What it really costs to trek the Rwenzori — the park fees by who you are (a Ugandan or East African citizen pays far less than a foreign visitor), the crew's published pay, and the two community operators — so you can plan a fair trek and make sure the local porters, guides and cooks are paid properly.
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From Town Tools. For the current version, visit https://www.towntools.org/kasese-kasese-ug/rwenzori-trek-fees
Planning to trek the Rwenzori? It does not set a price; your operator's written quote is what binds.
These fees change very soon — confirm the new tariff
The published UWA tariff runs out on 30 June 2026. UWA usually publishes a new tariff for the next period; once it does, the fees here may change. Confirm the current rates with your operator or UWA before you pay.
These fees change very soon
The published Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) tariff runs only until 30 June 2026. Confirm the new tariff with your operator before you pay — the rates below may already have changed. UWA Conservation Tariff (July 2024 – June 2026)
What the park charges, by residency
Per person, per day. The citizen rate is far lower — if you are East African, you pay it to trek your own mountains.
Fee
East African citizen
Foreign resident
Foreign non-resident
Park entrancePer person, published per day. Whether it is charged each day or once for the trip can vary in practice — confirm with your operator.
USh 15,000per day
$25per day
$35per day
Rwenzori Mountain Hike (the trekking activity fee)Per person per day, on top of park entrance, for a mountain trek.
USh 50,000per day
$40per day
$50per day
East African citizen: Ugandan, Kenyan, Tanzanian, Rwandan, Burundian or South Sudanese — carry a national ID or passport. Many residents don't realise how much lower the citizen rate is.
Foreign resident: A foreign national holding a valid Ugandan work permit or residence — carry proof.
The classic route to Margherita Peak (5,109 m) through the Nyabitaba, John Matte, Bujuku, Elena and Kitandara huts. Most people take 7 days.
Park fees
Paid to the authority for every person, every day. These are published rates — nobody can discount them.
Park entrance (USh 15,000 × 7 days × 2)
USh 210,000
Rwenzori Mountain Hike (the trekking activity fee) (USh 50,000 × 7 days × 2)
USh 700,000
2 people, 7 days
USh 910,000
Crew fees
The authority’s published porter and cook fees, for an estimated 6 porters, 1 guide, 1 cook. Charged through your operator and paid to the crew.
Porter × 6
USh 1,680,000
Cook × 1
USh 210,000
Crew fees
USh 1,890,000
Tips (a courtesy)
A conventional range for the whole crew, not a fixed rule — see the note below.
$196 – $343 for the whole crew
Advertised package
What operators advertise for a trek of this length — a market check, not the fee total.
$1,365 – $1,480
Park fees, crew fees and tips are in different currencies and are never added together — each is what you owe to a different party.
The routes and who runs them
Central Circuit — Margherita summit
Margherita summit
Rwenzori Mountaineering Services (RMS) · from Nyakalengija · typically 7 days
The classic route to Margherita Peak (5,109 m) through the Nyabitaba, John Matte, Bujuku, Elena and Kitandara huts. Most people take 7 days.
Central Circuit — Speke / Bujuku (no Margherita)
Rwenzori Mountaineering Services (RMS) · from Nyakalengija · typically 5 days
A shorter trek into the high valleys and lakes without the technical Margherita summit.
Kilembe Trail — Margherita summit
Margherita summit
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) · from Kilembe · typically 8 days
The southern approach from Kilembe through Sine, Mutinda, Bugata and Margherita camps. Usually 8 days to the summit.
Kilembe Trail — Mutinda / waterfalls (short)
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) · from Kilembe · typically 3 days
A 3–4 day taste of the Rwenzori — the Mutinda Lookout and the waterfalls — without going high.
What the crew is paid
These porter and cook fees are published by UWA in its tariff and are paid to the crew, charged through your operator. UWA publishes no separate ranger-guide fee, so guides are not a UWA fee line — but they should still be paid and tipped fairly.
A porter should carry no more than about 18 kg — a responsible-operator convention to protect the crew, not a law. If you see far heavier loads, ask about it.
Crews should be paid in full on the day you come off the mountain — not held over.
Your guides, porters and cooks are from the local Bakonzo community. Paying the proper rate and a fair tip keeps the money in Kasese.
A quote far below what the park fees plus published crew pay add up to is a sign someone — usually the porters — is being underpaid.
Tipping
Tips are a courtesy, not a fee, and conventions vary — some parties tip per group, others per person, and the per-day figures different operators suggest don't agree. Treat this as a range to plan around, not a fixed bill. A common rule of thumb is to budget roughly 8–12% of the trek price for tips.
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) — 8-day Kilembe Trail + Margherita (incl. park fees)as advertised by Rwenzori Trekking Services, 2025/2026 — total including park fees$1,695
The community operators
Rwenzori Mountaineering Services (RMS)
The community operator of the Central Circuit, from Nyakalengija
These are the published authority fees and conventional crew and tip figures. Your operator’s written quote is what binds — confirm it before you pay.
Park entrance is published “per day”. Whether it is charged per day or once per trip in practice varies — confirm with your operator.
Tips are a courtesy that varies — some groups tip per group, some per person. The figures here are an estimate, never a fixed rule.
This page never sets a price. It shows what an honest, fair-pay trek must at least contain, so the crew — your neighbours — are paid fairly.
For rough context only, about USh 3,800 to the US dollar (checked 28 June 2026) — never used to convert the published fees above.
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) — 7-day Mt Baker & Weismann's (incl. park fees)as advertised by Rwenzori Trekking Services, 2025/2026 — total including park fees
$1,480
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) — 6-day Hunwick's (incl. park fees)as advertised by Rwenzori Trekking Services, 2025/2026 — total including park fees$1,115
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) — 5-day Weismann's (incl. park fees)as advertised by Rwenzori Trekking Services, 2025/2026 — total including park fees$870
Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS) — 3-day Samalira (incl. park fees)as advertised by Rwenzori Trekking Services, 2025/2026 — total including park fees$380