Mgahinga National Park is in East Africa’s Kisoro district, south western Uganda. Among the Virunga volcanic mountain range of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda noted for Mountain gorilla safaris is Mgahinga gorilla national park. Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda surround Uganda’s smallest national park.

Of the three volcanoes in Mgahinga gorilla national park—Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhabura—all of which fall within the six Virunga Mountains Mgahinga National Park has the Golden Monkeys and the threatened mountain gorilla.  Comprising lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests and mountain bamboo, the park is a tropical rain forest.

Among Uganda’s ten National Parks for tourism, Mgahinga National Park is the second one designed for especially gorilla tourism. You should not miss this park while visiting Uganda; it is very beautiful. Uganda Wildlife Authority, a government agency in charge of all the conservation sites in the country, manages it.

What should one do and see at Mgahinga National Park?

Mgahinga national park is worth your time and visit since Uganda as a nation is blessed with variety to see and do as stated below.

Gorilla Trekking inside Mgahinga National Park

Another remarkable location in Uganda for the great gorilla tourism is Mgahinga National Park. Visiting the rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, gorilla trekking allows one to appreciate their beauty, movement, feeding, and manner of existence. Amazing to see, the gorillas are reported to contain 99% of the human DNA.

Every day hiking is possible in Mgahinga National Park because to one habituation gorilla family known as Nyakagezi gorilla family. Once you locate the gorillas, just eight guests are permitted to visit pay for only one hour of viewing.

You must have a valid gorilla permit obtained from Uganda Wildlife Authority for your intended date of travel for USD800 for Foreign Non-Residents, USD700 for Foreign Residents, and Uganda shillings 300,000 for East African nationals if you want a successful gorilla trip in Mgahinga national park.

One day of the trip, you will drive to the Park Headquarters for a training on the rules to follow while in the forest and with the gorillas; expert guide and Park rangers will go with you into the deep rain forest on the mountain slopes. The lifelong experience of seeing mountain gorillas in their native environment makes the trip—through thick undergrowth and up hard climbs— amply repaid.

Sharing in their everyday life and seeing their daily routines, you will get a chance to be within 7-5 meters of these amazing apes. After one hour of gorilla watching, you will be back at the starting site to pick up a certificate for a successful gorilla trip.

Trekking golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park

Also uncommon primates worldwide, golden monkeys are fortunate to still exist in Mgahinga national park. One of the main activities in the park that distinguishes Mgahinga Gorilla National Park as unique is Golden Monkey Monitoring. Based on the Uganda Wildlife Authority Tariff , two populations of golden monkeys have been settled for trekking; their permit is USD 100.

Starting early in the morning at 7:00 am, the walk proceeds with a briefing at the park headquarters on dos and avoid rules while in the forest. Later on, you begin your stroll into the forest under park guides and Rangers till you come across the golden Monkeys and are allowed to spend one hour seeing them. The golden monkeys are limited in East Africa to Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

Mgahinga National Park Volcano Climbing and Hiking

Mgahinga gorilla national park, especially well-known for Volcano climbing of the gahinga Ranges, is equally appealing to people interested in hiking.  Depending on your level of fitness, you may choose to climb Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhabura or another of the three Virunga mountain chains.

Following a rocky slope up to the summit, Mountain Gahinga, the smallest mountain at 3474m, takes roughly six hours to ascent and descend; Mountain Sabinyo is at 3,669m and follows. Top crowned by a swamp-filled crater and enormous lobelia.  At 4,157m Mountain Muhavura is the highest summit; the 15km round trek takes eight hours.

Once reaching the summit, hikers are rewarded on a clear day with views of the Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Edward, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the summits of the Rwenzori Mountain.If you are fortunate enough at Mgahinga National Park, your volcano hiking adventure offers a chance to witness many tree types, birdlife, Forest Elephants, Primates and Gorillas.

Mgahinga National Park Batwa Cultural Experience

One of the attractions of the gorilla safari in Uganda, Mgahinga national park housed Batwa Pygmies in the bush who were removed as a conservation measure of the threatened apes and monkeys, is cultural experience. As they present you to their traditional forest existence, the Batwa cultural encounter will expose you their distinct culture, dance, manner of life, cuisine they consume.

The Batwa will lead into the forest in which they exhibit their traditional forest life—hunting, fruit picking, honey collection, ceremonial activities among others—along the walk. These batwa paths pay a charge to help the lives of the nearby villages as well as to value culture. Children’s donations are widely valued, as are purchases made by soverniors for women organizations, so strengthening the community. For a fantastic experience, visit Mgahinga national park with Katland Safaris.

Bird viewing at Mgahinga National Park

For individuals fascinated in bird species, Mgahinga national park is one of the greatest activities available. Thus far there are around 79 bird species in the park, including numerous species native to the East Congo Montane area where Mgahinga is located.

The Dusky Turtle Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Kivu-ground Thrush, Olive Thrush, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bronze Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Black-headed Waxcomb Birding occurs in the canyon between Mountain Gahinga and Sabinyo as well as in the forest Age; the birding path is around four-hour trek guided by guides helping you to identify the noises and the species. We do provide skilled guides armed with birding expertise and birding tours.

Walking in the forest is nature.

Nature walk paths created by Uganda’s wildlife Authority for guided visits in Mgahinga National Park  Depending on the time the tourist arrives, the guided walks may begin at any point of the day. During the excursions, you will be able to see many more tree species, forest birds, marshes, Lakes including Lake Mutanda, Lake Chahafi and many more. You will be taken on many routes for an exciting encounter.

How can one visit Mgahinga National Park?

From Kigali in Rwanda, Mgahinga gorilla National Park is conveniently accessible via the Chanika border between Uganda and Rwanda four hours’ drive away. Starting at the Airport /hotel with a city tour of Kigali and then crossing into the Kisoro area in Uganda for lunch and overnight, the trip from Kigali may From Entebbe/Kampala, you may also reach Mgahinga National park by driving around nine to ten hours via Kampala-Mbarara- Kisoro route.

Flying from Entebbe international Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip also provides an alternative; the journey takes two hours into Kisoro Airstrip. Aerolink Uganda and other air companies have regular flights leaving every day; charter flights are also available. We may arrange your travel and you visit other parks in addition to Mgahinga national for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Where inside Mgahinga National Park should one stay?

There are many lodging options in Mgahinga National Park where you may spend your trip. Most of the lodges are located in the forest’s out skirts, where one may clearly see the mountain ranges. The Lodges go from Budget to premium; among them are the premium hotel Gahinga Lodge and the midrange and budget-conscious Lake Muhele Lodge.

Staying in motels in Kisoro town—the town is just thirty minutes’ drive from the Park headquarters—is another choice. About one hour’s drive to Mgahinga National Park, some of the visitors choose to stay at Lodges/Camps in Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Why would one book with Katland safaris to Mgahinga National Park?

Experience Mgahinga national Park, the rest of Uganda, and East Africa generally with Katland safaris.  Get in touch with our exclusive offers and also customised travel plans.

Our magic in arranging real experience comes from the fact that we have gradually established a team blended with youthful and vibrant people supervised by highly experienced senior managers and directors who are Ugandans and enthusiastic about what they do. On trip Advisor and safari reservations, Katland Safaris is highly recommended and reviewed to enable you to benefit from the experiences of the other guests who have flown with us.