Amazingly, you can find fantastic trekking routes of various difficulties almost everywhere in Uganda, certainly at all the most popular destinations nevertheless, We suggest a few usual suspects you may not want to miss out during your hiking and walking Ugandan safari

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Rwenzori Mountains Hiking Trails

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The oldest recorded person to reach Margherita Peak was Ms. Beryl Park aged 78 in 2010.

Gazetted in 1991 and recognized as a World Heritage site in 1994 and a Ramsar site in 2008. The highest point 5,109m above sea level on Mt Stanley’s Margherita Peak. The border with DR Congo bisects Mt. Stanley. The Rwenzori is not volcanic like East Africa’s other major mountains but is a block of rock up-faulted through the floor of the Western Rift Valley.

The Rwenzoris were christened the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 150.

The explorer Henry Stanley placed the Rwenzori on the map on 24th May 1888. He labeled it ‘Ruwenzori’, a local name which he recorded as meaning “Rain-Maker” or “Cloud-King.”

The Rwenzoris – the fabled Mountains of the Moon – lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, while the lower slopes are blanketed in moorland, bamboo, and rich, moist montane forest. Huge tree heathers and colorful mosses are draped across the mountainside with giant lobelias and “everlasting flowers”, creating an enchanting, fairy-tale scene.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park protects the highest parts of the 120km-long and 65km-wide Rwenzori mountain range. The national park hosts 70 mammals and 217 bird species including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, as well as some of the world’s rarest vegetation.

The Rwenzoris are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. A nine- to twelve-day trek will get skilled climbers to the summit of Margherita – the highest peak – though shorter, non-technical treks are possible to scale the surrounding peaks.

For those who prefer something a little less strenuous, neighboring Bakonzo villages offer nature walks, homestead visits home cultural performances and accommodation, including home-cooked local cuisine.

 

Mountain Elgon

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Mt Elgon was once Africa’s highest mountain, far exceeding Kilimanjaro’s current 5,895m. Millennia of erosion have reduced its height to 4,321m, relegating it to the 4th highest peak in East Africa and 8th on the continent. This extinct volcano is one of Uganda’s oldest physical features, first erupting around 24 million years ago.

Mt Elgon is home to two tribes, the Bagisu and the Sabiny, with the marginalized Ndorobos forced to dwell deep within the forest of Benet.The Bagisu, also known as the Ba-Masaba, consider Mount Elgon to be the embodiment of their founding father Masaba and refer to the mountain by this name.

At 4,000km²  Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the Uganda-Kenya border it is also the oldest and largest solitary, volcanic mountain in East Africa. Its vast form, 80km in diameter, rises more than 3,000m above the surrounding plains. The mountain’s cool heights offer respite from the hot plains below, with the higher altitudes providing a refuge for flora and fauna.

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Mount Elgon National Park is home to over 300 species of birds, including the endangered Lammergeyer.  The higher slopes are protected by national parks in Uganda and Kenya, creating an extensive trans-boundary conservation area which has been declared a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve.

A climb on Mt. Elgon’s deserted moorlands unveils a magnificent and uncluttered wilderness without the summit-oriented approach common to many mountains: the ultimate goal on reaching the top of Mt. Elgon is not the final ascent to the 4321m Wagagai Peak, but the descent into the vast 40km² caldera.

The mammalian fauna of Mount Elgon is poorly known. The most common secies,or atleast the most visible to hikers,are blue monkeys and black and white columbus. A small number of Elephants are residents of forests and several montane moorland endemics.

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Bwindi Forest Trails & Gorilla Trekking

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Gorilla trekking is the flagship experience in Uganda. The two places you can trek gorillas in Uganda are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Bwindi is by far the most popular choice as the park contains more gorillas, has much better accommodation options, and fits nicely along a classic south-western circuit. Uganda is arguably the best place in the world to see gorillas. It is also possible in neighboring Rwanda, but gorilla permits are much cheaper in Uganda.

