If you are craving adventure with culture then this trip is for you. On this 9 day culture and hiking tour in Uganda, you will get the best of both experiences. Your first experience will be with local communities in the countryside by the slopes of Mt Elgon. Thereafter you will spend 4 days hiking and experiencing the beautiful Mt Elgon with its views of waterfalls,vegetation, and caves.
Safari highlights
- Source of River Nile
- Sipi Falls
- Sabiny Culture
- Hiking Mt Elgon
Itinerary
Day 1: On Arrival in Uganda – The Pearl of Africa
On arrival a Kagera Safaris guide will welcome you at Entebbe International Airport and provide information about the safari you are about to take. You will then be transferred to your hotel for overnight.
Drive time – 1 hour
Day 2: Transfer to Jinja – Adventure Capital of East Africa
We start the journey with first a stopover at Sezibwa Falls for a cultural experience on our way to Jinja. The journey to Jinja is through beautiful landscapes of tea and sugarcane plantations, a tropical rain forest, and several homesteads.
On arrival to Jinja, we take a boat trip to source of River Nile on Lake Victoria, you will have an enthusiastic youth sharing about the Nile and its journey to Egypt. After the boat experience, we transfer to Sipi for overnight.
Drive time – 2 hours
Day 3 &4: Cultural experiences on the slopes of Mt Elgon
We will spend time learning and engaging with the Sabiny culture and community. First, we visit the Sipi Widows group on the slopes of Mt Elgon. This is the origin of the finest washed Arabica Coffee. The Sipi Widows’ Group takes you through the coffee plantation demonstrating how to plant, pick, grind, store, and wash the coffee.
We will learn about the Sabiny – participate in traditional weaving, African cuisines – its preparation, cooking and tasting of local dishes and visit the women’s handcraft shop. Proceeds from the tour and shop maintain the coffee trees, raising awareness about the dangers of female circumcision (traditionally practiced in this region), and paying school fees.
We will also trek to the sipi falls for beautiful views of these waterfalls.
Day 5: Hike to Piswa Camp
After breakfast, we will transfer you to Kapkwata at 2190 meters, from where you start your hike of Mt Elgon. It is a scenic route running through the bamboo, heath, and moorland, arriving at the Piswa Camp at 2850 meters. Today’s hike will not be too steep, enjoy the different vegetation covers as you ascend to Piswa camp.
Day 6: Hunters Cave Camp in Mt Elgon
Hike up to the rim of the caldera through beautiful columns of the most rare and endemic plant species like the giant Lobelia Elgonensis. This is a beautiful trip through this vegetation only found at this height in Uganda, look out for the ever beautiful wild Everlasting flowers. On this route, you will pass by the hot springs which make a for a good stopover. On the same trail you find Suam Gorge with beautiful views of the mountain. After the gorge, you hike the last leg to Hunters Cave Camp at 3850 meters.
Day 7: Overnight at Mude Cave Camp
The goal today is to ascend to ascend to the top of the caldera at the Wagagai Peak which is at 4321 meters. The views from the caldera are worth the hike up the mountain. Thereafter we will descend through the Jackson summit (4200 meter) and the Jackson pool to arrive at Mude Cave Camp at 3500 meters for overnight. Mt Elgon has the largest caldera worldwide and is the 4th highest peak in Africa.
Day 8: Descend through the Sasa Trail
Today after an early breakfast you begin the descend through the Sasa trail to Budadiri. We choose to take a different trail so that you are able to experience more of the mountain using a different route. We arrive in Budadiri where our the driver guide will pick you and transfer you back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbale for lunch.
Day 9: End of Mt Elgon Hike – Departure
After a restful night reminiscing of your hike to the second highest peak in Uganda – you transfer to the Airport to start your journey back home. Thank you for exploring this part of Uganda with us…we look forward to plan your next adventure to the Pearl of Africa.
