Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga National Park is one of the favorite destinations in Uganda for primate adventure seekers. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest park but boasts of its natural endowments. Mgahinga is a special place to find both golden monkeys and mountain gorillas all living peacefully.

Location, and size of the park.

Mgahinga National Park is located in Kisoro, Southwestern Uganda, and is among the Virunga Conservation Areas found in East Africa. Mgahinga was upgraded to a national park in 1991 and the primary reason for its creation was to provide refuge to mountain gorillas plus other wildlife. Mgahinga covers only 33.7 sq. km of land area and takes its name from Gahinga, the local word which is translated as the piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmlands.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is lying on an elevation of 2227-4127m with the landscape featuring bogs, savannas, woodlands, marshes/swamps, tropical forests, and semi-alpine vegetation. Three inactive volcanoes make up part of the greater Mgahinga National Park and make it a special volcano hiking spot. They include Gahinga Volcano (3474m), Sabyinyo (3669m), and Muhabura Volcanoes (4127m). These volcanoes are part of the 8 Virunga Mountain ranges.

Wildlife in Mgahinga National Park

Over 39 mammal species survive in Mgahinga National Park comprising primates and other mammals. The most popular mammals to find in Mgahinga include elephants, mountain gorillas, buffaloes, golden monkeys, bushbucks, giant forest hogs, spotted hyenas, vervet monkeys, African porcupines, mangabey, patas monkeys, golden cats, forest hogs, red-tailed monkeys, leopard, serval cats, blue monkeys, colobus monkeys, and others.

Reptiles also exist in the different habitats of Mgahinga including snakes, geckos, and chameleons.

Birds

Over 180 bird species are distributed across Mgahinga National Park’s habitats. They include the majority of Albertine rift endemic species and resident species. Top bird species to expect to find in Mgahinga include dusky crimson wing, double-collared sunbird, grey-capped warblers, white-necked raven, moorland chat, speckled mouse bird, white-starred robin, western tinker bird, Kivu ground thrush, and fire-finch stone chat.

Other birds include malachite sunbird, handsome francolins, olive woodpeckers, yellow-billed kite, Chubb’s cisticola, blue-breasted bee-eaters, Rwenzori turacos, blue-headed coucal, purple-breasted sunbird, brown crowned tchagra, scarlet tufted malachite sunbird, black collared apalis, African paradise flycatchers, and Rwenzori batis.

People & their culture

Mgahinga is surrounded by three popular tribes in Southwestern Uganda. They include the Bakiga, Batwa, and Bafumbira communities. The adjacent local communities to Mgahinga practice mainly subsistence king of farming.

Tour and Safari Activities to do in and around Mgahinga national park

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is the first primate adventure any traveler should expect on a tour in Mgahinga National Park. Trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga involves exploring more about the Nyakagezi gorilla family –the only habituated gorilla group in the park so far. A maximum of 8 (eight) guests can visit the Nyakagezi group and treks start at 8:00 am taking about 2-6 hours. Visitors on a gorilla trek adventure are allocated an experienced park ranger guide. Note that you can only be allowed to visit gorillas if you have a valid gorilla permit. Mgahinga gorilla trekking permits cost USD 800 per person and they can be booked through the local tour operator in Uganda.

Golden monkey tracking

Golden monkey tracking is another rewarding primate adventure that awaits you in Mgahinga National Park. The golden monkey trek entirely involves engaging in a trek to explore in depth the unique behaviors of golden monkeys. The trek with golden monkeys in Mgahinga can last for about 2-4 hours and includes an hour of up close with golden monkeys in the wild. To enjoy the Mgahinga golden monkey tracking adventure, you should have a valid permit and each permit costs USD 60 per person. Besides normal golden monkey treks, there is also an option of participating in golden monkey habituation. The Golden Monkey habituation permits cost USD 100 per person.

Volcano hiking

Mgahinga National Park is lying in the Virunga Area and is also an ideal volcano hiking destination. All three Virunga Volcanoes can be hiked in Mgahinga which is Gahinga (3474m), Sabyinyo (3669m), and Muhabura Volcano (4127m). The easiest hike of all the three volcanoes is the Gahinga Volcanoes which takes about 6 hours. While on a volcano hiking adventure to Mgahinga, do not forget to pack waterproof hiking boots, bottled drinking water, snacks, insect repellent, a first aid kit, and other essentials.

Bird watching

Mgahinga National Park is an important birding area in Uganda, a perfect destination to identify a variety of birds. The check-list of birds to expect to identify on bird watching tour in Mgahinga includes the double-collared sunbird, stray seed-eaters, Shelley’s dusky crimson wing, yellow-vented bulbul, malachite sunbird, Southern red bishops, white-starred robin, cinnamon bracken warblers, olive woodpeckers, paradise flycatchers, speckled mousebirds, cape robin chat, and Archer’s robin chat.

Mgahinga also supports other birds including the fire finch stonechat, Rwenzori batis, Grauer’s swamp warblers, scarlet-tufted sunbird, Rwenzori nightjar, mountain masked apalis, and more. The best period to visit Mgahinga for birding is in April, May, October, and November.

Guided nature walks

Nature walking in Mgahinga involves exploring the various habitats characterized by bamboo forests, montane slopes, swamps, lakes, and rivers. On a nature walk, expect to come across some of the distinct species including birds along the border trail on Mt. Sabyinyo. The border trail takes about 5 hours for nature enthusiasts to have a complete walk.

Batwa trail experience

The Batwa trail is one of the best options for visitors to experience more about the Batwa pygmy culture, traditions, and also the ancient ways of life. The Batwa once stayed in the Mgahinga forest and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for years. They lived in the forest as hunters and gatherers till when they were displaced in 1991 for the present Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to be established.

The best time to visit Mgahinga National Park for vacation

Safaris and tours to Mgahinga National Park can be organized at any time of the year but the peak dry months are the most preferred. The peak dry months are characterized by low or no rainfall and is easier to embark on the search for golden monkeys or mountain gorillas as well as volcano hiking.

Where to stay at Mgahinga National Park?

The checklist of accommodation options for overnight stays in and around Mgahinga National Park includes Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, and Clouds Mountain Gorillas Lodge. Additional lodges include Mucha Hotel in Kisoro, Bwindi Jungle Lodge, and more.

How to reach Mgahinga National Park?

Traveling to Mgahinga National Park is possible by road or air. By road, visitors can spend between 8 and 10 hours driving from the heart of Kampala/Entebbe. The access route to Mgahinga is the Kampala-Mbarara-Kisoro route. Still by road, you can drive out of Kigali city and connect to Mgahinga via the Chanika or Katuna border which is approximately 4 to 5 hours’ drive.

Visitors with minimal time or tight schedules can also connect to the park by air. The fly-in gorilla safaris are available and offered by Aero link with the set-off point of the trip. From Entebbe International Airport, you can set off from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airfield.