Compared with the western part of the country, we hardly met any other foreigners in the eastern half of Uganda. This kind of blew our minds, as there are some amazing hiking destinations in this part of the country, like the beautiful Sipi Falls area.
If you’re traveling between the Nile Source at Jinja and Mbale, it’s worth breaking up the journey in Tororo and climbing the prominent rock outcrop that towers over the town.
It’s an easy hike, but there are great views all around from the top, plus you’ll definitely get seriously off Uganda’s tourist trail. Here’s everything you need to know about climbing Tororo Rock.
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A Description of the Hike
Starting from the big roundabout in the centre of Tororo, the easiest way to get to the trailhead is by walking east along Uhuru Road and then turning right (south) after passing Rock High School.
Here, you’ll have to make your way south past a couple of small huts and follow the eastern edge of the hill south until you reach the beginning of the trail at the southeastern point of the hill.
As we had expected by the look of the mountain, the trail climbs pretty steeply the entire time. Instead of just powering up, I recommend stopping once in a while to enjoy the awesome views east towards the Kenyan border. We also spotted some black-and-white casqued hornbills on our way up the mountain
Once you’ve reached the top, there are more amazing views in all directions, including over Tororo Town to the north, over the eastern Ugandan plains to the west and into Kenya to the south and east.
The big factory to the south-west is the home of Tororo Cement, which we saw being lugged around in the backs of trucks all over the country.
On a clear day, you’re even supposed to be able to see Lake Victoria to the south-west. When we were there, it was a bit hazy, however, and we couldn’t spot it ourselves. Once you’ve seen enough, you can simply return the same way you came.
Where to Stay in Tororo
Budget: Blue Mountain Guesthouse (+256752740935) or La Woods Guesthouse
Midrange: Mamikki Hotel Apartments (pictured)
Luxury: Mamikki Farm and Cottages
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Map of the Tororo Rock Hike
This map of Tororo Rock shows the exact route that we took to the top.
Tororo Rock Elevation Profile
This is the elevation profile for the hike starting at the roundabout in the centre of Tororo. The real climb up to the summit only starts in the last third of the hike.
What Else to See in Tororo
To be honest, we didn’t find much else of interest in Tororo, except maybe some traces of its former grandeur.
Once, this used to be one of the biggest cities in the country, which is still clear to see by the broad avenues and some faded colonial-style houses. There are also two small Hindu temples in the town centre.
Practicalities
How to Get to Tororo?
Tororo is in the southeastern part of Uganda, close to the border with Kenya. You can get there by matatu (shared taxi) from the bigger cities of Mbale to the north and Jinja to the west.
It lies about halfway between these two cities, but the direct road bypasses Tororo, so you need to take a direct connection to Tororo from either city.
The trip from Mbale to Tororo should take about an hour, and the trip from Jinja to Tororo would be about three hours. The border town of Malaba is a 15-minute matatu or boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) ride to the east.
Where to Leave Your Luggage?
We stopped in Tororo on our way between Jinja and Mbale, so we arrived with one matatu and planned to leave with another. This meant that we had to leave our luggage somewhere in town before climbing the mountain.
We asked at the Blue Mountain Guesthouse off Uhuru Road, and they were super friendly and agreed to store our luggage for us. They didn’t even ask for any payment, although we obviously gave them a tip afterwards.
There are plenty of other hotels around the roundabout in the centre of town, so you can just ask around.
Do you Need a Guide?
It’s a very easy hike and we did it ourselves, although we met a guy on the way to the trailhead, who wanted to convince us otherwise.
How Long Does the Hike Take?
The hike from the centre of town to the top and back down is about 5km (3mi.). The whole trip up and down the rock took us about 1.5 hours with plenty of time at the top to enjoy the views.
The Best Hotels in Tororo
We visited Tororo on our way from Jinja to Mbale, so we only spent a few hours in town.
If you want to stay the night, there are plenty of hotels in the town centre, like the Blue Mountain Guesthouse, whose staff was super friendly and helpful when we asked them to look after our luggage. La Woods Guesthouse would be another affordable option.
Mamikki Hotel Apartments is one of a handful of midrange options and Mamikki Farm and Cottages is the most luxurious place around, but it’s about 8km outside of town.
Where to Go Next
Jinja, home to the source of the Nile