A breathtaking labyrinth of trails weaves along mountain foothills, plunges into deep verdant valleys, edges the densest of jungle, and takes you from one one jaw-dropping landscape to the next. Welcome to the wild heart of East Africa.
Superb trails, amazing countryside, gorillas and chimps were fantastic. Great fun talking to the locals en route.
Great local team to guide us and attend to our needs.
Tours in: Multi-CountryUganda
DestinationsUganda, Rwanda
Tour MeetsEntebbe, Uganda
Fly in toEntebbe International Airport (EBB)
Group Size2-12 riders
SpiceRoads jerseyWater bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)Airport pick upAirport drop offAccommodationSnacks and drinksEntrance feesFerry/boat faresTrekking
International flightsVisa feesAlcoholTips
This is a challenging off road ride with 95 % of the cycling on dirt terrain and 22% of that is single track. We cycle 584 kms in 11 cycling days and climb a total of 9607 m. This is a tough trip due to the amount of ascending and the dirt terrain. However, there are many options to adjust the days' ride in length and or difficulty with the region's vast network of trails. Your knowledgeable local guide will be there to assist you on route options each day.
Vehicle support, which allows cyclists the option to get into the truck, is available on all cycling days, however it will be limited on certain days. When riding on single track the vehicle will meet the group at predetermined points. This will be the case on days 2, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 13. Your guide will give a full briefing the night before the ride.
Suitability: This trip is designed for the experienced cyclist with a high level of fitness. The many climbs we’ll be doing, means that this is a tough trip, and you'll enjoy it much more if you have a good level of stamina and fitness. The distances and gradient each day are not extreme, but getting into the best shape possible for the trip will ensure you get the most from your holiday.
Biking Conditions: Dirt trails over rough terrain, through river beds, and over stony mountain ridges demand good technical skills in handling balance, steering and braking. Experience riding on single track and dirt roads is strongly recommended.
Welcome to Uganda! We will pick you up from the airport and transfer to our nearby hotel in Entebbe. We meet tonight for a trip briefing and dinner.
ViaVia Guesthouse
DinnerA long morning transfer takes us to Fort Portal and to the edge of Uganda's rainforest. Though there is no longer a fort, the town is known as the heartland of the nearby tea-growing area and sits under the majestic Rwenzori Mountains. After lunch we will test the bikes with a 25 km ride through small villages and the countryside. End the day with a sundowner at one of the most beautiful crater lakes in the area.
Ruwenzori View GuesthouseBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 25km
+319m
-280mToday is a beautiful and scenic cycle past several volcanic crater lakes and along the Kibale Forest National Park, home to large communities of chimpanzees, over 600 of which live in nests in the tree canopy. We will have a picnic lunch at one of the crater lakes and if it's a hot day we can go for a swim. One highlight today will be crossing the equator and we will stop for a photo op. We transfer two hours in the afternoon and cross over the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway that links Lake Edward and Lake George. We overnight safari-style, sleeping in tents, with animals roaming in and out of the camp and the sounds of hippos and hyenas accompanying our star-lit dinner.
Queen Elizabeth Bush LodgeBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 35km+645mA perfect location for a rest day in an amazing environment full of magnificent wildlife. In the morning we will head out early to do a game drive where we have a good chance of viewing elephants, buffalo, antelopes, track down a pride of lions, or maybe even the odd leopard. We head back to our lodge to rest and in the evening we will go on a boat safari through the Kazinga Channel, which attracts a varied range of animals and birds, with one of the world's largest concentration of hippos and numerous Nile crocodiles.
Queen Elizabeth Bush LodgeBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerAn exciting day as we cycle directly through the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to 95 mammal species and over 500 bird species. We'll have the option of another game drive in the morning or afternoon in addition to the day's ride. We'll ride on a flat, wide gravel road through the savanna and have the chance to see wild animals such as buffaloes, elephants, several types of bocks and maybe even the famous tree-climbing lions whose males sport black manes. Don’t worry, our vehicles will be driving right behind you and you don't need to worry about being lunch for any animals. Our lodge tonight is on the Ntungwe River.
Bullbush River CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 39km+133m-111mA change of scenery today as we leave the flat savanna behind and climb up to the jungle. It is a challenging cycle with just under 1,000 m of ascending ahead of us. We will take a break at a tea plantation on our way up to Buhoma. Considered the world’s capital of gorilla tracking, Buhoma lies at 1,500 metres above sea level. Though the day's ride includes plenty of climbing, the support vehicle will always be available to have a rest. In the afternoon we will go for a short hike along the river and through the village to visit some local projects. Our guesthouse was originally the home to the founders of the community hospital next door. The guesthouse now frequently houses volunteers at the hospital, but also intrepid travelers.
Bwindi GuesthouseBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 60km+931m-395mAnother challenging day of climbing, ranging from single track through rural areas to wide dirtroads straight through the rainforest. We will be on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, thusly named for the thick stands of bamboo and ground cover of ferns, vines, and other plants that severely hinder direct access on foot. This is also home to half the world's population of the highly endangered mountain gorillas. Another big climbing day, but rest assured the support vehicle is nearby if you need to take a break. As we will be high we have some stunning views to take in. It is very likely that we will encounter a monkey or two, and if we are really, really lucky a family of mountain gorillas.
