A true primate world where endangered Mountain gorillas and rare Golden monkeys are spotted.
This park is located in the south western part of Uganda in Kisoro district in Bufumbira country. It is close to the border of Rwanda and Burundi. Mgahinga national park takes the second position where Gorilla tracking is done while Bwindi impenetrable national park takes the first position in the magical Pearl of Africa.
It is also known as the only destination where golden monkey tracking takes place.
Mgahinga national park was declared a game sanctuary in 1930 by the British administration. In 1991 due to the increased population of wildlife it was turned into a national park. The existence of the tropical rainforest prompted the park to be declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1994.
Mgahinga national park sits at an elevation of 2227m - 4127m overlooking other landscapes like three volcanic mountains such as Gahinga, Sabinyo and Muhavura.
Mgahinga national park can be accessed by road and it's adventurous to take a 9 hours travel time to cover a distance of 540 km from Kampala to Kisoro with all the stop overs and tarmac disturbances. Hire a self-drive 4x4 wheel drive vehicle from authentic car rentals to reach this astonishing destination.
For luxury travel, air transport is available and affordable. Chartered flight is booked through Aero link to take you from Entebbe to Kisoro airstrip in comfort and luxury. Later get transferred by a domestic car to the reserved accommodation in Mgahinga national park.
Mgahinga national park consists of the smallest gorilla population concentration in Uganda. Gorilla population is over 100 endangered mountain gorillas with only two habituated gorilla families ready for Gorilla tracking. These two families are Hirwa and Nyakagezi.
Nyakagezi was the first habituated family in park and has 10 members while Hirwa family commonly known as the lucky one is the closest family to be seen. The gorillas are nomad animal and don't keep in one place but rather keep moving around the dense tropical forests of this park. They even move to close neighboring countries of Rwanda and Congo.
Gorilla tracking takes from 2-8 hours and a one hour interaction upon encounter.
Volcanoes of Mgahinga national park is made of three extinct volcanoes which include Mount Muhavura, Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabinyo. The views of these magnificent peaks from a distance are spectacular and breathtaking. The three peaks are dotted at borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mount Muhavura means summiting to the peak in Kifumbira word and it takes longer days to be hiked. With an elevation of 4127m, it requires 10 days to ascend and descend. The hike is rewarding with sights of Rwenzori ranges, Lake Edward and the fresh greenery comprising of numerous forest zones.
Mount Gahinga as an iconic peak which naturally means pile of stones and is considered the easiest and smallest when it comes to hiking. It stands on an elevation of 3474m from above the ground. It's a rewarding landscape ranging from the vegetation patterns consisting of bamboo strands and alpines harboring diverse wildlife species and a variety of birds.
Mount Sabinyo is commonly known as the old man's teeth and the oldest peak in the park with an elevation of 3669m. Hiking the peak takes 8 hours of ascending and descending. The peak hike starts from Sabinyo trail via Rugezi swamp through thick vegetation and beautiful landscapes.
Mgahinga national park has cool climate and comprises of dense tropical forest. The vegetation zones vary with change in altitude. It comprises of grassland below, montane woodland with Bamboo forest, Ericaceous Zone with giant tree heather and the Alpine vegetation at the summit of the mountain.
The vegetation has given a home to endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, wildlife and other primate species.
Mgahinga national park offers a platform for bird watching. The park boosts over 250 bird species.
Birds that are spotted during bird watching include; Rwenzori Batis, Grey capped warbler, Rwenzori night jar, speckled mouse birds, Dusky crimson wing, Pin-tailed whydah, Paradise flycatcher, Kivu ground thrush, double collared sun bird and many more.
Gorilla tracking is the act to descending into the tropical forests in search of Gorillas. Gorilla tracking in Uganda is carried out in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. Uganda homes half population of the world's Gorillas.
It requires a tracking permit to access the park headquarters. Trackers are subjected to tracking sectors depending on the acquired tracking permit. It takes a time interval of 2-8 hours during gorilla tracking session and visitors are granted a 1 hour interaction from a distance of 7 meters.
A Gorilla permit certificate is given as a reward to successful trackers. Meeting with the gorillas is an exceptional encounter to cherish for a life time.
You can choose to Hike any of the famous three extinct volcanoes in Mgahinga national park bordering Rwanda and Congo. Hiking Mount Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabinyo is a one day experience of Ascending to the summit and descending to the base for each mountain but different climbing hours due to different elevations.
Explore Mgahinga uniquely during a hike to any of these iconic mountain ranges.
Cultural encounter involves an arranged meet and greet of Tourists with the local people living in communities. Uganda is one among the many Africans that exhibit high levels of hospitality to strangers. They have a sense of humor, togetherness and do not hold grudges to any race.
The Batwa in Mgahinga national park and the Bafumbira community extend their welcome through music, dance and dramas, share of their folktales, cuisine and some hand craft skills of weaving. Always include a cultural visit on your travel plan to collect adequate knowledge about different cultural norms.
This is a golden activity which involves tracking golden monkeys a rare endangered primate species. It is only carried out in Mgahinga national park having migrated from Gishwati forest reserve in Rwanda.
During this activity you get to spot other forest inhabitant which is an added park favor.
World Africa Journeys is ready to take you through the Gorilla search at any of your required gorilla destination. We have been there, we know there, we have experienced it and we can take you there if you grant us the opportunity.