5 days mountain Elgon hiking safari is one of the best hiking experiences that every tourist should never miss. Mount Elgon is an extinct volcanic mountain located on the border of Uganda and Kenya and is the eighth highest mountain in Africa with the largest volcanic base in the world. Wagagai is the highest peak on this mountain with an elevation of 4321m above sea level. Mount Elgon has a diverse range of eco systems, wildlife like elephants, buffaloes, oribi, waterbucks, duikers, and spotted hyenas: primates like de brazza’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and birds like lammergeyer, black-shouldered kites, black collared apalis, Jackson’s francolin, tacazze sunbird, crowned hornbills, yellow-bellied barbets, lanner’s falcon, Meyer’s parrot and many more. The trip starts in Kampala through Jinja to Mbale and back to Kampala.
Day 1: Transfer to Mbale
You will meet with our driver guide from Glory Summit Tours at an agreed point for pickup who will also brief you on how the next 5days are going to be handled before you set off for Mbale. You will then set off for Mbale with a brief stop in Jinja by the bridge for picture moments then continue to Mbale, you will check into your lodging for the night after which you will have lunch then head Sipi falls. Depending on the time you get to Sipi, you will get to enjoy the different levels of the falls with picture moments as you take in the beauty that is within the falls with the help of a local guide. After this beautiful experience you will head back to your lodging for the night, have dinner and rest early to enable your body prepare for the hike coming up.
Day 2: Kapkwata
You will have an early breakfast, and checkout of your lodging, then you will be taken to Kapkwata which is the starting point of your hike at 2190m above sea level. This trail is quite scenic, taking you through bamboo, montane forests, heath and moorland, also look out for animals like elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, waterbucks, bushbucks with some monkeys and birds. You may come across local communities or settlements, respect the local culture and interact with the residents in a friendly and considerate manner. With one stop for lunch, you will proceed to Piswa where you will camp for the night.
Day 3: Hunter’s cave camp 3850m
After breakfast, you will get your stuff well packed and you continue your hike to Hunter’s cave camp at the rim of the caldera. The trail may take you through various vegetation zones, such as montane forests, heath, or moorland, each with its unique features and provide opportunities to observe the diverse flora and fauna of Mount Elgon as you keep an eye out for unique plant species, birds, and wildlife that inhabit the area. You will go through the hot springs and Suam gorge with a lunch break before you get to hunter’s cave where you will rest for the night and also have dinner.
Day 4: Descending
You will have breakfast, and get ready to descend back to Kapkwata. With all your belongings packed, you will set off for your descend and this will take between 6-8hours depending on the pace of individuals. As you descend, you will maintain the same trail as you came up, so you will enjoy the beautiful scenery, the vegetation, the forests, the rivers and springs. With a stopover at Piswa camp for lunch then continue to Kapkwata taking breaks when the need arises. You will get to the starting point in the evening, the driver guide will pick you and take you to the lodging for the night for a good night’s rest after dinner.
Day 5: Checkout and departure
You will check out and have breakfast and prepare for your journey back to Kampala through Jinja. You will have a stopover in Jinja for lunch and a tour the source of the Nile after which you will continue to Kampala and you will be dropped off at an agreed point which will bring this 5day hiking safari to an end.
