Mount Elgon National Park covers an old volcano on Uganda’s border with Kenya, in the east of the country. It has been a national park since the early 1990s, and together with the Kenyan side it is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve.
At the top is a huge crater, one of the largest intact volcanic calderas in the world, with hot springs and open moorland. The highest point, Wagagai Peak, stands at 4,321 metres. Treks here are quieter than on Kilimanjaro or the Rwenzori, and you often meet no other groups. More than 300 bird species live on the mountain, including the bearded vulture.
The Bagisu, also called Bamasaba, honour the mountain as their ancestor Masaba, and the Sabiny live on the northern slopes around Kapchorwa. Many families grow Arabica coffee, and a farm visit, from picking to roasting, is a lovely afternoon. Every even-numbered year, mainly in August, the Bagisu hold Imbalu, their circumcision ceremony; it is something to learn about with respect, not a show. The coffee farm visit is hosted by the farming family and included in your trip, so what you pay goes to them.
The driest months are June to August and December to March. April and May, and September to November, bring heavy rain.
Mount Elgon is one of the closest parks to Kampala: allow 5 to 6 hours by road to Mbale or Sipi, and about 1 hour more from Entebbe. There are no scheduled flights.
Summit treks are Level 5, Strenuous: several long days, cold nights near freezing at the top, and altitude above 4,000 metres. Day hikes on the mountain are Level 4, Challenging. Kitum Cave, often linked with Elgon, is on the Kenyan side, not in this park. For history lovers, the Nyero rock paintings near Kumi can be added on the way. UWA’s current prices are valid to 31 December 2026; new UWA prices start on 1 January 2027.
An old volcano on the Kenya border with quiet summit treks, forest trails, coffee farms and Bagisu and Sabiny villages.
