The Green Highlands Trail is located in Western Uganda and leads you from the high mountainous area of Bwindi down to the beautiful and green Kalisizo close to Lake Victoria. The trail features a hilly route through an unbelievable environment of 1000 shades of green: the tropical rainforest in Bwindi, the vast banana plantations in Mbarara and the exciting plains of Lake Mburo National Park. The green vegetation is made possible by the frequent rainfall (most in the whole of Uganda) and the many lakes such as Mutanda, Mulele, Bunyonyi and Mburo. The Green Highlands Trail consists of 6 stages, has a length of around 400km and contains over 5,000 elevation meters, which is roughly one third of the total amount. So get ready for some climbing and an occasional hike & bike.
Uganda is a country with beauty & diversity second to none and the best way to experience the REAL Uganda is to ride it with a bike, on the ground and amongst its people. There are several cycling trips on offer in Uganda, from a 10-day trip of Western Uganda for the serious MTB fanatic, to a 2- or 3-day easy ride around Mburo National Park. Also on offer is a 9-day Set Departure ride covering many of the iconic spots in Uganda.
The 10-day trip through West-Uganda will be the most unique and beautiful nature and wildlife mountain bike trip you will ever make. You’ll cycle past breath-taking lakes and through the jungle of one of world’s only habitats of mountain gorilla’s, followed by a thrilling safari ride on your iron horse through one of Uganda’s national parks to see lions, buffalo’s, elephants and much more. Experience local culture by riding through beautiful African villages and meeting its friendly inhabitants, while slaloming between magical crater lakes with a backdrop of Uganda’s massive mountains: the Rwenzori’s. Too much to mention!
The shorter 2- or 3-day ride around Lake Mburo NP is ideal for travellers that are keen to cycle amongst zebra and antelopes, an amazing experience! Lake Mburo is a small but very beautiful national park a 4-hour drive from Kampala. The Park hosts many species of wildlife like hippo’s, buffalo, Uganda kob, waterbuck, etc. The tour includes some wonderful rides on the park border where there is plenty of wildlife to be found. Accommodation is in safari tents on a hill with a beautiful view of the area.
The 9-day Set Departure tour have you ride as part of a small group in most of the iconic locations of Uganda and staying in basic but comfortable lodge accommodation along the way. The tour takes you from Kampala to Fort Portal, Kibale, Mburo National Park and back to Entebbe. Along the way there are many cultural and wildlife experiences including trekking for chimps at Kibale, cycling around the lakes, an Agro tour, as well as local food and coffee experiences. Cycling distances and difficulty are adjusted to suit the group.
Who can go?
The 10-day West Uganda trip is for the serious MTB fanatic, so be aware, you’ll have to work for it! You’ll cycle from Fort Portal to Kisoro and then through Lake Mburo and will cover between 200km and 400km with quite some elevation meters. This is not for the faint-hearted, but very much do-able if you have an adequate fitness level.
The 2-and-3-day ride in Mburo NP and the 9-day set departure ride is much easier and anybody with a reasonable fitness level can participate. There are also e-bikes available on request making it a breeze….
The minimum age for all trips is 12 years old.
