9 Days Rwenzori Margherita Peak Trek

Duration 9 Days / 8 Nights

Best Time June to September and December to February

Experience Hiking · Mountaineering

Group Solo to groups

What to expect

9 days is the great Rwenzori expedition, a climb to Margherita Peak, at 5,109 metres the highest point of the Rwenzori and the third highest summit in Africa. The Central Circuit carries you from farmland and montane forest through bamboo and the surreal afro-alpine moorland of giant lobelia and groundsel, across bogs and glaciers, to the snow and ice of the Mountains of the Moon.

It is a demanding, deeply rewarding trek for fit and well-prepared walkers, with the summit day calling for some basic glacier travel alongside expert mountain guides. Read more in the Uganda destination guide, and pack with our safari packing list.

Prefer a shorter, non-technical introduction? The 5 Days Rwenzori Mahoma Loop Trek samples the lower zones and Lake Mahoma. To combine the mountains with wildlife, see the 11 Days Classic Uganda Wildlife Safari.

Summit Margherita Peak at 5,109m, the roof of the Rwenzori Glaciers, bogs and the afro-alpine world of the Mountains of the Moon The Central Circuit through every Rwenzori vegetation zone Views of Mount Stanley, Mount Speke and Mount Baker The historic Bujongolo base camp of the 1906 Abruzzi expedition Expert mountain guides, porters and full camp support

Day by day

The Journey

Day 1Rwenzori

Transfer to the Rwenzori

Your driver-guide collects you from Entebbe or Kampala for the drive west to the Rwenzori Mountains. On arrival you check in at the foot of the range, with the rest of the day at leisure to rest and prepare for the climb ahead.

Day 2Nyabitaba

Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba Camp

After arranging guides, a chef and porters, you set out from the park gate on the first leg, a climb of around 1,200 metres over seven kilometres. The trail rises through farmland and dense bush, over cliffs and across the Mahoma River, with colobus monkeys, chameleons and the Rwenzori turaco along the way, to Nyabitaba Camp.

Day 3John Matte

Nyabitaba to John Matte Camp

Dropping to the Kurt Shafer bridge near the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers, the trail eases through bamboo before a tougher stretch over moss-covered rock. From the Nyamileju shelter the peaks of Stanley and Speke come into view as you enter the zone of giant heather, lobelia and groundsel, reaching John Matte Camp by evening.

Day 4Bujuku

Bigo Bog to Bujuku Camp

You cross the Bujuku River into the Bigo Bog, hopping from tussock to tussock through a world of giant lobelias, then follow the river up past Lake Bujuku with Mount Baker to the south and Mount Stanley to the west. Bujuku Camp sits in a narrow valley in the shadow of the peaks, below Stuhlmann Pass.

Day 5Elena

Up to Elena Hut

Climbing west of the lake and up the magical groundsel gully, you ascend towards Scott Elliot Pass, where a metal ladder eases a steep section. The right-hand trail leads up over large boulders to Elena Hut, perched high among the rock at the foot of the Stanley glacier, where summit climbers spend a cold night.

Day 6Kitandara

Margherita Peak and Down to Kitandara

A pre-dawn start carries you onto the Stanley glacier for the summit bid. The climb to Margherita, at 5,109 metres the highest point of the Rwenzori, takes five to seven hours across glaciers, rock and exposed ground, and is reserved for fit and well-prepared climbers. After the summit you descend through Scott Elliot Pass, with views over Lake Bujuku and the surrounding peaks, to the Kitandara Lakes.

Day 7Guy Yeoman

Over Freshfield Pass to Guy Yeoman

The trail climbs steeply to Freshfield Pass at 4,280 metres, with views west into the Congo and north to Mount Stanley, then takes the long route down past the historic Bujongolo rock shelter, base camp for the Duke of Abruzzi's 1906 expedition, to Guy Yeoman Camp.

Day 8Guy Yeoman

Descent to the Foothills

A long descent down the cliffs of Kichuchu and through the bamboo zone brings you to Nyabitaba and on down to Nyakalengija and a hot shower. With the mountains behind you, the evening is yours to rest at the lodge.

Day 9Entebbe