16 Days Primate, Wildlife & Rwenzori

Itinerary

Day 1: Drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Upon arrival at Entebbe international Airport , you will be welcomed by Rwenzori Expeditions guide who will shortly brief you about the experience and then start off the drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park – the second destination in the country where one can sight the mountain gorillas. You will have an en route lunch and arrive at the park in the evening hours, check in at the lodge of your booking for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Ichumbi lodge  Kisoro

Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga National Park

Have your early breakfast at the lodge and then drive to the park headquarters for registration and briefing about the dos and don’ts during gorilla trekking experience. You will be allocated the gorilla family to trek and by the lead of the park ranger, you will head to the jungle to search for the mountain gorillas. Once found, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence as you take flash less videos and pictures.

Accommodation at Ichumbi lodge  

Day 3: Golden monkey experience and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park

Wake up for your breakfast at the lodge and drive to the park headquarters for pre trek briefing about the dos and don’ts during the golden monkey trekking experience. The activity also involves hiking into the park rain forests in search of shy and cute golden and once found, you will enjoy these playful creatures as they swing from one tree branch to another.

After, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and later proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.

Accommodation at Ichumbi lodge

Day 4: Second Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable national park

Wake up for your breakfast and then drive to the park headquarters for briefing about the second gorilla trekking experience. As done in the first trek, you will hike through the park rain forests in search of the mountain gorillas and once found, you will be allowed to spend a full hour in their presence.

After, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and then have for and optional cultural tour where you will meet the Batwa people who are believed to be the inhabitants of the forest. Later, drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park via Ishasha sector

After breakfast at the lodge, you will make a transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park with an en route game drive in Ishasha sector where you will watch the rare tree climbing lions hanging on tree branches and others under the trees looking for shed. After, you will proceed with the drive and have a stop at Enjojo lodge for lunch and then proceed to Enganzi lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Enganzi lodge

Day 6: Game drive in Kasenyi and boat cruise

Wake up for your early game drive with your packed breakfast and catch the beautiful sunrise in the wild plus the early hunters as they are going back to their nests. Among these include – lions, leopards, and the spotted hyenas. You will also watch other animals like elephants, waterbucks, kobs, giant forest hog, buffalos and others.

After, return to the lodge for lunch and later go for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel whose shores is a home to a number of bird species like the pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, and others. After drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge and afternoon game drive

Have your early breakfast at the lodge and then drive to the headquarters of Kyambura for pre trek briefing about chimpanzee trekking experience. The activity gives an opportunity of encountering the amazing chimps at a closer distance. By the lead of a game ranger, you will trail through the forests in search of the species and once found, you will be allowed to spend a full hour in their presence.

From there, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and later go for an afternoon game drive where you will spot a number of animals like elephants, lions, leopards, water bucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, buffalos and many others. After, drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Lion tracking in Game drive and drive to Rwenzori mountains national park

Have your breakfast at the lodge and then go for early morning lion tracking experience where you will search for the lions from the park plains during a game drive. During the activity, you won’t only spot the lions but also other animals like elephants, warthogs, buffalos, Uganda kobs, and many bird species. After, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch and then proceed to Kasese where you will spend your night in preparation for the hiking experience the next day.

Accommodation at Sandton or Kilembe huts

Day 9: Hike to Kalalama Camp at 3,134 meters

Have your breakfast at the lodge and then drive to the starting point of Rwenzori trekkers for briefing and registration for the hike. Start at Trekkers at 1,450 meters and sleep at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters being a height gain of 1,146 meters, or those who are fit and want to proceed to Kalalama Camp at 3,134 metres may do so and apart from the fantastic views gives you more time at Mutinda Camp where you may climb up to Mutinda Lookout at 3,975 metres.

We start by walking up the valley floor through tall forest trees of the Afro Montane Forest Zone. This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing blue monkeys scampering off through the forest. At times visitors may see troupes of 15 to 20 black and white Colobus monkeys as they swing through the tree tops. There are rare sightings of the L’Hoest monkey which are part of the Bakonzo cultural emblems and are protected by the virtue of the King or Omusinga or you may hear wild chimpanzee in the distance. There is wide variety of plant species from forest trees to bamboos thickets, low shrubs, flowers, fungi, and with many moss and lichen covered vines hanging from the tall trees creating an awesome appeal. Enock’s Falls are just 200 meters from Sine Hut and offer a splendid opportunity to capture a great screensaver for your memories.

At Sine Camp 2,596 metres we have wooden huts set between tall forest trees on a narrow ridge where you may sit and enjoy the beauty of the Afro Montane forest while you look down at a fantastic waterfall crashing over the rocks far below. Some clients prefer to sit outside enjoying the warmth of the campfire and chat to the guides about the mountains and life in their community. Sine is just below the bamboo zone and the area around has many different bird species. 150 meters from the camp is Enock falls which is set in livid green vegetation and hanging vine. Truly beautiful. Sleep at Sine, or those who are fit and want to proceed to Kalalama Camp at 3,134 metres may do so and apart from the fantastic views gives you more time at Mutinda Camp where you may climb up to Mutinda Lookout at 3,975 metres.