Gorilla Mist CampBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 56km+1535m-735mA highlight of the trip, today our group will go to track wild mountain gorillas in Ruhija, a 10-minute drive from the resort. Due to the nature of tracking wild gorillas, who move throughout the forest in small family groups, tracking is tricky and is conducted based on where rangers believe the groups are and will go that day. To minimize impact of human tourists on the gorillas, tracking group size is kept to a minimum, so there's a chance our group will be split to track separate family groups. Tracking can last anywhere between 1 to 4 hours - remember, these are wild animals moving on their own free will! The rangers are expert trackers, but in some cases it can take some time to find the gorillas. Once they have been located, trackers are allowed to observe for a maximum of 1 hour. You don't get many chances in life when it comes to tracking wild mountain gorillas, so the key to this day is to be flexible and ready to go with the flow!
Gorilla Mist CampBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerWe will cycle straight through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in order to reach civilization again. Though we descend more overall than we climb, it doesn't mean we won't still have some major hills to tackle today. Once out of the forest we will see some impressive terraced fields where the locals grow a variety of crops -- bananas, pineapples, maize, sugarcane. Be sure to look out for island-dotted Lake Bunyonyi in the distance. Meaning “the place of little birds” the lake is believed to be Africa's second deepest and has 29 islands of all shapes and sizes. We will have lunch on the shore of the lake and afterwards you have a choice – take a 45-minute boat ride to the tranquil island where we will stay the night, or continue riding for 20 km more to another boat landing. This boat ride will be just 10 minutes. From our accommodation tonight you will be in a prime position to see and hear the sounds of fluttering herons, cooing cranes and the tweets of weaver birds.
Heritage Habuharo LodgeBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km+692m-887mAfter a refreshing swim in the morning we’ll take the boat 45 minutes to the mainland. Today we cycle to another lake, but there are a few hills in our path. We will be riding up and down most of the day as we pass many villages and farms growing on primarily red dirt roads. The Virunga Volcanoes tower around Lake Mutanda. Six of the volcanoes are dormant, but two erupted as recently as 2010.
Mutanda Lake ResortBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 43km+957m-1204mWe leave our peaceful retreat behind and start cycling along the lake towards the Rwanda border. We again ride on dirt tracks and have some slow and steady climbs ahead of us, but we also have a descent to the border and our overnight in Musanze. From Musanze we will have a front row view onto Volcanoes National Park, where zoologist Dian Fossey had her base. The park remains a haven for the endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkeys.
Hotel MuhaburaBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 65km+792m-773mWe start today with a transfer of just over an hour to the start of our ride, the official Congo Nile Trail named for the mountain range, not the country or river. This 227 km trail along Lake Kivu is popular with hikers and bikers and will give us a clear indication of why Rwanda is called the ‘land of a thousand hills’. Today's ride is 25 km through the beautiful hills of the Congo Nile Trail, followed by a short transfer to the hotel. You have the option of cycling an additional 21 km the evening's accommodation. Cycling this remote track provides us with panoramic views of the Lake Kivu coastline, bright green tea fields and coffee plantations, and an insight into daily Rwandan life. We overnight at a cozy guesthouse on the lake's shore.
Kinunu GuesthouseBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 25km+579mOur last day of cycling won't be any less challenging as we continue on the Congo Nile Trail as it undulates inland and then back to the lake. There are a few long climbs with a gradual gradient into the town of Mabanza, followed by a short transfer to our accommodation for the night.
Rwiza VillageBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km+995m-830mThis morning we say good bye to Lake Kiyu and transfer approximately four hours to Rwanda's capital of Kigali. After lunch we'll have a city tour to give you an orientation and then the remainder of the afternoon is yours. We will meet up again for a farewell dinner to celebrate all the climbing we have accomplished!
Hotel Chez LandoBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerPlease let us know your departure time so we can arrange your drop off at Kigali airport.
BreakfastDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section.
If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, preferably with front suspension in good mechanical order.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
The East African visa application costs US$ 100, and approved visas are valid for 90 days days starting from the issue date. Please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of entry. As part of the application you must upload a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate. Make sure you obtain this before applying for the visa so that you have all documents ready. See here for more information and on overview of the entire process and requirements. Do not leave it to the last minute to submit your application and we suggest doing it no later than 2 weeks before expected arrival.
With no true winter or summer, Uganda has a relatively steady temperature all year. January and February are hottest, averaging 24-33°C up to 40°C further north. The south has rains from mid-September to November and then from March to May. December to February and June to July are “dry seasons” in that there’s less rain. With 1,000 to 2,000 mm in rain annually, it can rain at almost any time. In the north, such as around Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley, there is one continuous wet season from March to November before it goes dry season from December to February.
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Ugandan cuisine draws on English, Arabic, and Asian, especially Indian, influences to cook up local produce. Matooke (green bananas) is boiled or steamed then cooked in or served with a sauce of peanuts, beans, fresh fish, or meat. Luwombo and ugali are traditional Ugandan dishes, comprising a stew of either chicken, beef, mushrooms, or fish steamed in banana leaves. We’ll make sure you get to sample a large variety of local cuisine. Vegetarians may struggle outside of major towns, but we will do our best to cater to any special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking.
The official currency of Uganda is the Ugandan Shilling. US Dollars are widely accepted (make sure they are printed after 2006), but you should have some shillings handy for small purchases. There are ATMs that except foreign VISA cards in the bigger towns and cities, and make sure you plan ahead as most places outside Kampala will not except credit cards.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
The information in this document is given in good faith, and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this trip. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we will always do our best to adhere to this original itinerary
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Our trip riding bicycles across Uganda and Rwanda was delightful. As we have come to expect from SpiceRoads, we were emersed in local culture, had great guides and challenging terrain for our rides. I was a marvelous experience that I would recommend to any cyclist.