2025 Activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in 2022 Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the smaller protected areas in the southwestern region of Uganda near Kisoro, which borders the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Forest buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, bush pigs, gigantic forest hogs, duikers, jackals, primates such mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, and a variety of bird species are among the many wildlife species that can be found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Gorilla trekking
The most well-known activity in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is gorilla trekking, which entails visitors entering the tropical jungle to look for mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural environment. One habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi, may be found at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where daily hiking is possible.
At Ntebeko park headquarters, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park begins with a briefing on the guidelines. Following the briefing, you will begin your jungle trek accompanied by a knowledgeable park guide who is familiar with the many gorilla trekking routes. It takes roughly 30 to 6 hours to trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
While trekking, you can see a variety of wildlife, including primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, various bird species, mammals, plant and tree species, and more. Following the discovery of the mountain gorillas, you will be permitted to spend an hour with them in their natural environment. This will allow you to observe the gorillas feeding, nursing, grooming, playing, taking pictures, and documenting the amazing memories to share with others back home after the safari.
Golden monkey trekking
In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, golden monkey trekking is another fascinating activity. Similar to gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking begins at park headquarters with an explanation of the guidelines and expectations. Following the briefing, you will begin hiking into the jungle with a park guide to find the families of habituated golden monkeys.
You can see various primate species, birds, plants, and more as you follow trails made of bamboo shoots and leaves during Golden Monkey Trekking. Once you’ve found the golden monkeys, you may spend an hour with them in their natural environment, which includes taking pictures, watching them play, jumping up trees, learning about their habits, and making movies, among other things.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s volcano climbing
Mount Gahinga, which is 3,474 meters above sea level and takes about 6 to 8 hours to reach the summit, offers breathtaking views of a crater lake. Mount Muhavura, which is 4,127 meters above sea level and takes about 8 to 10 hours to reach the summit, and Mount Sabinyo, which is 3,669 meters above sea level and takes about 8 to 10 hours to reach the summit, will place you in three different countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. You can see a variety of wildlife species while hiking a volcano, including chimpanzees, golden monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, baboons, as well as a range of forest birds and plants.
Experience the Batwa Trail in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Another thrilling activity at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the Batwa Trails Experience, where you may engage with the Batwa/pygmies who once inhabited the forest before it was gazetted as a national park. The Batwa trail experience includes walking through the forest where they once lived, seeing how the grass thatched huts were built, learning how to fetch water with bamboo cups, seeing traditional herbs used to treat various ailments, seeing how they gather, learning how to make fire with sticks and friction, visiting Ngarama cave, which was once the former Batwa king’s royal residence, listening to traditional ancient stories, and seeing Batwa women dance to their traditional songs and sing melancholic songs.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park bird watching
More than 180 bird species have been identified in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, including 12 endemic, migratory, and forest birds from the Albertine Rift. In the gorge between Mount Gahinga and Sabinyo, you will be able to observe a variety of bird species, including the black-headed waxbill, Rwenzori turaco, red-faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori batis, brown-crowned tchagra, streaky seedeater, dusky turtle dove, kivu ground thrush, bronze sunbird, cape robin chat, black kite, African paradise flycatcher, alpine swift, blue-headed coucal, olive woodpecker, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, dusky crimsonwing, and others.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s prime time to visit
Although Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is open year-round, the best time to visit is from June to September and December to February, which is the dry season. Gorilla trekking and hiking pathways will be dry and accessible during the dry season. Because there will be less rainfall, there will be less vegetation, making it easier to see various creatures.
The ideal time to see migrating bird species is during the wet season, which runs from March to May and November. This means that visitors can also visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park during these months.
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park travel route
It takes roughly nine to ten hours to drive from Kampala or Entebbe through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro to reach the park headquarters in a four-wheel drive safari vehicle. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is situated in the southwest region of Uganda.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also accessible from Kigali, Rwanda. To get there, take a plane to Kigali International Airport, and then drive for four to five hours to reach the park headquarters via the Cyanika border.
Aerolink Uganda Limited offers scheduled and charter flights from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield to Kisoro Airstrip, from whence you can connect to the park headquarters via road. This is another way to go to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Through your trip operator, you can book flights to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
