Mgahinga NP reduced or discounted gorilla permits in June 2015

In 2015, Uganda wildlife Authority discounted the gorilla trekking permits for Mgahinga National Park for months of April, May and November. By then the cost for the gorilla trekking permits was $600 but discounted to about $350 per person. This campaign was done to invite the world into those inner secrets of Mgahinga National park and marketing its untouched beauties.

As per today, the cost is $700 but the gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park are no more discounted.  The funds collected from selling the gorilla trekking permits are used for park maintenance, paying the ranger guides, gorilla treatment,  annual profit from all the park activities is shared 20% with the local community.

Most Popular Gorilla Safaris

• 3 Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking
• 5 Day Gorilla and Chimp
• 8 Day Gorilla Tracking
• 2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Via Kigali
• 3 Day Uganda Gorilla Via Kigali
• 5 Day Chimp and Gorilla Habituation
• 3 Day Fly in Gorilla Habituation
• 3 Day Fly in Safari to Murchison Falls National Park
• 3 Day Bwindi Double trek via Kigali
• 5 Day Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

Mgahinga national park is one of the smallest National parks in Uganda occupying an area is approximately 33.7 square km. this mountainous park is shielded by three distinctive volcanoes that is Mountain Muhavura, Mountain Gahinga and Mountain Sabyinyo.

The Mgahinga National Park has its headquarters in Ntebeko visitor center ant the main activities in this park are gorilla trekking, golden monkeys trekking, birding and day’s hiking.  

More wild animals have been recorded to live in the park that is about 39 mammals, over 115 bird species, forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs and others. Others primates that are residents of the park include black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons and others.

What To Do In Mgahinga National park

Gorilla trekking

Mgahinga national park is one of the world’s only homes of the mountain gorillas. At the moment, only one gorilla family in this park has been opened for tourists viewing. The family is called Nyakagezi gorilla family. In the past, it was known for being mobile as it would wonder into Virunga national park and Volcanoes National Park.

 Now, this family has been steadily seen in Mgahinga national park for many years. Mountain gorillas live freely in the world and do not know the beginning and end of the political boundaries.

One need a gorilla trekking permit for Mgahinga national park to be allowed to be in the company of the mountain gorillas.

You must have your overnight in accommodations located close to the National Parks like Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge. More accommodation facilities exist in Kisoro.

On the day of gorilla trekking, you must attend briefing at Ntebeko visitor center and your ranger guide escorts the entire party in to Mgahinga forest to start searching. This is one of the still virgin gorilla trekking parks because it has received fewer visitors and its vegetation is still intact.

Golden Monkey trekking

Mgahinga National Park is one of the few homes of the golden monkeys. They are a special monkey specie with golden brown hairs and larger body structure compared to normal monkeys. They are charming and restless in the forest. When you spot them, they keep you on your toes as they hope from one tree to another.

Birding in Mgahinga National park

Keen birders have chance of spotting rare bird species in Mgahinga National Park. The park has some of the rarest bird species like Rwenzori Turaco, Ladgen’s bush-shrike, scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Montane Nightjar, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-tailed Blue fly catcher, Alpine Chat and others.

The varying vegetation types that make up the Mgahinga National Park make great bird habitats. Some of these include montane forest with an extension belt of bamboo (Arundinaria) and regenerating pastures in the lower slopes health and Afro-alpine moorland on the upper slopes. All these

The Uganda birding experience is best felt in April to May and November.

Batwa Trail and Garama Cave

Visit the historical Garama cave a walk guided by a Mutwa. This cave runs for 342 km below the plateau, close to the edge of the park about 3 km from Ntebeko. This historic cave lay in the deeper ends of the park in the past and was the retreat point for Batwa after raiding the Bafumbira farmers. This was the council chamber too.

Apparently, this cave provides an atmospheric setting for a performance of Batwa music and drama at the end of the Batwa trail.

Hiking on Mgahinga Mountains

Three mountains makes up the Gahinga ranges that is Sabyinyo Mountain, Gahinga Mountain and Muhavura Mountain. In a day’s hike, you can make a return trip on either of these mountains and enjoy spectaculars views of this park from an elevated point.

Mountain Sabyinyo, which locally means old man’s tooth, is 3669 meters high. Hiking it takes you to 3 peaks. The first one leads to the second one which is a long narrow ridge that overlooks impressive drops into the gorge on either sides. To get to peak three, you pass through steep and muddy scramble.

While at its top, you can enjoy a 360 view of the border of Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo from the same point.

Hiking Mountain Gahinga takes you through bamboo forest to reach the lush green swamp in the crater at the summit. This round trip may take close to 6 hours. Locally, the word Gahinga means small piles of rock. These resulted from volcanic rocks that scattered in farmland that used to tide the area.

Muhavura mountain hike is spectacular taking you to the small Crater Lake at the top. As you climb, look out for stunning alpine vegetation, superb panoramas. Pass through the Muhavura trail that provides the quickest and shortest ascent route to experience these dramatic plants as the view includes more Virunga volcanoes, the rift valley, Lake Edward and Rwenzori mountains. Locally Muhavura means the guide and this resulted from its distinctive location.

