An EPIC 16-Day Serengeti Ngorongoro And Rwenzori Adventure

A Detailed 16-Day Serengeti Ngorongoro And Rwenzori Adventure

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro airport and transfer to Arusha

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International airport, you are ushered into Tanzania by our friendly guide who drives you to your hotel in Arusha. Spend this day relaxing from the long flight hours as you prepare to embark on an adventure of a lifetime through Tanzania’s Serengeti national park known for its abundance of wildlife. Meals will be served at the hotel.

Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti National Park

You will depart from Arusha after enjoying early breakfast, and drive to Serengeti national park in a 4×4 Toyota land cruiser vehicle specially designed for a safari. Upon arrival in Serengeti, you will check in at your accommodation, after which you will embark on an evening game drive through the plains of Serengeti National Park. The park is a home to a variety of animal species including lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, cheetah, zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, crocodiles among the many. Serengeti is also a haven for bird lovers with countless bird species, during the evening game drive you will spot many animals with the help of your guide who will then transfer you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Full day Serengeti National Park

Begin the day with an early morning game drive through the park offering you an opportunity of encountering predators having a catch or even hunting. Serengeti is one of the world’s famous wildlife sanctuaries and occupies an area of 15000 sq km with over 3 million large mammals calling the park their home. It is a home to Africa’s big five including elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos and leopards, its also has more than 35 species of lowland animals like zebras, wildebeests, eland, giraffes and others. Serengeti National Park is also famous for the annual wildebeest’s migration an exciting event that witnesses millions of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles move from Serengeti to Kenya’s Maasai mara searching for fresh pastures. The migration of these millions of thousands of animals is always under threat as they are closely monitored by predators including lions, cheetahs, wild dog, jackal, hyena, vultures and crocodiles that trap them in the Mara River. Depending on your travel time, you have an opportunity to witness this great migration making your trip a memorable adventure. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Transfer to Ngorongoro and back to Arusha

Wake up early and drive through the park exiting to Ngorongoro Crater for an incredible game drive. The crater is a natural wonder with so many animal species including the big five and the rare black rhinos can be found here. You will enjoy a picnic lunch at the crater after which you will exit and transfer to Arusha for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Entebbe

Today you will take a flight to Entebbe international airport in Uganda ahead of your Rwenzori hiking in Kasese. Upon arrival you will check in at your accommodation in Entebbe where you spend the rest of the day as you prepare to transfer to Rwenzori mountains.

Day 6: Transfer to Rwenzori Mountain

Wake up early and embark on the transfer to Rwenzori Mountain, you will drive through the savannah landscapes pf Uganda. You will drive through bustling cities and villages with an enroute lunch along the way. You will then go to Kilembe at the base camp where you will spend a night at Rwenzori backpackers, here you will be briefed about your 8-days Rwenzori mountain.

Day 6: Transfer from Basecamp & Trek to Sine Camp (2,596m)

Start you trek from base camp 1450m and trek to sine camp . The trek takes you through the valley floor where you walk through the Afro montane forest zone. You proceed with a gradual ascent where you will spot numerous bird species and the blue monkeys or black and white colobus monkey. The forest also has so many plant species including towering trees. After the walk you will reach Sine camp where you will see incredible views of the surrounding including Enock falls.

Day 7: Sine camp to Mutinda (3588m)

After breakfast set out from Sine camp, hiking to Mutinda camp elevated at 3588m. Walk through the bamboo zone after which you will hike through a steep ascent with so many stairs. Along the way you can have a rest at Kalalama camp and then continue through the heather zone. After here you will climb ridges then descend to the valley passing mossy covered waterfalls before hiking a steep section again. In this area you will see moss covered heather trees old man beards hanging around them. After hiking a deep valley with plants and flowers you will reach Mutinda lookout (3825m) where you are presented with incredible views of Kasese town. Finally, you reach the camp spend an overnight.

Day 8: Mutinda to Bugata Camp (4,062m)

Today you will be walking from Mutinda to Bugata that is located above the Nyamwamba valley. The trail continues to the alpine zone walking past numerous waterfalls and massive lobelias. Today’s trail involves walking through tussocks which can challenging during the wet season as it gets so boggy making you jump from tussock to another to walk through easily. You will descend the challenging part along this trail the Nyamusangi valley where you will see some waterfalls. Continue walking through tussock grass, everlasting flowers and giant lobelias as you past the Mutinda valley. The trail then ascends steadily to Bugata camp at (4100).

Day 9: Bugata to Hunwick’s camp (3974m)

Todays trek leads you to the Afro alpine zone from Bugata to Hunwicks camp elevated at 3974m
Crossing the Bamwanjara pass, you will have incredible views of Mount Baker, Mount Stanley and Margherita peak. Reaching the Bamwanjara pass helps in acclimatization at it is elevated at 4450m while you will be sleeping at 3974m. this idea of hiking to high altitudes and sleeping at lower altitudes ensures the body to get used to the altitude such that it can start adjusting slowly.

