How much does it cost to hike Mountain Rwenzori?

How much does it cost to hike Mountain Rwenzori?: Several factors affect the hiking prices of Mountain Rwenzori. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori starts from $2000 and the price goes above, the price for hiking varies from cheap to budget to luxury operators selling hiking packages. The cheapest way to hike Mountain Rwenzori still involves a guide, a porter, and a chef. A minimum of $2000 can help you climb mountain Rwenzori for a number of days.

Factors affecting the cost of Mountain Rwenzori hiking

Hiking Route choice

There are so far three hiking trails on Rwenzori mountains that take hikers to the summit. The Central circuit trail, Kilembe trail, and Bukurungu trail on different sides of the mountain. Each trail has got different days to reach the summit some being short and others long. The trail used will determine the cost of the hiking because the more the days the more the price and the reverse is true.

Food, water, and transportation cost

Every hiker needs food, water, and transportation of excess luggage for all the days they be hiking Rwenzori mountains. Food and water can cost about $10 to $20 per day while the porters’ fee may be $10 to 15 dollars a day. This means that the total cost will depend on the number of days one will hike Rwenzori mountains.

Before and hiking Mountain Rwenzori

Accommodation

Hikers starting from Kampala/Entebbe or even areas near Rwenzori Mountains national park will have to stay a night in an accommodation near the park before or after hiking. The accommodation facilities around Mountain Rwenzori national park range from budget to mid-range to luxury options. A hiker will need about $100 to $300 per night for accommodation before and after hiking.

Gear cost

To hike mountain Rwenzori, you need a gear list that includes everything you will need for a safari to be successful. Travelers who have ever hiked before may have the hiking gear so those will save however those who don’t have will need to look for money and buy. Gear list includes a sleeping bag, backpack, long-sleeved clothes, long-sleeved shirts, body belt, stocks, waterproof hiking shoes, ankle gaiters, sunglasses, hats, gloves, toilet tissue, torch, travel towel, wet wipes, headlamp, insect repellent, sunscreen, drinking water bottle, energy giving snacks, a camera, and a pair of binoculars.

How to save while hiking Mountain Rwenzori

Hike in the low season

Hikers who are looking at the cheapest way to hike Mountain Rwenzori should visit the mountain during the rainy season. The rainy season is called the low season in Rwenzori Mountains national park because that is when a few tourists hike the mountain. The season is characterized by too much rainfall which spoils the activity and most tourists end up coming in the dry season.

When the hikers are few in the park, what service providers do is to reduce the prices of the packages to attract those few that come. In the end, the price of the tour packages reduce and the hikers save. Hikers who climb Rwenzori mountains in the low season need to be prepared for heavy rainfall that is received at any time of the day.

Travel as a group

Traveling as a group can help tourists to save in one way or another. The transport and accommodation are shared which does reduce the cost of the package. Hikers can visit mountain Rwenzori as a family or friends and those that don’t have a group can ask their tour operators to join them with others.

Travel to Rwenzori mountains by road transport

Rwenzori Mountains national park can be accessed by both air transport and road transport. Tourists who are looking at having cheap hiking safaris on Mountain Rwenzori are advised to use the road means of transport to travel to the park. By road transport, it takes 7 to 8 hours to access Rwenzori Mountains and the time taken depends of the speed of the driver as well as the nature of the roads.

By road transport, tourists from Kampala/Entebbe can drive through Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal, and then Bundibugyo. Tourists can also drive from Entebbe/Kampala drive through Mpigi, Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Kasese to Rwenzori Mountains national park where Mount Rwenzori is found.

Hike for a few days

Hiking Mountain Rwenzori to the summit takes 7 to 9 days but if you are looking at saving, then you need to hike for a few days. The fastest hikers can get to the summit in a few days compared to slow hikers. When a hiker takes a few days it means that they will save on food, accommodation, porters, and guide fees for the other days. Hikers are advised to be physically fit in order to get to the summit of Rwenzori in fewer days.

Deal with an affordable tour operator

Different service providers are in Rwenzori Mountains national park to help travelers from different parts of the world hike to the summit of Rwenzori Mountain. These service providers are of budget, mid-range, and luxury services, and whichever you will use will determine the cost of the safari. Every service provider has their own prices and different services they offer.