Uganda Expedition: Rwenzori Mountains, Wildlife Safaris & Gorilla Trekking
11 days of mountain trekking, wildlife encounters and exploring Uganda with the USVE community.
At the end of September, we headed to Uganda for an 11-day expedition combining a challenging trek through the Rwenzori Mountains, wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi and a visit to community project sites in Masaka.
It was a trip with a bit of everything. We spent five days trekking through dense rainforest, alpine valleys and some of the most unique mountain landscapes in Africa, reaching Weismann’s Peak at 4,620 m. From there, we swapped our hiking boots for safari vehicles and boats, spotting wildlife across Queen Elizabeth National Park before heading into the rainforest to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Alongside the big adventures, there was time to experience more of Uganda, from its beautiful countryside and local communities to the quieter moments shared along the way.
It was a full-on expedition, with long trekking days, early starts and plenty of ground to cover, but also an opportunity to experience several completely different sides of the country in one trip.
🏔️ Rwenzori Mountains Hiking
📍 Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda
Our expedition began in the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon.
Over five days, the group trekked more than 60 km through changing landscapes, starting in the tropical rainforest before climbing into bamboo forests, giant heather zones and the dramatic alpine terrain higher up the mountains.
Each day brought something different. We crossed streams and wooden bridges, made our way through moss-covered forests, navigated boggy mountain trails and climbed higher above the valleys below. As we gained altitude, the vegetation changed and the views became increasingly impressive.
We spent nights at mountain camps along the route, gradually acclimatising as we made our way towards Lake Kitandara and prepared for the biggest challenge of the trek.
The highlight came on summit day, with an early start and a long push towards Weismann’s Peak at approximately 4,620 m. The ascent took us across steep slopes and rocky ridges, with incredible views opening up across the surrounding mountains.
Reaching the summit was a huge achievement after several demanding days on the trail. From there, we descended back to camp before completing the final stretch down through the mountains and returning to the trailhead at Nyakalengija.
Five days in the mountains made for a pretty memorable start to the expedition, and a serious challenge for everyone involved.
🐘 Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari
📍 Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
After five days of trekking, it was time to leave the mountains behind and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a completely different kind of adventure.
We started with an early morning game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, keeping an eye out for some of Uganda's incredible wildlife. The area is home to elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs and waterbucks, with the possibility of spotting lions and leopards along the way.
After some time to relax at the lodge, we headed out onto the Kazinga Channel for an afternoon boat cruise.
The channel is known for its high concentrations of hippos and its impressive variety of birdlife, with elephants and buffaloes often gathering along the water's edge. Seeing the park from the water offered a different perspective from the morning's game drive and gave us more time to take in the surrounding landscape.
The following day, we travelled through the Ishasha sector, an area famous for its tree-climbing lions. We explored the savannah in search of them before continuing towards Bwindi, passing rolling hills, terraced farmland and local villages along the way.
It was a welcome change of pace after the mountain trek, with plenty of opportunities to see Uganda's wildlife and landscapes from a different perspective.
🦍 Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
📍 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
One of the biggest highlights of the expedition was heading into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a mountain gorilla trekking experience.
Bwindi is home to a significant proportion of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, making it one of the most important places for seeing these incredible animals in the wild.
The day began with a briefing from the park rangers before we set off into the dense rainforest with our guides to search for a habituated gorilla family.
Unlike a traditional wildlife safari, gorilla trekking takes you on foot through the forest, with the length and difficulty of the trek depending on where the gorillas are located. It can mean navigating steep terrain, thick vegetation and muddy trails before reaching the group.
Once we found them, we had the opportunity to spend an hour observing the gorillas in their natural habitat, watching their behaviour and interactions at close range.
It was a very different experience from the mountain trek and game drives, but just as special in its own way. Being able to observe these animals in the wild was a memorable part of the trip and a reminder of the importance of protecting their habitat.
🌍 Kayazanga & Community Project Visits
📍 Uganda
The expedition wasn't just about mountains and wildlife. The final part of the trip also took us to Masaka, where we spent time visiting project sites and learning more about the work happening within local communities.
After days spent trekking through the mountains and exploring Uganda's national parks, this was an opportunity to experience another side of the country and connect the adventure with the communities and projects on the ground.
We spent 1 October visiting project sites before travelling back towards Entebbe the following day for our return flights.
It was a different kind of experience to the trekking and safari sections of the trip, rounding out 11 days that had taken us across some very different landscapes and experiences.
📸 The Uganda Expedition
11 days. Mountains, wildlife and a whole lot of adventure.
From trekking above 4,000 m in the Rwenzori Mountains to spotting wildlife on safari and coming face to face with mountain gorillas in Bwindi, Uganda gave us an incredible variety of experiences in one expedition.
There were challenging days, early mornings, long journeys and plenty of new things to take in. But bringing all these different experiences together was what made the trip so special.
A huge part of what makes these expeditions memorable is sharing them with the USVE community, taking on challenges together and experiencing places that stay with you long after you've returned home.
Until the next adventure.
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