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Kibale Forest Trails & Chimpanzee Trekking

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Unlike gorilla trekking, the chimp trekking terrain is not too challenging and so you don’t have to be particularly fit or able to trek for long periods to track chimpanzees. Standard tracking excursions last about three hours and include a maximum of one hour with the chimps, during which you can expect to get within 8-10 metres. Permits are required to track the chimpanzees, and you will join a group (maximum of 8) led by Uganda Wildlife Authority Interpretive Rangers who will introduce you to the chimps and their forest world. Hanging out with the chimps on their turf is an unforgettable experience.

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Murchison Falls National Park Walking Trails

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The churning waters of the Nile prevent boats from approaching close to the base of Murchison Falls. To experience the full force of the falls, disembark at the limit of the boat’s approach and hike through riverine woodland and along a cliff face to the summit of the falls. Murchison is also a fantastic destination for bird walks and the Budongo forest in Murchison falls conservation area is another chimpanzee trekking destination.

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Queen Elizabeth National Park Walking Trails

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Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most bio-diverse national park and any trip here will include plenty of game drives and boat safaris, but there is also ample opportunity for walking. The Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth conservation area is another popular chimpanzee trekking destination, and for birders and those who love walking far from the normal trails, the Maramagambo Forest is the perfect place to spend half or even a full day were you can spot cave bats and pythones who come to hunt the bats. Sheltered from the hot sun by the dense canopy, you can explore the shadows, discovering species not seen on the open plains, stumble across hidden crater lakes and marvel at the sheer mass of life found within a bat cave.

 

Lake Mburo National Park Walking Safaris

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At Lake Mburo National Park, the whole area is available to explore on foot, as long as you take a guide with you. Favourite trails are to the salt lick at Rwonyo, the lake shorelines, Rubanga Forest and viewpoint hill tops. Walks are the most exciting way to discover the park because visibility is often restricted by the undergrowth, and it is difficult to see buffalo holding their ground or hyena loping back to their dens after a night out hunting. Walks are also the best way for birders to track down the more elusive species.

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Kidepo Valley National Park Walking Safaris 

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Most of the walking trails in the Kidepo Valley National Park take 2 to 3 hours and wind their way through the Narus Valley. Birders will often patrol the fringes of the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys looking for the Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is found only in Kidepo Valley National Park. For those looking for a greater challenge, a 15 kilometre route follows the ridge line into the hills. While there are many possible trails, it is worth being aware that some may not have been walked for a long time and will be temporarily closed.

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The Ik Cultural Trek 

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The Ik still live a marginal life in the Morungole Mountains, but they have recovered from what was obviously a nadir in their history. They welcome guided treks made by visitors eager to explore the landscape they inhabit and to understand a little more about their unique way of life.

This is not voyeuristic tourism. It is a difficult trek, both physically and due to the questions it raises about human rights, sustainable conservation and human development.

But with fees from the trek going to Ik community initiatives and interest from the outside world going some way to protecting the people from neighbourly threat, it is a compelling experience. It is also a beautiful trek. Two different routes are available, depending on local weather conditions and your level of fitness.

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Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi

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Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi are beautiful areas for relaxation, typically included after a hardy gorilla trek in the nearby Bwindi Forest. The views by the lakes are stunning, and it is the perfect place for some light adventuring in a remote pocket of the country. There are a number of walking trails that will take you deep into the surrounding countryside. If you like to maximise your adventure, it is also possible to hike and canoe from the airport in Kisoro to Nkuringo in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

 

Semliki Valley Trails

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The Semliki Valley is a wonderfully remote park near the western border of Uganda.There are three trails at Semliki. The longest is the 13 kilometre Kirumia Trail, which takes you through the heart of the forest to the Semuliki River. Expect to be out for 8 hours. Slightly shorter at 11 kilometres, the Red Monkey Trail follows the park’s eastern border to the Semliki River with the aim of sighting the rare deBrazza’s monkey, which is often seen in this area. The shortest trail is the 8 kilometre Sempaya Nature Trail. It introduces visitors to the forest's primates and the hot springs. The hike lasts between 2 and 4 hours and can take place in the morning or afternoon.

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