Day 10: Bugata to Hunwick’s Camp (3,974m)

Crossing Bamwanjara Pass provides epic views of Mount Baker, Mount Stanley, and Margherita Peak. Reach Hunwick’s Camp by hiking across the Bamwanjarra Pass. There’s a shelter at 4,450 meters at Bamwanjarra Pass, so if the weather becomes awful, you may always climb back up after a short descent from Bugata Camp. Views of the three main peaks are breathtaking from the pass on a clear day. The trail descends the valley, weaving through evergreen thickets, lobelia, moss, and enormous groundsel, before reaching a swamp. This area of the Rwenzori is perfect for seeing the Malachite Sunbird because of the abundance of lobelia flowers and since it is a known nesting site.

Beginning from this point, you will ascend a ridge gradually until you reach Hunwick’s Camp. This camp sits on the edge of a big valley and offers breathtaking views of Stanley, Baker, Weismann’s Peak, and McConnell’s Prong. Nevertheless, there are obstacles on the way up.

Day 11: Hunwick’s Camp to Margherita Camp (4,485m)

This hike involves a challenging yet brief ascent to your final base before reaching the summit. Prepare your gear and rest for the summit day. Lake Kitandara, with its deep water and beautiful greenery, is a stunning spot that we arrive at after making our way down and crossing the valley floor from Hunwick’s.

Margherita Camp, sitting at 4,485 meters, finds a cozy spot nestled between some huge boulders, keeping it safe from the harsh winds. To reach your destination, just climb Scott Elliott’s Pass and then keep going up the ridge. Back in 1906, the Duke of Abruzzi set up camp right here after climbing Margherita Peak.

Day 13: Summit Margherita Peak (5,109m)

Wake up at 2 a.m., have a quick breakfast, and then leave for Mount Stanley at 2:30 a.m. The weather has moved significantly, and even during the dry season, the peak can be blanketed in thick clouds, resulting in snowfall between 1 and 4 p.m. This entire process takes about 10-15 minutes, as clouds drift in from the vast forests of Congo.

Staying on Stanley Glacier and climbing to a rocky ledge on the southern edge of Alexandra Peak provides a fantastic vantage for individuals with limited mountaineering skill, letting them take in the beautiful views of the lower mountain ranges and Congo.
After the summit at 5,109 meters, you will descend immediately to Hunwick’s Camp at 3,874 meters.

Day 14: Descend to Kiharo Camp (3,460m)

You will start the day by trekking from Hunwick’s Camp along a ridge toward McConnell’s Prong. From that vantage point, the Three Peaks and Scott Elliott’s Pass reveal themselves in all their splendor. At last, you will arrive at Oliver’s Pass, standing at an impressive elevation of 4,505 meters. The distance from Hunwick’s Camp to the peak of Olivers Pass is three kilometers. Following a brief diversion around Weismann’s Peak, hikers arrive at the confluence of the Nyamwamba and Kilembe rivers; from this point, the river proceeds downward through Kasese and Kilembe, ultimately leading to Lake George in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

A trail that meanders down the valley from the confluence provides access to Kiharo Camp, which is nestled in a secluded valley embraced by majestic cliffs and lush greenery. You will navigate past each bog by ascending a seemingly arbitrary ridge of stones and soil as you make your way down the valley. This ridge was created by glaciers that gradually moved, melted, and deposited a mound of boulders and debris.

Day 15: Return to Kasese via Kilembe Trailhead

The distance from Kiharo Camp to the park gate is 16 kilometers, with an additional 2.8 kilometers to the Trekkers Hostel for an overnight stay.

Beyond Kiharo Camp, the trail diverges to the right to follow the river for a brief period. If you are fortunate, you may observe a duiker quietly grazing in a clearing as you descend the river. Of all the regions in the park, this one may have the highest concentration of Rwenzori red duikers. A few kilometers downstream, the river becomes steeper, and a multitude of stunning cascades are present. Ascending to a high ridge after passing the cascades rewards us with breathtaking vistas of the valley below. From that point, we descend through dense woodlands. We will eat lunch at Forest View Camp before heading back to Base Camp. This is the perfect way to cap off an incredible journey. Dinner and overnight in Kasese

Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe /departure

Finally your Serengeti and Rwenzori adventure comes to an end carrying with you an memories of a life adventure through the heart of East Africa. You start your day with breakfast after which you will either fly to Entebbe or transfer by road crossing through different cities and Uganda’s countryside. Upon arrival at Entebbe you will catch your flight for your next destination or check in at your accommodation.

End of the 16-Day Serengeti Ngorongoro And Rwenzori Adventure