Mount. Muhabura

Mount. Muhabura is an extinct volcano straddling the border of Uganda and Rwanda. With an elevation of 4,127 meters above sea level, this volcano stands as the 3^rd tallest among the Virunga chain volcanoes. The Virunga massif is an interesting series of eight linked volcanoes shared by the three major tourism destinations – Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. This area is the only haven of mountain gorillas in the whole world, plus Bwindi impenetrable national park in southern Uganda.

Mount. Muhabura in Rwanda or sometimes referred to as Muhavura in Uganda derives its beautiful name (Muhabura) from the local Kinyarwanda dialect that is translated as a “guide”. Its location along the borderline, within the Albertine rift and Virunga ranges gives fantastic scenery from lush valleys, crystal crater lakes and rolling forests of both Uganda and Rwanda. This makes Mount. Muhabura one of the most preferred hiking destinations in the region.

Hiking Mount. Muhabura

For visitors interested in hiking this iconic volcano, the good news is that; even without prior booking you can secure a climbing permit on ground. In Rwanda, permits can only be purchased at the park head office in Kinigi, while in Uganda you can get a mount. Muhabura hiking permit at Ntebeko Park headquarters in Mgahinga national park. A successful hike usually lasts the whole day and starts at 7:00 am. Hikers are transferred to the base of Muhabura after the briefing by expert guides. The briefing includes background on its formation, location, what to expect and precaution measures to take while on the hike.

Unlike Mount. Sabyinyo which can only be accessed from the Ugandan side, mount. Muhabura can be hiked from either side of the shared borders. Just like most volcanoes in the region, this hike does not come easy, and most people might find it quiet strenuous. It has two points where you can rest and take a breather. The first is at 3116 meters and the last one at 3,885 meters above sea level. Majority of hikers who embark on this adventure usually stop at 3,116m and return because of the harsh slopes but if you are prepared you can surely make it to the top.

However, determined hikers are rewarded for their perseverance, by the majestic views of crystal clear crater at the summit, from where you can take a swim though it tends to be cold due to the high altitude it sits on. And the sightings of peaceful green Rwanda and Uganda country sides dotted with farm lands and lush gardens.

Hiking Mount. Muhabura calls for an individual to be both mentally and physically prepared and capable. It is also advisable to be healthy as it not an easy feat to conquer this volcano.

Hikers are required to carry sturdy climbing boots to manage the slippery and rugged trails, rainproof apparel from jackets, coats and caps as the rain is unpredictable due to its location in the tropics where it can rain any time of the day.

Other activities other than hiking mount. Muhabura.

In addition to hiking mount. Muhabura, climbers can as well incorporate several activities to spice up this adventure. Gorilla trekking adventure can be done either in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park if you hike from the Uganda side or Volcanoes National Park on the Rwandan side.

Gorilla trekking tour gives climbers a one on one physical experience with the largest but gentle primates in the world.

You can further add a game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park for the best Ugandan safari encounter or just mingle with the local community and buy souvenirs to memorize your tour in Africa.

Best time to hike Mount. Muhabura.

It has been confirmed that the best time to visit a given destination entirely depends on the preference of the guest. Majority of travelers prefer to visit in the dry season which usually starts from December to early March and then June to September. More adventurous hikers will go for the rainy season when trails are even more challenging and deemed more worthy when you conquer the summit.

When looking for the next challenging ranges to hike around the world, consider the Virunga ranges with mount. Muhabura topping the bucket list of all eight volcanoes. You could also add extra adventure activities like wildlife safaris, gorilla trekking or mingling with the friendly locals around Muhabura Mountain.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

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Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

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Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.Game drive security is assured.Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

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