5 Days Rwenzori Mahoma Loop Trek

Duration 5 Days / 4 Nights

Best Time June to September and December to February

Experience Hiking · Adventure

Group Solo to groups

What to expect

5 days on the Mahoma Loop make the Rwenzori's most rewarding short trek, a circuit that samples the range's extraordinary vegetation zones without the demands of a full summit expedition. From the park gate the trail climbs through montane forest and bamboo into the otherworldly afro-alpine moorland of giant lobelia and groundsel, with a night beside Lake Mahoma, the deepest lake in the Rwenzori Mountains.

It is a genuine mountain adventure on well-graded trails, suited to reasonably fit walkers and a fine introduction to the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Read more in the Uganda destination guide, and see our safari packing list to prepare for the climb.

Ready for the summit? The 9 Days Rwenzori Margherita Peak Trek climbs to the glaciated 5,109m roof of Uganda. To pair the mountains with wildlife, the 11 Days Classic Uganda Wildlife Safari takes in gorillas, chimpanzees and the savannah parks.

The scenic Mahoma Loop through the Rwenzori's vegetation zones A night beside Lake Mahoma, the deepest lake in the range Montane forest, bamboo and afro-alpine moorland Black-and-white colobus monkeys and the Rwenzori turaco Giant lobelia and groundsel of the high moorland A guided mountain trek without the demands of a summit climb

Day by day

The Journey

Day 1Rwenzori

Transfer to the Rwenzori

Your driver-guide collects you from Entebbe or Kampala for the scenic drive west to the Rwenzori Mountains, the fabled Mountains of the Moon. On arrival the rest of the day is at leisure to settle in and prepare for the trek ahead.

Day 2Omukakiza

Into the Montane Forest to Omukakiza

After meeting your mountain guides and porters at the park gate, you set off on the trail to Omukakiza Camp, a climb of around a thousand metres over six and a half kilometres. The path winds through montane forest alive with birds, black-and-white colobus monkeys, three-horned chameleons and the brilliant Rwenzori turaco, before a steeper final ascent to camp.

Day 3Lake Mahoma

Through the Bamboo to Lake Mahoma

The trail descends through bamboo before easing into the open, with views of the Portal Peaks and the Kinyangoma Hills. Boardwalks carry you across the heather and afro-alpine zones, thick with giant lobelia and senecio, to Lake Mahoma, the deepest lake in the Rwenzori, fed by the meltwaters of Mount Baker.

Day 4Nyakalengija

Down to Nyakalengija

Leaving the lake early, you retrace the route down through forest and along the Mubuku River to the park gate. A hot shower and a comfortable lodge await at the foot of the mountains, a welcome reward after the trail.

Day 5Entebbe