Mt Elgon is an East Africa’s oldest extinct volcanic mountain located on the Uganda-Kenya border with the widest volcanic base in the world. There are no technical hiking experiences required to reach on top of this mountain. During the course of hiking, you will experience plenty of calderas, rivers, waterfalls, montane forests, plenty of bird species and more of caves.
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Mt. Elgon
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Day 1: Mbale Resort
Day 2: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon national park
Day 3: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon National park
Day 4: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon National park
Day 5: Mbale Resort Hotel
Day 6: No accommodation (End of tour) -
Day 1: All meals included and a bottle of drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2: All meals and drinking water included
Day 3: All meals and drinking water included
Day 4: All meals and drinking water included
Day 5: Mbale Resort Hotel
Day 6: Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) and a bottle of drinking water (Other drinks not included) -
Throughout the journey
Itinerary
You will start this day with a travel to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) office in Mbale, going through Jinja and Tirinyi. You will spend the night in Mbale to ensure an early departure to Budadiri the next day where you will start the hike from. You will have a briefing and introduction to the guides and chefs.
Main Destination: Mbale (City)
Accommodation: Mbale Resort
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and a bottle of drinking water (Other drinks not included)
You will be transported 7km from Budadiri (1,250m above sea level) to Bumasola passing through and stopping just above the community at 1,770m above sea level. Accompanied by your company guides, porters, and chef the day’s hike starts from Bumasola with a 3km walk through the community which offers a glimpse of the agricultural and cultural aspects of the community before reaching the boundaries of Mt. Elgon National Park.
You will climb ladders nicknamed ‘wall of death’ and reach a cliff. You will then enter the montane forest zone and walk for 5km to Sasa River Camp standing at 2,900m above sea level. The montane forest zone offers chances of seeing the black and white colobus monkey, blue monkeys, and a variety of birds endemic to the mountain.
On arrival at Sasa River Camp you will be served tea/coffee, plus lunch. You can take a tour around the camp. You will spend the night at Sasa River Camp before campfire and dinner in the evening. This day is for rest and acclimatization before hiking to Mude Cave Camp the following day.
Main Destination: Mount Elgon
Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon national park
Meals & Drinks: All meals and drinking water included
After a late breakfast, you will hike for 5km through bamboo forest and heather zone to reach Mude camp. This section has a lot of beautiful flowers and some very steep ascents. At Mude, you will be served late lunch and tea. Camp will be set up to ensure that you settle in early, have dinner and go to sleep early in preparation for the summit the next day.
Main Destination: Mount Elgon
Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon National park
Meals & Drinks: All meals and drinking water included
You start the day very early in the morning as you ascend to Wagagai Peak, the attractions on the way to the summit include, the Jackson pool, land forms such as craters, Saum gorge, volcanic plugs, Simu valley, crater rim, peaks notably Jackson table & peak (4,165m asl), the Kenya peaks (Sudek - 4,302m on Kenya Uganda border & Koitobos 4,222m in Kenya)
There may be a chance to see the civet cats, jackals, bush bucks and duikers. You will also see afro alpine plants that include the everlasting flowers, lobelia elgonesis, spine globes, heather species, endemic juniper and oleo species.
Once you reach Wagagai, the highest peak on Mt. Elgon standing at 4,321m, you will have conquered the Mountain with the world’s largest mountain caldera. Congratulations!
You will then descend to Mude to camp for your last night on the mountain.
Main Destination: Wagagai Peak (Mt Elgon)
Accommodation: Budget camping Inside Mt Elgon National park
Meals & Drinks: All meals and drinking water included.
After an early breakfast, you will start to descend off the mountain via Sasa Patrol hut where you will register your exit and hike down to Sasa river camp. You will pass through the heather zone then bamboo forest and montane zone to reach the Mudange cliffs (Wall of Death). The hike will end in Bumasola where it all started.
You will transfer to Mbale from UWA Budadiri office after receiving your certificate of conquest of Mt Elgon. In Mbale you will check into a hotel for a much-needed hot shower, dinner and rest after a brief campfire.
Main Destination: Mbale (City)
Accommodation: Mbale Resort Hotel
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and a bottle of drinking water.
After a restful night you will embark on a return journey to Entebbe. Your tour ends here.
Main Destination: Entebbe airport
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included) and a bottle of drinking water (Other drinks not included)