9 Days Best Of Rwenzori Hike To Margherita Peak
The 9-day best of Rwenzori hike to Margherita Peak takes 8 nights and 9 days of exploring the world’s renowned Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon. This package offers a thrilling mountaineering experience and a lifetime opportunity for adventure seekers to realize their dreams. Conquering Margherita Peak, the third-tallest mountain in East Africa, entirely involves trekking up to Mount Stanley at an altitude of 5109m, a feat that will leave you feeling empowered and proud. With its historical significance as the highest point in Uganda and one of Africa’s mountains, this peak will also evoke a reverence.
Rwenzori Mountain is East Africa’s 3rd tallest mountain, one of the few block mountains with snow on its summits. Hikes to its summits begin at an altitude of 1615m, and the Margherita peak is at 5109m. En route, there are multiple camps/huts for relaxation, lunch, dinner, and overnight before you reach the final point. The breathtaking beauty of the Rwenzori Mountains, with their snow-capped peaks and diverse flora and fauna, will leave you awe-inspired and deeply connected to nature. Below is the detailed 9-day best of Rwenzori hike to Margherita Peak safari itinerary.
Day 1: Kampala-Rwenzori Mountains National Park
You can meet and greet your driver guide after you have had a sumptuous breakfast in a hotel in Kampala. I’d like to know that the briefing about your hiking tour to the Rwenzori Mountains will be done early in the morning, and then you will begin your journey through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kasese. En route, your driver guide will make a stopover at the Equator crossing for you to relax and take pictures, and have lunch at Igongo Cultural Center/a hotel in Mbarara City. After, proceed to Kasese’s side and view extensive tea and banana plantations, hills, and a lot more.
Day 2: Report to Nyakalengija, hike to Nyabitaba camp (2651m)
Your journey to Margherita Peak begins early, underscoring the need for preparedness and commitment. A briefing at Nyakalengija 1615m marks the start of your conquest of the Central Circuit. Here, you can hire any necessary equipment, receive briefings, and meet the porters who will assist you. As you hike, you’ll pass through the farmlands and homesteads of the Bakonjo, connecting to the park boundary and heading towards the Mubuku River. Please don’t worry- we have safety measures and emergency procedures, including experienced guides and porters, to ensure your safety throughout the hike.
As you cross the Mubuku River tributary, you’ll embark on a steep hike to the ridge, where Nyabitaba hut awaits. This 6-7-hour hike is an opportunity to encounter the diverse wildlife of the Rwenzori Mountains, including blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and the vibrant Rwenzori Turacos.
Day 3: Nyabitaba 2652 to John Matte Hut
Leave Nyabitaba hut for John Matte hut, a journey expected to take between 7 and 8 hours. Navigate via the bamboo forest to the Kurt Shafer bridge; a confluence of Bujuku and Mubuku Rivers is below. Once you get to the Nyamuleju rock shelters, you can view Mt. Stanley and Speke. From here, navigate via the giant heather zone, with lobelia and groundsel, before you get to John Hut for dinner and a night’s stay.
Day 4: Bujuku Hut (3962m)
Set off from John Matte hut, taking the trail downslope to cross the Bujuku River. Penetrate through the lower bogs of the Bujuku Valley. Depending on its state, this area can be wet or muddy, and navigating through it is another experience. Cross over to the dry area to Lake Bujuku, where you can view the Speke and Mt. Baker. Bujuku hut is set just in the shadow of Mt. Baker and Speke. The entire trek from John Matte takes about 4 to 5 hours.
Day 5: Elena Hut
Begin your trek early morning, penetrating through the moss-draped groundsel vegetation to Scott Elliot Pass at an altitude of 4372m. This pass is between Mt. Baker and Stanley, from where you will branch off to Elena Hut at 4540m for a night’s stay. At Elena, you begin your final journey to Margherita Peak, which also provides remarkably breathtaking views of the Rwenzori Mountain ranges, especially Mt Luigi, Baker, Stanley, and Bujuku Valley.
Day 6: Kitandara Hut
Leave Elena hut for a final hike to Margherita Peak at 5109m, located on Mt. Stanley, and you will pass through ice. Here you will require crampons, an ice axe, plus a rope to help pass through the glacier leading to Mt. Stanley. Once you reach the Margherita peak, you will have reached Uganda’s highest point and one of Africa’s mountains. The first climber to hike to Margherita was Prince Luigi Amedeo, the duke of Abruzzi, in 1906. From Margherita Peak, after photography and a breathtaking view of the surroundings, begin descending to Elena Hut, proceed to upper Kitandara Lake, and camp at Kitandara Hut. Enjoy the beautiful view of Mt. Luigi di Savoia, and you may hike to Mt. Baker for 3-4 hours, then back to Kitandara Hut.
Day 7: Guy Yeoman Hut
You can begin your journey again and ascend to Fresh Field Pass, where you will visit Bujongolo Cave. This is one of the rocky and bumpy spots, but it offers a magnificent view of Baker, Stanley, and Luigi glaciers. The whole journey takes about 6 hours. You will retire for the night at the Guy Yeoman Hut and continue to Nyabitaba Hut the next day.
Day 8: Nyabitaba Hut
Start your 4-hour trek to Nyabitaba Hut by descending steep slopes on the River Mubuku Riverside. En route, view the beautiful heather zone with attractive plants and flowers. Then, penetrate the bamboo forest, and don’t miss viewing the Kabamba waterfalls.
Day 9: Nyakalengija Camp
Leave Nyabitaba Hut early for Nyakalengija base camp. Meet your driver guide and begin your journey back to Kampala or Entebbe. This marks the end of a nine-day best of Rwenzori hike to Margherita Peak, Uganda.
