With the gorilla tracking adventure at the forefront of any safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there is something for you – the intrepid traveler who wants to try something new and out of the ordinary. The good news is you can hike to Uganda’s most hard-to-reach mountain peaks with this 3-Day Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Adventure.
A hike to the top of Mount Sabyinyo is an adventure of its own. Sabyinyo is one of the original eight Virunga volcanoes and particularly one of the three mountains that inhabit the Mgahinga region in Uganda.
Visit this region and experience the beauty from the elevations in Mgahinga National Park. This 3-Day Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Adventure brings you to a point where the three countries meet at an elevation of 3669m above sea level.
3-Day Sabyinyo Hiking Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Mount Sabyinyo in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Day 2: Hike to the top of Mount Sabyinyo
- Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
Detailed 3-Day Sabyinyo Hiking Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Mount Sabyinyo in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Leave Kigali in reasonable time and head to the very southwestern tip of Uganda; about 3 – 4.5 hours’ drive from Rwanda’s capital – Kigali on this day of your 3-day Mount Sabyinyo hiking adventure.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is not only famous for its huge black apes: it also offers outstanding extinct volcanoes. Situated at the very North of the Virunga massif, the Park hosts three towering volcanoes which can be climbed: the highest Mt. Muhabura (4,127 m), Mt. Sabyinyo (3,669 m), and Mt. Gahinga (3,474 m).
Mount Sabyinyo, loosely translated as “the old man’s teeth” in Kinyarwanda / Kifumbira, derives its name from its distinctive, multi-peaked outline. Pass through Rwanda’s northern region and enter Uganda through Cyanika / Kisoro border. Check in at your lodge for relaxation, supper, and sleep awaiting the next day’s adventure.
Day 2: Hike to the top of Mount Sabyinyo
Wake up as early as 7:00 am on the second day of your 3-Day Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Adventure, have breakfast, and head to the starting point for a pre-hike briefing. The guide will give you important information about the hike, what to expect, and general preparations for this day-long adventure. Mount Sabyinyo’s hike passes through three of the volcano’s five peaks, the last one culminating at 3669 meters above sea level. Rain can be expected at any time, so the path becomes muddy and at some points slippery. Take a bamboo/walking stick with you to provide extra support (soon to become your best pal, especially when it rains), and the trek leaves at around 8:00 am.
The slope up is initially very gentle, almost flat, but very muddy– proper hiking boots (or even gumboots, for rent at the base camp) are highly recommended. Bushy areas succeed grassy patches, the air is fresh and full of flowery scents. Soon, you will make a first stop and contemplate today’s menu. In the distance, the old man is smiling at you, his teeth bare, signaling that the adventure has just commenced.
Continue climbing, and after about one hour, you penetrate into a primary forest, and the trail leads you through bamboos. As you reach the mountain base, after about 2 hours or more of trekking, bamboos are replaced by sinuous, high, ghostly trees. Pale green lichen covers the branches. It is at this point that a Rwenzori Turaco, endemic to the region can be sighted. Spot it as it flies away, portraying its magnificent rainbow wings.
The ascent soon becomes somewhat strenuous, but the effort is rewarded by the stunning view between the trees: strings of fog run along the bright green, steep volcano flanks, and soon you reach Sabyinyo’s first peak at 3423 m. peculiar, giant phallic plants (lobelia) dominate at this altitude. When the weather is clear, you can see Congolese towns ahead, and to the left, houses, trees, farms, and fields sketch lines and squares; typical of Rwanda’s settlement patterns. On the right, you see Uganda, green and wild as far as the eye can see. The ascent continues until you reach the next peak at 3537 m after 45 minutes.
The hike remains steep nonetheless, rugged and vertiginous, broken up by muddy trails and branch ladders. The altitude intensifies the effort. Finally, you realize that you’ve made it to the top. Enjoy your packed lunch and some sun rays at 3668 m. It is hard to fully realize that you are in three East African countries at the same time. Admire the beauty of tiny tidy fields and farms in Rwanda and the local towns of D. R. Congo in the distance. Embark on a descent downhill and at around 7:30 pm, you are back at the lodge, proud and weary. This unforgiving yet rewarding hike will stay in your memories forever.
Day 3: Transfer back to Kigali
Have a leisurely breakfast on this last day of the 3-Day Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Adventure, after which you depart Mgahinga National Park for Kigali through the scenic return journey via Kisoro and Musanze districts in Uganda and Rwanda respectively. While on your return journey, do not miss a stopover at various plantations and vantage points to capture a picture or two. Arrive in Kigali in the early hours of the evening. This 3 days Mount Sabyinyo hiking tour ends with a drop-off at your preferred hotel or at Kigali Airport.
End of 3-Day Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Adventure.
