Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda-All You Need To Know Before You Go
Set on the Ugandan slope of the Virungas , Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the guest’s favorite among East Africa’s gorilla tracking destinations. True, there’s only one habituated group here but if you can secure one of the park’s eight daily permits, you are in for a special experience. This is because the group in question is overseen by a trio of massive male siblings making for superb silverback viewing.
In addition, the gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are generally found in bamboo forest or other relatively open areas, hiking conditions are usually quite undemanding and low tourist volumes giving the park a relatively off-the-beaten-track feel. What’s more, the location below the volcanic Virunga peaks is utterly spectacular and other activities on offer include golden monkey tracking and various volcano hikes (Gahinga and Sabinyo Mountains).
What is Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Like?
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a long day adventure involving visitors walking through the natural forest as they search for a habituated family of mountain gorillas. The normal Mgahinga Gorilla National Park gorilla trekking adventure begins with a briefing about gorilla tracking rules. The briefing exercise is done by the park official who also allocates the park ranger guide to accompany you on the actual search for mountain gorillas. The actual Mgahinga Gorilla National Park gorilla trekking begins at around 8:00 am expecting to go for 2-6 hours. But this may depend on the location of the gorillas, your fitness level and nature of the habitat, etc. On the gorilla tour to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the Nyakagezi group is the only habituated gorilla family that is available for gorilla trekking and a maximum of 8 visitors can trek this group per day.
A visit to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for gorilla safaris in Uganda allows you to enjoy treks free of crowds. Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga entirely allows you to unearth more about how gorillas behave. Expect to observe them as they feed, play, bond, mate, and display several other behaviors in the natural wild. A close encounter with these large apes in the wild is a dream come true. Beyond mountain gorillas, Mgahinga is also home to other abundant wildlife. They include golden monkeys, forest elephants, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, bush pigs, and birds. Some of these wildlife species can be encountered in your search for mountain gorillas. With plenty awaiting you in Mgahinga, you have every reason to consider undertaking a gorilla trekking tour to this spectacular park. Talk to your local expert Engabi Tours & Travel (info@gorillasafaridiscovery.com).
Trekking with mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park means you embark on a journey to explore the smallest park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is found in Southwestern Uganda and covers only 33.7 sq. km. It was officially established in 1991 and currently, it is among the best places to visit not only for mountain gorilla trekking but also golden monkey tracking. Mgahinga is lying on a high elevation of 4127 meters. This gorilla safari park is found in Kisoro District at the border with Rwanda and Congo. Due to its geographical location in the Southwestern region, it is also part of the extensive Virunga Conservation Area (VCA).
The VCA also includes the Virunga National Park in the DRC and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. In addition to primates, Mgahinga is also home to three (3) of the eight (8) Virunga Volcanoes. These include Muhabura, Sabyinyo, and Gahinga Volcanoes. All these three Virunga Volcanoes can be hiked on Uganda safaris in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Visitors can have a complete combination of mountain gorilla and Volcano hiking. Talk to your travel planner to book an epic gorilla safari tour.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to bamboo and rainforest plus other vegetation types. These diverse vegetation are the source of food which depends on. Mountain gorillas’ diet is largely composed of vegetation, especially fruits, leaves, and bamboo shoots.
Gorilla Trekking permits for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 2025-2026
Just like other East African gorilla safari destinations, a gorilla permit is a special document any trekker should have to be allowed to go to trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park. The cost of a Mgahinga gorilla permit currently stands at USD 800 and this applies to all foreign nonresidents, USD 700 for all foreign residents, USD 500 –a new cost applicable for visitors from the Rest of Africa (ROA) and shs. 300,000 for Ugandans plus other East African citizens.
A valid gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be booked through Engabi Tours and Travel you reliable tour operator on the ground. Talk to our reservation team and let us secure a permit for you as well as plan the entire Uganda gorilla safari. The fact that only 8 visitors can visit the one gorilla group that is available in Mgahinga, it is essential to have your permit or entire gorilla tour booked in advance. We recommend that you book your gorilla trip/permit at least 2-6 months before the actual date you plan to be in Uganda.
Best time to go to trek Mgahinga Gorillas in Uganda
Gorilla trekking adventures in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be enjoyed at any time of the year. But to be safe enough, it is better to travel during the peak dry months to enjoy your captivating primate adventure. The dry months on the Ugandan travel calendar are marked by June, July, and August to September, or take a trip around the short dry months that is December, January, to February. The beauty of these months is that they record very low or completely no rain with the ground left relatively drier.
Such weather conditions make it easier to navigate through the steep slopes and dense vegetation to search for a family of mountain gorillas. What you need to be sure is that you are fit enough to go on a round trek and this can also be achieved. You can do early practice, exercise around the hilly areas back home, or travel early to Uganda and make the best of the country’s hilly landscapes.
Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for gorilla trekking
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is found in far Southwestern Uganda. Getting to Mgahinga is possible by road and air. A road trip to Mgahinga National Park can take between 8 and 9 hours starting from the heart of Kampala. The other alternative option is driving from Kigali through Chanika or Katuna border then you connect to Mgahinga National Park. From Kigali to Mgahinga, expect to spend up to 4-5 hours driving and this will be in a 4×4 safari car.
By air/flight –fly-in gorilla tours can also be organized and this may involve taking a flight from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) to Kisoro Airfield. The flight time that you will take connecting from EBB to Kisoro Airfield is between 1 and 2 hours without any weather disruptions.
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Vs Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
While both Mgahinga and Bwindi all provide a lifetime opportunity for you to see mountain gorillas, each has something distinct to offer. To start with, Mgahinga is known for only one habituated group of mountain gorillas (Nyakagezi) unlike over 23 groups in Bwindi. The one gorilla group translates to 8 gorilla permits against 184 permits available for visitors to book for gorilla safaris in Bwindi.
Mgahinga is an excellent destination to visit for you to enjoy gorilla treks free of crowds, unlike Bwindi which accommodates several trekkers. On a gorilla trip to Mgahinga, gorilla treks begin from only Ntebeko area, and in Bwindi National Park, there are 4 regions to visit and each has habituated gorilla groups.
Mgahinga gorilla safaris can be combined with golden monkey tracking –all experienced from the same destination. Bwindi doesn’t have golden monkeys except chimpanzees which have not been habituated.
Extra Safari Activities to Enjoy in Mgahinga
Besides trekking gorillas, visitors can also have additional golden monkey trekking/habituation experience, Batwa trail, bird watching, cave exploration, and volcano climbing –especially Mount Muhabura (4127m), Sabyinyo (3634m), and Mount Gahinga (3474m).
Where to stay after/before gorilla trekking in Mgahinga
Mgahinga has a variety of accommodation alternatives to book ranging from budget to luxury. The notable places to book for an overnight stay on the Mgahinga gorilla safari tour include Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Camp, Travelers’ Nest Hotel, then nearby lodges from the southern section of Bwindi include Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, and Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge.
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