Packing List For Mgahinga National Park

• Safari trousers and long sleeved shirt
• Garden gloves to hold a tighter grip when hiking on creepers
• Sunglasses
• Insect repellant
• Toiletries
• A pair of binoculars
• Safari boots to protect your feet from pricking surfaces in the wilderness
• Foldable safari hat
• First Aid Kit
• A pair of stockings to securely tack in your clothes
• Foldable water bottle
• A waterproof bag to carry your belongings
• Rain coat in case it rains so that you do not get cold while in the wilderness
• A shoe bag to keep in your dirty shoes after gorilla trekking and you have no time to clean them.

What Else To Combine With Mgahinga National Park Activities

Game Drives In Uganda

Uganda is endowed with amazing game parks where you can do game drives. You can connect for game safaris in Queen Elizabeth National park. Here you can do more amazing activities like launch trip on Kazinga channel, chimpanzee trekking, birding, great wildlife filming and photographing locations and others.

Lake Mburo National Park can be your enroute stop where you may get to see animals like zebras, impalas, reedbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, giraffes and others.

Murchison Falls national park can be reached too before or after a visit Mgahinga National Park. River Nile bisects this park creating the Northern and southern sectors of Murchison Falls National Park. During a launch trip to the falls, you get to enjoy the world’s most powerful falls. Hiking to the top of the falls gives you goose bumps as you witness River Nile staggering over a bed of rocks then vigorously squeeze through a 6 meters wide gorge to catch up with the rest of the course.

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Kibale National park is the best home for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Two chimpanzee trekking sessions can be enjoyed in Kibale National Park that is early morning and afternoon. One can also be part of the time that gets wild chimpanzees accustomed to human presence that is Chimpanzee habituation.

Other chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda include Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and others.

Ngamba Chimpanzee Island in Lake Victoria is worth combining with a trip to Mgahinga National Park. This chimpanzee rescue center is home to orphaned, abandoned, rescued from poaching and others problem chimpanzees that cannot be returned to there original communities. You take part in feeding the chimpanzees from the visitors platform while watching them do there day today activities, enjoy a walk along the beach, give a hand in chimpanzee caregiving, chimpanzee up close and much more

White water rafting in Uganda

This thrilling activity is one of the dramatic River Nile events. You do not need to have prior experience but need to have confidence in what your instructors tell you to do. White water rafting in Uganda is done at the Itanda Falls on River Nile. You just need to be ready to beat the tides while seated on a tube boat.

Visiting the source of world‘s longest River the Nile is exciting. The drama at this point is unexplainable as Lake Victoria water calms separates from vigorous River Nile water.

 Bungee jumping for daring clients is possible but not for faint-hearted people. You jump from a very high cliff while hanging by the rope to touch River Nile water.

Cultural tours In Uganda

 Uganda is one fo0 the multicultural countries in Africa. Each culture has different traditions and leaders like in Buganda the leader is a king entitled Kabaka, in Bunyoro the cultural leader is referred to as Omukama, Tooro Kingdom the cultural leader is called Omukama, Busoga cultural leader is called Kyabazinga and others.

Each kingdom has its royal symbols and place locations like Bulange in Mengo for the Buganda Kingdom, Tooro place for Batooro in fort Portal, Busoga place is in Bugembe and others. In case you are interested in learning about the different cultures that make up Uganda, you just have to check with a tour operator on ground. Some of the information about these cultural institutions in Uganda is not documented and require an on ground operator like Encounter Africa Safaris.

Home Stay On Uganda safari

If you wish to learn about the life of a local Ugandan, you can do the home stay activity where you spend a whole day or half day in a home of a local Ugandan. You may take part in cooking, gridding millet, preparing local dishes mention it.  In Africa, Ugandans are some of the most welcoming and friendly people even to strangers. Almost everybody is excited to see a visitor in there community and ready to give information once asked.

Sport Fishing in Uganda

 Uganda has a number of fresh water lakes and rivers where you can do fishing. You need a permit from the Uganda wildlife Authority to be allowed to do sport fishing in certain locations like on River Nile and Lake Victoria.

You need your own fishing equipment and book in advance so that a boat captain is assigned to you and a boat is secured for this purpose.

 You may have chances to catch fish like Nile Perch, tilapia, cat fish, lung fish and others.

Kampala City tours in Uganda

Uganda’s main capital city Is Kampala. The city is endowed with amazing features which you can visit with an arranged itinerary. Putting into consideration the problem of traffic jam, you can visit the below centers.

Bulange Mengo is one of the amazing palaces that the kingdom of Buganda celebrates; Kabaka’s lake in Ndeeba is one of the few man-made lakes in the country with amazing birds that flock its shores. The Kasuubi tombs one of the burial grounds of the Fallen kIngs ( Kabakas) of Buganda with its rich history.

Tour the Bahai temple one of its kind in Africa with its unique religious beliefs and spectacular compound, Visit Namirembe Cathedral for the protestant church, Old Kampala Mosque for the Muslims and Rubaga cathedral for the Catholics. Visit the Namugongo Uganda martyrs’ shrine where over 30 religious men and women were massacred in a fire. The Uganda museum is worth visiting in Uganda with its rich information about ancient Uganda and where the country is right now.

 You may not exhaust all these in a day but you need to take draft a proper itinerary for the day and apportion time so that you have access to some of these Kampala city attractions.