Primate & Rwenzori Trekking

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Murchison falls national park

On your first day, you will meet our company representative at the same time your guide who will transfer you to Murchison falls national park in the northern region. You will reach the park in the evening and check in at the lodge of your booking.

Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge

Day 2: Have a game drive and a boat launch on the Nile

Wake up early for your early sunrise game drive in Nyamsika plateau where you will see various wild animals including the cape buffalos, waterbucks, hartebeests, Uganda kob and others. The park also has different large carnivores like lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and many others.

From there, you will return to the lodge for lunch and prepare for an afternoon boat cruise on Victoria Nile. Here, expect to spot various water birds and animals including the rare shoebill stock, hippos, crocodiles, and many others.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari lodge

Day 3:  Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest and Transfer to Kibale national park

After your breakfast, meet your guide for your transfer to the park headquarters for briefing about the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee tracking experience in Budongo forest. The encounter involves hiking through the park rainforests in search of the shy and playful apes and once found, you will be allowed to spend some good time in their presence. After, drive back to the lodge for lunch and then checkout for your transfer to Kibale forest national park. Pass through different traditional homesteads and farms and arrive at the lodge in the late evening. Check in at the lodge of your booking for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Isunga lodge

Day 4: Bigodi cultural experience and transfer to Rwenzori mountains national park

Wake up early for your breakfast and report to Kanyanchu Tourist Center at 8:00am for a pre-nature walk briefing where you will know the rules and regulations of Bigodi cultural experience.  The walk takes about 2 to 3 hours and it gives you a chance of seeing various birds and monkey species. After, you will return to the lodge for lunch and proceed to Rwenzori mountains national park

Accommodation: Snow Height lodge

Day 5: Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba Camp  (2651m asl.)

The Rwenzori 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 chimpanzee and see black and white colobus, blue monkey and the brilliantly coloured Rwenzori turaco.

The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours.

Day 6: 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 7: John Matte to 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 acclimatization 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 8: Bujuku Camp to Elena Camp  (4541m asl.)

Leaving Bujuku, the trail takes you through more bog, while climbing the steep slopes west of the lake and through the magical and 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 on 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 9: Elena Camp to Margherita Peak and to Kitandara Camp (4430m asl.) 

Very early in the morning, you attempt climbing 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 on to 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 – 3hours.

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 10: Kitandara Camp to 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 Fresh field Pass 4282m asl. At this point you can view 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 11: Guy yeoman to Nyabitaba to 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

Overnight at Snow Height lodge

Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park with an en route game drive in Ishasha sector

Wake up for your breakfast at the lodge and meet your guide for the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – a home to almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas. During the transfer, you will have an enroute game drive through Ishasha of Queen Elizabeth, the home to the rare tree climbing lions.

Expect to spot several animals during the during including; Lions, Elephants, Topis, Leopards, Bushbucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, Uganda Kobs, among others. Enjoy an enroute lunch and continue to the hotel in Bwindi for dinner and overnight as you prepare for the experience the next day.

Accommodation: Gorilla mist camp

Day 13: Gorilla trekking experience and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Wake up in the morning for your early breakfast and proceed to the park headquarters for registration and pre-trek briefing where you will be given all the rules and regulations to follow during the activity. After, you will be led by the ranger guide to the park and who will help you search for the gentle apes.

After allocating them, you will be allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour with them as you enjoy their lifestyles like feeding, playing and others.

Later, after your lunch, you will make a transfer to Lake Bunyonyi national park. The lake is known for hosting various bird species and it’s among the beautiful places that are good for picnics and photography.

Accommodation: Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort

Day 14: Canoeing and transfer back to Kampala

This morning you can choose to either have a canoe ride on the lake or a walk through the surrounding hills. The landscape around the lake is made up of steep slopes covered with lush green vegetation protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake. Later, drive back to the lodge for lunch and then proceed to Kampala/Entebbe for your departure flight.