Karangura Waterfalls Hike: Things to do in Fort Portal
The Karangura waterfall hike is one of the things that one can do while in Fort Portal and spend time outdoors connecting with nature on foot. The hike offers a different experience from the famous game viewing safaris that most visitors to Uganda travel for. The waterfall hike takes you through the communities that live on the foothills of Mount Rwenzori and near Rwenzori Mountains National Park. For this hike, hiking to the waterfalls is the main aim of the hike however there is another hiking trail that involves hiking to the Karangura Peak (3.012m) which also is through the community and the park with the main aim of getting to the Karangura Peak.
On a Saturday morning (25th January, 2025) we decided to go hiking to Karangura waterfalls. Our meeting point was at Don Fuel station in Fort Portal city at 7:30 am. It was a cold morning but the excitement of hiking was really what was on our minds as we were looking forward to spending time connecting with nature and experiencing Mount Rwenzori. We had brief introductions here and then stopped by a nearby grocery shop to purchase some snacks and eats. The grocery store had fresh passion fruit juice on sale so we had a glass of juice each and then started the journey to the starting point of our hike.
We set off from Don Fuel station driving along the Fort Portal – Bundibugyo road to Kazingo trading centre. The drive to the starting point is scenic with lush landscapes. As you approach Kazingo town, you start to visibly see the Rwenzori Mountain ranges. We arrived at Karangura Sub county local government offices which was our main starting point at about 8:20 am, parked the cars and then started the hike to Karangura waterfalls.
As we started the hike we came across locals along the way who were heading to the trading centre and some had already started their day, one of the locals was sweeping her compound which is one of the main chores that people in Uganda do when they get up.
The start of the hike is of course not as steep and after walking for about 10 minutes we came across a river stream that was flowing down from the mountains. This was exciting to see so we stopped here, took some photos and spent time watching the sound of the water.
We then continued hiking this time the more we walked the steeper it got. The Karangura hike is amazing because you get to experience the lush mountain ranges, you get a glimpse into the life of the locals and you enjoy spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains and Fort Portal. We stopped along the way and greeted some of the locals that we met in our local language (Rutooro), most of the locals seem curious to see you hiking in the mountains and are very friendly. We met a woman who was carrying firewood on her back and she asked us where we were heading to, we told her to the Karangura waterfalls. She sighed and said “You still have a long way to go that is too far, will you people manage?” We replied that yes we will and she wished us well and went on with her day. By this time we had hiked for about one hour, we stopped a few meters ahead and reached a point where we were able to see an expansive view of the ranges, Lake Saka and Fort Portal city further ahead. The views here were stunning!
We then continued hiking, stopping along the way to watch small streams of water from the mountains and crossing through small wooden bridges. As you hike you come across the local’s gardens with some of the gardens having the owners tilling the land, some were planting and others were harvesting. The gardens had crops that included bananas, yams, beans and we also came across a garden with peas.
As time went on we continued hiking as we were almost approaching the waterfalls. You would see them from afar as we approached the waterfalls and they were surrounded by green vegetation and wild flowers. Of course for someone hiking there is a level of excitement that you get when you can see the waterfalls from a distance and you instantly feel encouragement to get to them. We hiked down to the first section of the waterfalls, we stopped here enjoyed the view, took some photos and then crossed over the stream of water to now hike to the second section of the waterfalls.
The hike up here is steep so it takes a few minutes to get there but the views and the time spent at the waterfalls is so worth it. The Karangura waterfalls are a beauty! Water gushing from the top and splashing on the rocks with a loud splatter before joining the stream of river and flowing down. The waterfalls are worth the hours of hiking as once you get there you feel a sense of peace and generally appreciate the beauty of nature. We were in awe of how large the waterfalls were and spent time here taking photos, watching the waterfalls before embarking on the journey back down.
A few minutes after leaving the waterfalls, we stopped somewhere along the way to rest, eat our snacks and fruits before continuing with our journey. The journey back down was still along the community trail, we enjoyed views of the mountain ranger, there was a drizzle along the way but it did not rain heavily. We arrived back at Karangura Sub county local government offices at 2:50 pm, rested a bit here before ending our day by transferring back to Fort Portal city.
The hike was amazing, time spent interacting with the locals was great, the views were stunning and the Karangura waterfalls were a beauty to behold!
Duration of the hike – 5 -7 hours depending on your fitness levels.
What to Pack
- Sun hat
- Long sleeved trousers and pants
- Snacks (we usually recommend you use non-polythene bags when packing your snacks to avoid littering the environment)
- Drinking water
- Hand gloves
- Good hiking shoes
- Waterproof jacket and bag
Fitness Levels
The hike can be done by someone who is of average fitness level. For people who have spent years hiking, this is an easy hike for them as it is not that steep compared to other hiking destinations. Time spent on the hike depends on your own fitness levels. We usually recommend preparing for the hike in advance so as to be physically fit for the day of hiking.
The Karangura waterfalls hike is a great option for someone who is visiting Fort Portal and would like to spend a day experiencing the outdoors and get out of the city. The one day hike is also a great activity to combine with a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park or Semuliki National Park. One gets to combine hiking with a wildlife safari to any of these parks.
