13 DAYS GORILLA TREKKING, RWENZORI
& QUEEN ELIZABETH
This 13-day Uganda journey is the ultimate Rwenzori + safari + gorillas combo — starting with a true high-altitude Rwenzori expedition and a summit attempt on * Margherita Peak (5,109 m), then shifting into Queen Elizabeth National Park for classic game viewing and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise, before finishing with the unforgettable Gorilla Tracking experience in Bwindi. Expect big-mountain trekking days followed by iconic safari moments, all planned with smooth logistics and expert local guiding from start to finish.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 —
Arrival in Entebbe & hotel transfer
Overnight: Protea Hotel, Entebbe
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a representative from Weismann Safaris & Expeditions and transferred to Protea Hotel (about 2.6 km / 4 minutes). Depending on your arrival time, you can choose your meal plan and settle in, then review the program for the next day with your tour driver/guide so everything starts smoothly.
Day 2 —
Entebbe → Kasese
Overnight: Margherita Hotel, Kasese
Morning drive to western Uganda via the Mityana–Fort Portal–Kasese route. It’s a long transfer day, but the scenery changes constantly as you move toward the Rwenzori region. Stop along the way for breaks, arrive in Kasese, check in, have lunch, and rest ahead of the trek.
Day 3 —
Nyakalengija → Nyabitaba Hut
Overnight: Nyabitaba Hut
Trekking time: 5–6 hours
After breakfast, transfer to Rwenzori Mountains National Park HQ at Nyakalengija (1,646 m) for registration and briefing. Begin the trek through villages and farms of the Bakonzo people, then into forest. Follow the Mubuku River, cross the Mahoma River, and climb through bracken fern slopes and forest canopy to Nyabitaba Hut (2,652 m). Possible sightings include monkeys, Rwenzori turaco and endemic three-horned chameleons.
Day 4 —
Nyabitaba Hut → John Matte Hut
Overnight: John Matte Hut
Trekking time: 6–7 hours
Cross the Kurt Shaffer Bridge and continue through muddy sections before climbing into bamboo forest. Move from forest into the heather zone with giant lobelia, groundsels and everlasting flowers. Continue along the Bujuku River through boggy terrain to John Matte Hut (3,414 m). On clear days, enjoy views of Mount Stanley and the snow-capped Margherita and Elena peaks.
Day 5 —
John Matte Hut → Bujuku Hut
Overnight: Bujuku Hut
Trekking time: 4–5 hours
Cross the Bujuku River and enter the Lower Bigo Bog, moving between tussocks (boardwalk sections exist in places). This is where the landscape opens into the alpine zone with unique vegetation. You may see giant lobelia gardens, wild berries, sunbirds, red duikers and rock hyrax. If weather allows, view the peaks of Mount Stanley, Mount Baker and Mount Speke. You end the day at 3,962 m at Bujuku Hut near Lake Bujuku.
Day 6 —
Bujuku Hut → Elena Hut
Overnight: Elena Hut
Trekking time: 4–5 hours
Climb steep slopes west of Lake Bujuku through bog and the dramatic Groundsel Gully to Scott-Elliot Pass (4,372 m). A metal ladder assists over a steep section before the trail splits. Take the right-hand route up a boulder-strewn path to Elena Hut (4,541 m), a cold and iconic high mountain base for the summit attempt.
Day 7 — Summit day
Margherita Peak → Kitandara Hut
Overnight: Kitandara Hut.
Trekking time: ~10–14 hours
Early start for the summit attempt. From Elena Hut, continue to the base of the Stanley Glacier and climb toward Margherita Peak (5,109 m). The ascent typically takes 5–7 hours depending on conditions and pace, crossing glaciers, slippery rock, ice and exposed sections. This is a demanding day suited to strong, technically capable trekkers.
After the summit attempt, return to Elena Hut, then descend via Scott-Elliot Pass with spectacular views back to Lake Bujuku, Mount Speke and Mount Stanley. Continue down to the twin Kitandara Lakes for a well-earned rest by the shores.
Note: If you return late from the summit attempt, an extra night at Elena Hut may be required (creating an additional day).
Day 8 —
Kitandara Hut → Guy Yeoman Hut
Overnight: Guy Yeoman Hut
Trekking time: 5–6 hours
Steep ascent up the headwall from Kitandara, passing beneath Mount Baker and continuing to Freshfield Pass (4,282 m). Enjoy views toward the Congo (west) and Mount Stanley (north). From the pass, descend along boggy and slippery rock sections toward Bujongolo rock shelter (historic base from the Duke of Abruzzi expedition, 1906). Continue to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,261 m).
Day 9 —
Guy Yeoman Hut → Nyabitaba Nya
Nyakalengija → Kasese
Overnight: Hotel in-near Kasese
Trekking time: 6–8 hours
Completes the Central Circuit as you descend back toward Nyabitaba Hut through the valleys of the Mubuku and Kichuchu rivers, rich in heather-zone plants before reaching the bamboo forest again. Time to Nyabitaba is about 4–5 hours. Many trekkers continue directly to Nyakalengija the same day, adding 2–3 more hours, rather than staying another night on the mountain.
Day 10 —
Kazinga Channel game drive
and boat cruise
Overnight: Lodge in/near Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, transfer into Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive across different park trails. Look out for elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, hyenas, warthogs and antelopes before lunch. Later, enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, where you can see crocodiles and hippos in the water, before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 —
Queen Elizabeth →
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Overnight: Ruhija Gorilla Friends
Tented Camp (Bwindi area)
Today is a 4–5 hour drive from Queen Elizabeth toward Bwindi. The road continues through the park, so the drive remains rewarding, with more chances to see elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs and baboons along the way. After leaving the park, continue through community areas and into the Bwindi region for dinner and overnight.
Day 12 —
Gorilla tracking
Overnight: Lodge in Bwindi area,
or continue to Kabale/Mbarara
depending on your plan
After breakfast, get ready with your packed lunch and water for the gorilla trekking experience. Enter the forest for one of Uganda’s most powerful wildlife encounters, with the chance to spend one unforgettable hour in the presence of mountain gorillas. The trail may also reward you with sightings of other primates. If time allows, add an evening community walk before returning for dinner and overnight.
Day 13 —
Return to Kampala or
depart via Entebbe airport
Overnight: Hotel in Kampala
(if not departing the same day)
After breakfast, begin the scenic return journey through the terraced rolling hills often referred to as the “Switzerland of Africa”. Observe the cultivated mountain slopes of the Bakiga people before continuing to Kampala, arriving in the late afternoon or evening. Your driver-guide will transfer you either to your hotel in Kampala or directly to Entebbe airport for departure.