Day 10: Hike to Mutinda Camp at 3,582 meters

Trekking starts at 8.30am and almost immediately you enter the Bamboo- Mimulopsis Zone which is steep climb with many high steps. In the wet season the bamboo zone is rather muddy and slippery making the going slow. However, the atmosphere and the forest is beautiful as you climb 551 metres altitude and a distance of 1.8km to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 meters which is in the Heather-Rapanea Zone where you can take a rest and a quick cup of tea or coffee before heading on to Mutinda Camp. The trail meanders up and over several small knolls along a ridge top then drops down the side of the valley before climbing again, and in doing so cross several small streams and pass close to moss covered waterfalls.

You then climb steadily along the side of a beautiful mossy river which tumbles down over the rocks under the Giant Heather trees whose trunks are covered in green moss with old man beards (Usnea lichen) hanging from the branches. The trail twists and turns as you climb up the deep valley, which has an enormous variety of plants and flowers. This valley is unique with many Giant Heather trees creating a beautiful atmosphere often shrouded in mist.

In the afternoon you may wish to climb up to the top of the Mutinda Lookout (one to two hours up and one hour down) The views are amazing as you stand on moss covered rocks at 3,925 meters with views across the Rwenzori Mountains and down to Kasese town and Lake George. For those clients who are climbing to Margherita or any of the main peaks climbing Mutinda 3,975 meters is also an excellent way to acclimatise and reduce the risk of high-altitude sickness

Sleep at Mutinda Camp at 3.582 metres

Day 11: Hike to Bugata Camp at 4,100 meters

The trail to Bugata Camp is boggy particularly in the wet season but with a little skill you can step from tussock to tussock to make the going easier.  First you cross the Mutinda valley through the tussock grass and everlasting flowers interspersed with many Giant Lobelias before climbing a steep section up to the Namusangi Valley (3,840 meters), with sheer waterfalls and looking back you get fantastic views of Mutinda Peaks. The Namusangi Valley is wide, with many ups and downs as the trail climbs steadily to Bugata Camp at 4,100 metres.

Day 12: Hike to Hunwick’s Camp at 4,450 meters

Trek to Hunwick’s Camp via Bamwanjara Pass. As you leave Bugata Camp you pass up a ridge then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjara Pass at 4,450 meters where we have an emergency hut should the weather turn bad. From the pass on a clear day you get excellent views of the three-snow capped main peaks. The trail passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs and thick evergreen vegetation, deep mosses, giant groundsel and lobelia which make a truly unique atmosphere where one would imagine as the home of dinosaurs.

Here is possibly the best place in all the Rwenzori to observe the Malachite Sunbird as it feeds on the many lobelia flowers and a known breeding site. Farther on there is some steep sections before a steady climb up and over a ridge to Hunwick’s Camp which is situated on the top of a deep valley and has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismann’s Peak and McConnell’s Prong.

Day 13: Move to Kiharo Camp 11km

Distance to Kiharo Camp 11km, time taken to walk 4 to 9 hours depending on your fitness levels.

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 Oliver’s 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 Weismann’s Peak 4,620 metres from Oliver’s pass you may do so and is about a 40-minute climb up and back. 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.

Day 14: Descend to the park entrance gate

Distance Kiharo Camp to the park gate 16km and another 2.8km down to Trekkers Hostel.  Time to walk 5 to 8 hours so those who need to connect to flights back to Kampala or travel on to other activities need to leave Kiharo early.

The trail down the Nyamwamba Valley is mostly downhill and absolutely stunning with beautiful views, moss covered rocks along the river, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys and forests are possibly the best in the Rwenzori Mountains. This part of the trail took us six years to find a way through and a route which is easy enough for tourists to use. In 1937 the explorer and geologist McConnell tried to find a way up this valley but failed and have to turn back and search for another route up the mountain but now you can experience this truly beautiful valley.

A few kilometres from Kiharo Camp the path turns off to the right to pass along the river. In the clear areas you may catch a glimpse of a Duiker quietly feeding in small clearings as you pass along the river. This area is possible the highest population of Rwenzori Red Duikers anywhere in the National Park.  A few kilometres down the river it becomes steeper with multitudes of stunning waterfalls.  After the waterfalls we climb up and over a high ridge then down though the dense forests with stunning views of the valley below.  We stop at Forest View Camp for lunch before proceeding back to Base Camp. A great experience and ending to a fantastic trek.

Upon the arrival at the base, you will meet your driver for the transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Sandton Hotel

Day 15: Drive back to Entebbe

Have your breakfast at the lodge and later start off your drive to Entebbe for the city tour the next day. You will have an enroute lunch and arrive at the hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at 2 Friends Hotel

Day 16: Entebbe City tour and transfer to airport for the transfer

Wake up for your tasty breakfast at the lodge and meet your driver for a city tour in Entebbe. You will visit different amazing destinations including Uganda Wildlife Education Center where you will watch and learn more about different animal species like lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffalos and many others. You will have lunch at the hotel of your choice and then proceed to Entebbe International airport for your departure flight.