headlamps and helmets and make sure you have sunglasses in the day pack on. Hike to the top of mount Stanley, Margherita peak, through the Stanley plateau. On steep rocky areas, you will use the ropes to help you move. The guide will teach you how to use the equipment while on the ice. On the glacial parts you will be required to use you, crampons, and ice axe.
After moving for a couple of hours after the Stanley plateau glacier, you will reach the bottom of the Margherita glacier. This is the most challenging part of the entire hiking Rwenzori experience. You will hike through this glacier you to the top of mount Stanley, Margherita peak (5109m). At the top you will have a view of Ireen Lake, Mount Speke and the surrounding environment. Then descend to Elena Hut for Lunch and later proceed to descend to Kitandara through the Scott Elliot pass to Kitandara, it is the most beautiful point of the Rwenzori. Have dinner at Kitandara then spend the night. If the group is big, you might spend another night at Elena hut and continue the following day.
If you do not wish to climb Mt. Stanley, you can combine days 4 and 5 into a single day by taking a different trail from the Bujuku Hut up to Scott-Elliot Pass. At the pass, there is a trail junction with one that goes up to the Elena Hut. The stretch of the trail just to the south of the pass is very rough, but after a short stretch, it becomes mellower and continues to Kitandara Lake Hut.
Day 14: Kitandara hut (3979m) - Guy Yeoman hut (3505m)
Have breakfast at Kitandara then move through the base of Mount Baker, which can be slippery so you will need to be so careful. From Kitandara, the trail ascends steeply up the head wall, spreading out from the base of Mount Baker and continuing along the south side of the Rwenzori Mountain to Fresh field pass. From the pass, the long muddy descent continues, passing the rock shelter at Bujangolo, the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzi in 1906.This will take you around 5-7 hours then reach Guy Yeoman hut which is located at the banks of river Mubuku, have dinner and spend the night.
Day 15: Guy Yeoman to Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija
From Guy Yeoman, you will descend to Nyabitaba through the bamboo forests. The path down can be slippery and muddy with little to hold on to and requires careful balancing over the vertical mud or steep rock. After about 5 hours of trekking you will reach Nyabitaba hut where you will have a stopover for lunch. You will then continue to descend for more 3 hours to Nyakalengija.
Upon arrival at Nyakengija in the late evening, head to Equator Snow Lodge for Dinner and overnight or go for other Uganda safari add on like gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park
Contact us with a local specialist who can help organize your Kenya Rwenzori Mountaineering Tour.
