Sipi & Sisiyi Falls: 18km Mount Elgon Walking Trek Uganda

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Free cancellation

1/40

Duration5h–7h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Walk 18 Kilometers Between Two of Uganda's Tallest Waterfalls

You walk 18 kilometers over roughly ten hours total (five hours each leg) between Sisiyi Falls and Sipi Falls in Uganda, with a local guide, lunch, and entry to both sites included. The route passes through Mount Elgon communities and takes you past three distinct waterfalls at Sipi, each with its own drop height and character. You'll need a moderate level of fitness and comfortable hiking shoes; public transport can get you to the starting point.

5h–7h

Step-by-step itinerary

Hike from Sisiyi Falls to Sipi Falls

Explore Sisiyi Falls waterfall
Start 18km hike to Sipi Falls
Pass local communities and viewpoints
View Mount Elgon National Park peaks
Tour three drops of Sipi Falls

The Experience

"How far is it really?" someone always asks at the start, and the answer is honest: eighteen kilometers between Sisiyi Falls and Sipi Falls, split across roughly five hours of walking. You begin at Sisiyi, where a single drop of about 75 meters falls into a pool surrounded by thick green vegetation so lush it feels like the forest is holding its breath. The air is cool there, and the sound of the water fills the space completely. From that point, the walk begins in earnest — not a trail you'd call easy, but one that moves through actual places where people live.

The landscape changes as you go. You're walking through communities on the slopes of Mount Elgon, past small farms and settlements, with viewpoints that open up to show you the mountain's highest peaks. Your guide is with you the whole way, and they know the terrain and the people — they'll point out details you'd miss alone, the kind of knowledge that comes from walking this route regularly. After five hours, Sipi Falls appears: three separate drops, each one distinct. The highest reaches about 100 meters, the middle one (the most visited) is around 69 meters, and the third sits at about 65 meters. Each has its own character, its own pool, its own reason to stop and look.

The walk itself is the point. This isn't a quick visit to a waterfall and back to the van — it's a day spent moving through the landscape, seeing how the terrain shifts, noticing the vegetation change as you climb slightly, passing through communities where children might wave or people are working in fields. You get lunch somewhere along the way, and you have bottled water throughout. Entry to both falls is included, which means no separate fees or negotiations at gates. The whole day is structured around the walk itself, not around fitting in as many stops as possible.

What’s included

Your day includes a local guide for the entire 18-kilometer walk, entry fees to both Sipi Falls and Sisiyi Falls, lunch during the trek, and bottled water throughout. You'll start at Sisiyi Falls and walk through Mount Elgon communities to reach Sipi Falls, where you'll see three separate waterfalls before the day ends.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Mt Elgon Voyage

Is this one for you?This trek suits travelers who want to spend a full day walking through landscape and communities rather than stopping briefly at a single waterfall — the 18-kilometer distance is what makes it possible to see two major falls and the terrain between them in one outing.