10 Days Rwenzori Kilembe and Gorilla Trekking Tour
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport
On this day, you will arrive at the airport and transfer to the hotel for refreshment, dinner and overnight.
Overnight at 2 Friends Hotel
Day 2: Fly to Kasese
Have your breakfast at the lodge and checkout for your transfer to the airport for your flight to Kasese airstrip.
Overnight at Trekkers Hostel
Day 3: Hike to the Sine Camp or Kalalama Camp
Your hike commences at Trekkers Hostel in Kilembe at around 1,450 meters and ends at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters, being a height gain of 1,146 meters. You start by hiking up the valley floor through the beautiful Afro Montane Forest Zone. This is a steady climb for the first 6km then after crossing a river it is a steep climb up to Sine Camp. The trees in the Afro Montane Forest Zone are tall with multitudes of birds and monkeys. Enock’s waterfalls are just 200 meters from Sine Hut. The falls are beautiful as brightly clouded green lichen grow on the many lives hanging from the trees with the waterfall as a background. They offer a wonderful opportunity to capture great photos for your memories.
At Sine Camp, you will sleep in wooden huts that are set between tall forest trees on a narrow ridge. Here, you may sit and enjoy the beauty forest as you look down at a long set of rapids and waterfall crashing over the rocks. Sine Camp is at the bottom edge of the bamboo forest zone and the area around are home to different bird species.
Day 4: Sine Camp to Samalira Camp
From Sine Camp you will start by hiking up via the bamboo forests which is quite steep but very beautiful and inspiring. As you hike through the upper part of the bamboo forest zone there is small patches of mixed forest trees many of which bear fruit and berries and attracts several bird species.
You will hear the calls of the colourful Rwenzori Turacos. And during the dry season, the female Malachite Sunbird comes down the mountain to feed on nectar producing flowers before heading back to the high altitudes to mate and rear their young.
At about 3,000 metres altitude you reach the Heather zone where the Giant Heather trees reach 15 metres in height and are truly magnificent. At 3,147 metres you find Kalalama Camp. Here you stop for a quick snack and where you have the option to climb further up the mountain towards Mutinda Peaks for about 2km and where you can see the beautiful Giant Lobelia plants and flowers in a vast peat bog.
After that you will return to Kalalama Camp for lunch before crossing to Samalira Camp at 3,170 metres for the night. The walk across to Samalira is more or less level as it cuts across the high ridge covered with Giant Heather trees and an incredible atmosphere particularly in their fog as you cross beautiful streams which then drop over the edge and away. At Samalira the dinning hut is perched on the side of the gorge and where you look down on two of the five waterfalls while you enjoy your meal or cup of tea.
After a break you can walk down a trail to the base of the waterfalls and look up to see the water tumbling over the falls though the magnificent Giant Heather trees. You may also take a short walk above the camp, although steep up a narrow ridge where the ground and rocks covered with bright green moss and you look down on the camp
Day 5: Return to base camp
In the morning you descend through the bamboo forest zone with amazing views across the lower hills and valleys to Forest View Camp where you have a small snack or lunch before proceeding down through the Afro Montane Forest Zone with a variety birds and primates. At the bottom of the steeper descent you will arrive at Nyamwamba Camp where you may rest again before walking out the final 6km to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park gate.
Overnight at Trekkers Hostel
Day 6: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have your breakfast at the lodge and checkout of the lodge for your transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Overnight at Mweya safari lodge
Day 7: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of the sunrise, big four mammals which are lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, other animals like waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, views of different bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise along Kazinga channel a 40km long channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs drinking water along the banks, view water birds among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Have your breakfast at the lodge and meet your guide for your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – home to almost half of the world’s gorilla population. On the way, you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lying in acacia/fig tree branches during the game drive. After the game drive, you will proceed with another stopover for en-route lunch. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight at Four Gorillas lodge
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and drive to Trekkers Hostel in Kilembe
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast, you will carry packed lunch and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking, you will have views of mammals, other primate species, different bird species among others and once the gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which allows you to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, playing, grooming young ones, observe their behaviours, take photos and record the breath-taking moments.
After the encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your driver guide, and return to the lodge for lunch and later proceed to Kilembe for an overnight at Trekkers.
Overnight at Trekkers Hostel
Day 10: Fly back to Entebbe
After breakfast, drive to Kasese airstrip for your flight back to Entebbe.