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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of Uganda’s most treasured safari parks for gorilla trekking and volcano hiking. This was once home to the Batwa pygmies, who lived as hunters and fruit gatherers in the tropical forest. The park is within the Virunga Volcanoes, shared between D.R. Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
At 2,227 and 4,127 meters, Mgahinga is set in the far Kisoro district in southwestern Uganda. Accessing it by road can take a 9-10-hour drive from Kampala and only a 2-hour flight from Entebbe Airport. Within the Virunga Mountain ranges, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park holds 3 of the eight Chain Mountains (Muhabura, Gahinga & Sabyinyo).
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was gazetted as a Uganda National Park in 1991, but initially, it was officially a Game Reserve. Its land area coverage is 33.7 sq. km, making it the smallest of 10 National Parks in the Pearl of Africa.
Why visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?
You should consider visiting Mgahinga National Park for many reasons, but the most important is mountain gorilla trekking. The park is set in an area where mountain gorillas range, and it has one fully habituated gorilla family open for gorilla trekking.
Major tourism attractions in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Wildlife/Animals: Mgahinga is a unique wildlife and primate destination, hosting up to 39 mammal species. The popular mammal species of visitor interest on Uganda safaris in this park include the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, spotted hyenas, side-striped jackals, bushbucks, & giant forest hogs. Other wildlife/animals living in this protected area include buffaloes, forest elephants, black-fronted duikers, olive baboons, porcupines, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, golden cats and plenty of bird species.
Bird species: Mgahinga is a significant birding location in Uganda, hosting an incredible Albertine rift endemic species. Over 180 bird species survive in the various habitats in this park, including montane masked apalis, white starred robin, Shelley’s dusky crimson wing, cinnamon bracken warblers, scarlet-tufted malachite, blue-headed sunbird, Doherty’s bush shrike, alpine chat, red-necked spurfowl, African paradise flycatchers, fire finch, dusky turtle dove, brown-crowned tchagra, grey capped warblers, Archer’s robin-ground thrush, Southern red bishop, regal sunbird, yellow-throated long claws, Kivu ground thrush, banded prinia, rufous chested swallow, African paradise flycatchers, cape robin chat, and more.
Gorilla trekking: There are only four places to meet the endangered mountain gorillas in the wild, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of them, with only one habituated group, Nyakagezi. Located in Kisoro, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga begins at Ntebeko with a briefing and a maximum of 8 (eight) visitors are assigned to a single family of gorillas to track.
A normal trek takes 2-6 hours and involves winding through the bamboo forest and steep slopes. Travellers to Mgahinga for gorilla trekking can obtain a valid Uganda gorilla permit at USD 700 per person if they belong to the category of foreign nonresidents; the foreign residents are charged USD 600, and Ugandans plus the rest of East African citizens pay UGX 250,000 (These prices shall operate until the end of June 2024). Like Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and other gorilla trekking destinations, gorilla permits are issued to persons over 15 years old.
Golden monkey tracking: Golden monkey tracking and habituation are necessary on the Mgahinga National Park safari. These are two unique primate adventures offering you a great chance to get up close & personal with the unique golden monkeys, the sub-species of blue monkeys. These are endemic species to the Albertine Rift and Virunga Region, surviving in protected areas such as Volcanoes National Park, Virunga and Mgahinga National Parks.
Volcano hiking: Volcano hiking adventures are conducted ideally in the park’s 3 Virunga Volcanoes: Gahinga (3669m), Muhavura (4127m) and Gahinga (3474m). You require at least a day to conquer any of these Volcanoes’ peaks, and all hikes can be done with the lead of an experienced park guide.
Bird watching/birding: Birding expeditions in Mgahinga National Park are a unique experience waiting for you to enjoy. It offers a remarkable chance to see various resident and Albertine rift endemic species. The birds to be spotted in Mgahinga include the red-faced woodlands, Kivu ground thrush, yellow-vented bulbul, paradise flycatchers, montane masked apalis, brown woodland warblers, Rwenzori batis, streaky seed-eaters, western green tinker bird, crowned cranes, red-necked spurfowl, scarlet tufted sunbird, cinnamon bracken warblers, Archer’s ground robin, cape robin chat, fire finch stonechat, Chubb’s cisticolas, black kite, greater double collared sunbird, white-starred robin and many others.
Nature walks: Nature walks shouldn’t be missed on a visit to Mgahinga. Unique guided nature walking experiences lead you through the park’s swamps, forests, rivers, and lakes with the guidance of the park ranger guide. Within the park are incredible trails worth conquering on a guided nature walk, including the border trail on the slopes of Mt. Sabyinyo- taking nature lovers to the border meeting point for all three countries in the Virunga region. Sabyinyo Gorge Trail is perfect for nature lovers searching for challenging treks.
Batwa trail experience: The Batwa trail experience offers the best cultural encounter and opportunity to meet and interact with the Batwa pygmies. Learn more about the Batwa, how they lived harmoniously with mountain gorillas in the forest for thousands of years and discover plant species of medicinal value.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is always open to all travellers all year, but the ideal time to get there is during the dry season. This occurs twice a year, from June to early September & December to February. This is a particular time to explore the park on a guided gorilla trekking experience.
This park contains all accommodation types (budget, midrange and luxury). They exist inside and around the park, including Mount Gahinga Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Traveler’s Nest Hotel, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Lake Mutanda Campsite, Chameleon Hill Lodge and more.
By road: Begin driving from Entebbe or Kampala through the Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Kisoro route, expecting to spend at least 9-10 hours. Or take between 4 and 5 hours’ drive from Kigali through the Chyanika border to Kisoro, then Mgahinga.
Air travel offers easier connectivity, taking about 2 hours to fly to Kisoro airstrip.
Location: Plot 124, Kikumbi
P.O Box 100667, Kampala
+256759033541
+447 572778124
[email protected]