Mountain Climbing and Hiking in Uganda

Mountain Hiking in Uganda

Mountain Hiking and Climbing in Uganda – Guaranteed adventure on your mountain climbing in Uganda.

The Top  Mountains to Climb in Uganda

1. Rwenzori – Mountains of the Moon

The Rwenzori Mountains offer world-class hiking and mountaineering experiences. The Rwenzori hike takes around nine to twelve days, and you’ll be able to visit the Margherita summit, the highest peak in the range at 5109 metres. You’ll probably have the mountains to yourself, and you don’t need to break the bank to reach the summit, as with a Mount Kilimanjaro experience. But be warned, getting to the peak is no easy feat. The upper Rwenzori is tougher to climb than the Kilimanjaro as its more technical and muddy and you might be subject to altitude sickness.

2. Mount Elgon & Sipi Falls

Many travellers find Mount Elgon and Sipi Falls to be a fun and exciting alternative to the more challenging climbs available in East Africa. It has many of the same attractions, with a milder climate and lower elevation. Because this hike requires no special equipment or technical experience, you can choose between a long hike or a short day hike. To climb this peak, you’ll need to take a Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guide with you from the park gate. 

3. Virunga Mountains in Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park protects the Ugandan side of the Virunga Mountains. The Virunga Mountains are a chain of extinct volcanoes which form part of a larger nature reserve that extends into Rwanda and DRC. 

Mountain gorillas get a special pass from Customs & Border control. They roam freely between Rwanda and Uganda since the nature reserve extends over national borders. Mgahinga National Park is also home to the endangered golden monkey, and the vulnerable Batwa pygmies – Uganda’s indigenous hunter-gatherers.

4. Mount Moroto

Mount Moroto is an ancient extinct volcano in Karamoja, that rises to over three thousand metres. The mountain is a scenic landscape to some, but home to many. Around 40,000 Tepeth people (possibly the region’s earliest inhabitants of Karamoja) live in Mount Moroto’s hills.

You can choose between a 2-hour round trip hike that takes you through Tepeth homesteads or do a three-day trek to its highest peak. If you make the journey up, you’ll be rewarded with cave paintings, waterfalls, and a variety of bird species.

A safari to Uganda is like no other! Not only the abundant wildlife in the country but also Uganda is  home to a lot of other attractions that will leave you in awe and really appreciating the beauty of creation. A mountain climbing safari to this epic country offers an extraordinary safari experience though challenging in Nature.

Uganda is home to some epic and giant mountains such as Mount Rwenzori, Mount Elgon, and the Virunga Mountains in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Gorilla Safari Consultants is a locally based Tour and Travel company to organize your mountain climbing and hiking safari to the pearl of Africa. Our intimate knowledge and experience make the joy of discovering this epic country much easier without the need to script all the adventure.

All you need to know about Mountain climbing and Hiking in Uganda – our complete guide on Uganda Climbing and Hiking safaris

Mountain Hiking Uganda

Mountain hiking in Uganda offers you beautiful scenes as you take on established trails on the different mountains. Most of the hiking happens in protected areas but with other opportunities outside protected areas.

In Uganda hiking for multi-day trips is done in Rwenzori mountains national park and Mt Elgon national park. The Virunga Volcanoes in Uganda offer a 1-day hike. Other locations throughout Uganda offer short hiking opportunities that take a few hours as the Sipi falls.

Mountain Rwenzori also known as The Mountain of The Moon

The Rwenzori Mountains are Africa’s highest mountain ranges, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uganda. They form a natural border between Uganda and DR Congo with the highest peak being Margherita on Mt Stanley at 5109m above sea level.

Mountain Rwenzori is the highest mountain range in Africa means its peaks are snow-capped throughout the year. It is the third highest peak in Africa after Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya.

Most hikers find it challenging they all accept that it offers great views and scenery than the two highest peaks in Africa. The round trip takes anything from 6 days to 8 days or more for a slower hiker.

Mountain Climbing in Uganda : Rwenzori

To climb these giant mountain ranges to the highest peak takes around 7 days and at least 6 days to get to its bottom from up. Our well-planned safari packages offer exclusive safari information that will help you plan your Mountain climbing to Mount Rwenzori.

For keen travelers, the two trails of the Central Circuit and Kilembe guarantee success in climbing the mountain of the moon.

The Central Circuit Trail: This challenging, seven-day climb provides a circular tour of the high Rwenzori. From the trailhead at Mihunga, the route ascends the Bujuku Valley via Nyabitaba for acclimatization before reaching the peaks.

Clients joining the Central Circuit after Bujuku will traverse the Scott Elliot and Freshfield passes to descend through the Mubuku Valley. Climbers can scale the snow peaks though many consider the exceptional scenery ample reward for their exertions.

Kilembe Trail: The recently reopened Kilembe Trail ascends the southern slopes of the Rwenzori from a trailhead at Kilembe near the town of Kasese. The route along the lovely Nyamwamba Valley passes glacial lakes and some stunning viewpoints before joining the Central Circuit at Lake Kitandara.

The standard route scales Mount Baker though the scenery makes shorter treks rewarding enough.

Mountain Elgon

Hiking and Climbing Mt Elgon provides opportunities to explore waterfalls and caves created by moving lava. You cross through different vegetation cover whose characteristics are dictated by altitude and rainfall. Mt Elgon has the world’s largest caldera and its highest peak is at Wagagai standing at 4,321m.

The fact that Mount Elgon is less congested, it is easier to access throughout the year and has many of the same attractions as all other volcanic mountains in East Africa, with a milder climate and lower elevation. Climbing the peaks requires no special equipment or technical experience.

Virunga volcanoes in Uganda (Mgahinga Gorilla National Park)

All three volcanoes in this park can be summited. Mt. Sabinyo, at 3,669m, takes about eight hours to cover the 14km round trip, following a steep ridge up to the peak.

Climbing Trails on Mount Elgon

The Sasa trail: This trail is the shortest but toughest route to the peaks, traversing the community land and allowing you to explore BaMasaba farming settlements and culture.

The round trip takes four days and starts at Budadiri town at an elevation of 1,250m. The toughest climb of over 1,600m is completed on the first day, before crossing the park’s largest area of bamboo forest and passing Jackson’s Pool on the way to Wagagai Peak.

The Sipi trail: (four to six days, 56km round trip) starts at 2,050m at the Kapkwai Forest Exploration Centre. It is the longest trail to the peaks, passing through the northwestern mountainside through Tutum Cave to enter the caldera and reach Wagagai Peak. The trail begins gently but becomes tougher on the third day from Kajeri Camp.

The Piswa trail: (seven days, 49km round trip) this trail is long and the most gentle. Starting at the village of Kapkwata on the north side of the mountain, it traverses the softwood plantation to the Podocarpus forest.

It’s notable for its rich wildlife and spectacular views of the Karamoja plains in Uganda and the Nandi and Kapeguria hills in Kenya. The Piswa trail also passes the hot springs on the way to the caldera and the peaks.