Guide to gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Guide to gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park; Gorilla trekking is the major activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park that attracts tourists and it involves visitors moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Mgahinga national park is one of the gorilla destinations located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district neighboring with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic republic of Congo. The park was gazetted in 1991 mainly to protect the endangered mountain gorillas and it’s also a home of other primates like golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, different bird species and the three volcanic mountains that is Mount Sabinyo, Mount Gahinga and Mount Muhavura.

Gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of one habituated gorilla family and trekking starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the habituated mountain gorillas which takes about 2 hours to 6 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to see other primates, bird species among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos.

Best time to go gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make gorilla trekking difficult.

Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park

A gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park costs 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park

A gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park can be booked through a tour company like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the mountain gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability on your preferred dates and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the money, we will be able to purchase the permit on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.

Other activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park offers other interesting activities that tourists can engage in apart from gorilla trekking including Golden monkey trekking where you will be able to spend time with the golden monkeys, Batwa trail experience where you will be able to interact with the Batwa people who used to live in the forest before it was gazetted into a national park, bird watching where you will be able to view different bird species and mountain climbing where you will be able to hike Mount Sabinyo, Mount Muhavura and Mount Gahinga.

Where to stay during your gorilla trekking safari

There are several accommodation facilities in Mgahinga gorilla national park where you can stay during your gorilla trekking safari. The accommodations range from budget, midrange and luxury including Mount Gahinga Safari lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Camp, Travelers Rest Hotel, Chameleon hill lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Lake Chahafi Resort, Mucha Hotel, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Kisoro Travelers Lodge, Montana Guest House among others.

How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by both road and air transport means.

When using air transport means, you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

When using road transport means, you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.

Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda where travelers will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to Mgahinga gorilla national park via Cyanika border which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park is an extra ordinary activity that can be combined with other activities like chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale forest national park. For more information about the guide to gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various gorilla trekking packages.