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A mountain stream running over pale boulders in a green valley in the Rwenzori foothills, western Uganda

Sample journey · 10–12 days

The Rwenzori: seven days in the Mountains of the Moon

Entebbe, Kasese & the Rwenzori Central Circuit

Photo: Huzair Shafiq / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Rwenzori is not a volcano but a block of mountains thrust up on the border between Uganda and Congo, thought to be the range ancient geographers called the Mountains of the Moon. The summits are often hidden in cloud, the slopes almost always wet, and the vegetation changes with height until it feels like another planet: bamboo above the rainforest, then tree-sized heathers hung with lichen, and higher still giant lobelias and groundsels taller than a person.

The Central Circuit is a walk of around seven days from hut to hut, with local guides and porters from the communities at the foot of the mountains. This isn't a gorilla or savannah journey: this time, only the mountains. It is for people who have done multi-day treks before and don't mind mud to the knee, wet days and cold nights at close to 4,000 metres. Experienced mountaineers, with guides, can add a day across the glacier to Margherita Peak.

The route

The journey

  1. Entebbe
  2. Fort Portal
  3. Kasese & the Rwenzori foothills
  4. Nyabitaba
  5. John Matte hut & the Bigo bogs
  6. Lake Bujuku
  7. Scott Elliot pass & the Kitandara lakes
  8. Guy Yeoman hut
  9. Entebbe
  1. A person resting beneath a pine on a grassy hill in sunset light near Fort Portal

    01Days 1–3 · Entebbe, Fort Portal & Kasese

    From Lake Victoria to the foot of the mountains

    The first night is in Entebbe, a quiet town on Lake Victoria, to rest after the flight. The next day brings the long road west past banana farms and tea estates to Fort Portal, then south to Kasese, around seven or eight hours. To save a day, there's the option of a domestic flight to Kasese. The night is in the foothills, near the trailhead. In the morning you meet the guides and porters, weigh the packs and check the kit: here rubber boots matter more than expensive hiking boots. The guides come from the communities at the foot of the range, who know the Rwenzori best, and talk about the mountains as they are understood here.

  2. 02Days 3–4 · Nyabitaba & John Matte hut

    Through the bamboo into a world of moss

    The first day of walking climbs through rainforest up the Mobuku valley to Nyabitaba hut, at about 2,650 m. Monkeys are often heard in the forest, and the lucky spot the vivid green Rwenzori turaco. The second day is one of the hardest: steep slopes through the bamboo belt, across rivers and through mud that swallows boots to the ankle or deeper, to John Matte hut at around 3,400 m. This is where the reason people come to the Rwenzori begins: tree-high heathers draped in bearded lichen, moss in every shade of green and the first giant lobelias. The day can take seven or eight hours, so the pace is slow and evenings in the huts are early.

  3. 03Day 5 · The Bigo bogs & Lake Bujuku

    Across the bogs beneath the glaciers

    The third day of walking crosses the Bigo bogs, wide, spongy flats with boardwalks over some stretches and, elsewhere, hopping from tussock to tussock. All around stand giant groundsels with dense rosettes of leaves at their tops, and the candles of lobelias. Beyond, the trail climbs to Lake Bujuku at around 3,900 m, between Mount Speke, Mount Stanley and Mount Baker. When the cloud lifts, usually early in the morning, glaciers and rock walls appear above the lake. The glaciers have shrunk greatly over the past century, and the guides talk about it openly. At this height nights are cold and some travellers feel the altitude, so the pace is slow and you drink plenty.

  4. 04Day 6 · Scott Elliot pass & the Kitandara lakes

    The high point of the circuit

    The fourth day climbs to the Scott Elliot pass, at around 4,370 m, the highest point of the Central Circuit, then drops through a rocky gully to the Kitandara lakes, whose dark water reflects rock walls and slopes of lobelias. For many this is the most beautiful place on the walk, so it's good to have time to wander along the shore. Experienced mountaineers can add a day or two at this stage: from Elena hut, at about 4,540 m, a pre-dawn climb across the glacier to Margherita Peak, 5,109 m. It requires climbing experience, crampons, ropes and extra guides, and is called off if conditions aren't right. Everyone else spends the night by the Kitandara lakes and enjoys the quiet.

  5. 05Days 7–11 · Freshfield pass, Guy Yeoman hut & the way down

    Down into the warmth

    The fifth day climbs once more, over the Freshfield pass, then descends a long way past rock shelters and bogs to Guy Yeoman hut by the Mobuku river. The sixth is a long descent through bamboo and forest back to Nyabitaba for a last night in the mountains: your knees feel every step, but every hundred metres the air is warmer and the birds return. On the seventh, a short walk down to the trailhead and a night in the foothills: a hot shower, dry clothes and farewells to the guides and porters. The next day, the road or a domestic flight back to Entebbe and a last quiet night by Lake Victoria before the flight home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Giant lobelias and groundsels

    Alpine plants grown taller than a person, found only on a handful of East African ranges.

  2. 02

    The Bigo bogs

    Flats of tussock and moss beneath the mountain walls, the hardest and strangest part of the walk.

  3. 03

    The Kitandara lakes

    Two dark lakes beneath rock walls and one of the quietest nights on the whole circuit.

  4. 04

    Local guides and porters

    People from the foothill communities who know the mountains and tell their story in their own way.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With the summit

    For experienced mountaineers, an extra day or two for the glacier climb to Margherita Peak, with extra guides and equipment.

  • A shorter walk

    If seven days is too much, a walk of a few days to Nyabitaba or John Matte hut shows the forest, the bamboo and the first lobelias without the highest passes.

  • Choosing the season

    The drier spells are usually around December to February and June to August, though rain is possible in the Rwenzori in any month.

  • With wildlife afterwards

    Kasese lies right on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park, so a few days resting in the savannah or with Kibale's chimpanzees follow naturally after the trek.

Practical considerations

  • The Rwenzori is one of Africa's wettest ranges: rain and mist are possible in any month, and the drier spells are roughly December to February and June to August. Mud and wet trails are normal even in the drier months.
  • The trek is demanding: usually six to eight hours a day over steep, slippery, muddy ground, with nights at up to about 4,000 m. It's worth talking to your own doctor about fitness and altitude well in advance.
  • Huts are simple: you sleep on mattresses in your own sleeping bag, and the trekking crew cooks. We check guide and porter working conditions, equipment and the state of the huts before you travel.
  • Park rules, route arrangements and travel advice for this border region change, so we check them before you travel.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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