The pearl of Africa is the best place to do mountaineering blessed with various mountains and volcanoes offering you the most adventurous hiking experience. Mountain hiking complement the popular gorilla safaris making your Uganda safari a complete package. Regardless of your fitness, Tripcare adventures offer you both short and long hiking tours to meet your expectations. Uganda’s popular hiking spots include

• Mt Rwenzori,
• Elgon,
• Sipi Falls,
• Mt Sabinyo,
• Mt Gahinga And
• Mt Muhabura.

Interestingly, most of Uganda’s volcanoes are in national parks which give travelers a chance to encounter wildlife animals especially mountain gorillas in Mgahinga gorilla national park. The summit of each mountain/ Volcano reward travelers with spectacular views of nearby communities, wildlife and other attractions in the neighborhood. Uganda’s popular mountaineering spots include:

Mount Rwenzori

Also known as the “Mountains of the moon”, Rwenzori is the highest peak in Uganda and the third highest in the whole world.
These mountains support glaciers and are one source of the river Nile. The Rwenzori Mountains reach heights up to 5,109 meters (16,762 ft). The highest Rwenzori peaks are permanently snow-capped. The Rwenzori MountainsNational Park is on Mt Rwenzori and home to a variety of wildlife including elephants, chimpanzee, and monkeys.
Mount Rwenzori is situated in Kasese district on the borders of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hiking to the summit of mount Rwenzori is a long trek which lasts for roughly 8 days to reach Margarita the highest peak standing at an altitude of 5,109 meters above the sea level. At the summit of Mount Rwenzori is permanent snow, which often melts into various, rives flowing to the lowland areas such as river Nyamwamba and River Mubuku. Interestingly, various ranges have been formed which together form the Rwenzori chain of mountains. At the base of the mountain is Mount Rwenzori national park covered with tropical rain forests and home to various animals. Travelers follow different trails depending on their fitness and the endpoint. The central circuit is the longest trail which lasts for roughly 8 days and 7 nights to Margarita whereas Mahoma loop is quite easier lasting for 3 days and kilembe trail is the shortest done in only one day.

Mount Elgon

Situated in eastern Uganda in the borders of Uganda and Kenya, Mt Elgon is yet another interesting mountain to hike. The mountain stands at 4321m above sea level and is the 8th highest peak in Africa yet the 4th highest in East Africa. Mt Elgon was at once one of Africa’s highest peaks but the continuous erosions have reduced its height to its current.

Wagagai is the highest peak of Mount Elgon whose summit shelters the world’s largest caldera measuring approximately 50 by 80 kilometers. Being a national park, Mt Elgon is home to a variety of animals such as Elephants, forest monkeys, Buffalos, and other small antelopes among others. An encounter with these animals is an added advantage for the hikers. On the slopes are caves of different sizes, waterfalls and various water polls among
others.
On the way to Mt Elgon, you proceed on the eastern route from Kampala, through Mabira forest. Proceed through the tea and sugar cane plantation of Mukono and cross the river Nile at the newly constructed magnificent bridge in Jinja. Along the way to Mbale, there a lot of beautiful scenery that cannot miss your eye. This is a memorable trip for our visitors.

Virunga volcanoes

These are three conical extinct volcanic mountains in Mgahinga gorilla national park sharing borders with neighboring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are part of the 8 volcanoes, which make up a chain of the Virunga volcanoes.
Mont Muhabura is the highest peak standing at 4,127 meters above sea level, which take roughly 5 hours to reach the summit. Also known as mount Muhabura translated as “guide” in Kinyarwanda, the volcano is the third highest after karisimbi in Rwanda and Mikeno in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the summit is a crater lake surrounded by a swamp rewarding you with spectacular views of adjacent karisimbi and Mikeno.
Mount Sabinyo is shared in the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Much as the three countries share it, Mount Sabyinyo is best hiked from Uganda. The rugged terrain and the many crater lakes on the sides of Rwanda and Congo make it difficult to hike in these countries. The volcano has three peaks one in Uganda and the other two in Rwanda and DRCongo respectively but hiking to the summit is difficult. The name Sabyinyo is a Kinyarwanda word translated as “old man’s teeth” due to the shape of the peak in form of three spaced teeth of an old man. The slopes of the mountain are covered in the alpine forest home to famous golden monkeys providing travelers with a chance to see these endangered species and other wildlife that inhabit there.

Sipi falls

Situated in kapchorwa district Eastern Uganda just in the foothills of Mount Elgon, Sipi falls is worth hiking. The fall is a composition of three stunning waterfalls, which originate from the hot springs at the summit of Mount Elgon in the border of Uganda and Kenya. Sipi falls fall roughly 85 meters over the cliff continuing with its course through farmlands and local communities over small rocks to form rapids. The second waterfall is formed after the first fall plunges 65 meters over a big cliff forming a natural shower.

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