10 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife watching & Rwenzori Trek- Rwenzori Experts
Day 1: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a Rwenzori Expert Safari guide who will offer you short brief about the safari, Uganda’s history and then proceed with the transport to the home of wilderness. You will several stopovers at different destinations including at the equator for photography and breakfast. You will then continue with the journey passing by different crater lakes and later have another stop for lunch. Arrive at the park in the late afternoon, check in at the lodge of your choice for refreshment, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation at Eshama Game Lodge
Day 2: Game drive, boat cruise, and later drive to the Rwenzori mountains
Wake up with your packed breakfast and meet your driver for the transfer to Kasenyi trail for a game viewing experience. The park is known for hosting over 78 mammal species including the four of the five big african animals – lions, elephants, leopard, and African buffalos. Other animals to spot include the kobs, waterbucks, topis, and several bird species. Later, drive back to the lodge for lunch as you prepare for the afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel. Boat cruise provides a fantastic view of several wild animals like hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffalos, elephants and lions around its shores as they quench their thirst. After, you will drive back to the lodge for checkout and later proceed to Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
Overnight at Snow Height lodge
Day 3: Nyakalengija -Nyabitaba camp.
Have your breakfast at the lodge and later meet your driver for your transfer to the starting point of Rwenzori mountains. 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 colored Rwenzori turaco.
The hike takes an average of 6 -7 hours
Day 4: Nyabitaba- John matte camp
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 5: John matte -Bujuku camp
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 6: BUJUKU – ELENA CAMP (4541m)
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. Later, you have some rest at Elena Camp where you will have your dinner and overnight stays. Dinner and overnight at the coolly and Icy Elena Hut.
The distance is 2.5km
Day 7: Elena hut – Margherita peak – kitandara camp
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 8: Kitandara – guy yeoman
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 9: Guy yeoman – Nyabitaba – Nyakalengija
From Kitandara, take on the trail that ascends steeply up the head wall, 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 proceed to Nyakalengija Dinner and overnight in Kasese Town.
Dinner and overnight at Snow Height lodge
Day 10: Drive back to Entebbe OR Kigali
Have your breakfast at the lodge and meet the driver guide for your transfer back to Kigali or Entebbe for your departure flight.