Planning A Safari To Visit Mountain Gorillas In Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is one of Uganda's biosphere reserves with a virgin environment, yet it is less visited. When you talk about gorilla trekking, Mgahinga National Park cannot be left as it hosts some of the leftover mountain gorillas in the world. 

Besides gorilla trekking, Mgahinga National Park offers great views with a chain of three distinctive volcanoes: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhavura.

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If you are destined to do a gorilla safari in Mgahinga National Park, you must know that only one gorilla family, Nyakagezi, is open for public booking. For every gorilla family, a maximum of 8 tourists are allowed to visit each family per day.

Mgahinga National Park lies in the southwestern corner of Uganda on the northern slopes of three distinctive volcanoes mentioned above. This park is the smallest of all the 10 Uganda national parks, covering an area of about 33. 7 square kilometers.

For keen birders, visiting Mgahinga National Park for gorilla trekking is a double chance to spot a number of Albertine endemics, but currently, this park has over 115 bird species recorded. According to ornithologists, the Mgahinga National Park bird list is still expanding. Some birds you may spot IN Mgahinga National Park include the Alpine Chat, Dusky Turtle Dove, Malachite Sunbird, Handsome Francolin, and others.

How To Plan For Gorilla Safari In Mgahinga National Park

Book A Gorilla Permit For Mgahinga National Park

Suppose your niche destination for gorilla trekking safari is Mgahinga National Park. You have to choose from only 8 gorilla permits available for this park. In the past, gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park were sold on arrival and depended on the availability of the mountain gorillas. 

In the past, the Nyakagezi gorilla family used to wander into Rwanda, so pre-booking its gorilla permits was not possible then. Of late, this gorilla family is fully stationed in Mgahinga National Park.

Procedure For Booking Gorilla Permits For Mgahinga National Park

Select a date when you wish to do gorilla trekking and the number of people traveling with you. This is to avoid moving back and forth with checking gorilla permit availability.

Enquire about gorilla permit availability per your date through a tour operator or from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Be specific about the gorilla trekking destination you are interested in, Mgahinga National Park.

When you get a positive response, we advise clients to purchase their gorilla permits as soon as possible because they get sold out fast. During the peak Uganda tourism season, which is June, July, August, September, December, and January, demand for gorilla permits is high. Yet, supply is limited to a maximum of 8 per gorilla family.

Forward some personal details like your full name as indicated on the passport, date of birth, nationality, and passport expiry date.

Book Accommodation In Mgahinga Ntaional Park

Over the years, Mgahinga National Park has been less visited, so the list of accommodation facilities to book is limited, too. You can also overnight in Kisoro town, then rise early to drive to the briefing point at Ntebek Visitor Center.

Since gorilla trekking starts early in the morning, that is 07030 hours. If you overnight in a facility far from Mgahinga National Park, you may arrive late and miss the briefing, leading to disqualification.

Mgahinga National Park Accommodations

Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle, Majambere Iwachu, Community Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort

Reserve Transport To Mgahinga National Park

By Road

You need a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle to Mgahinga National Park because the terrain is rugged with many highlands, so expect to drive through winding roads. The soils are volcanic but get slippery during the severe rainy season.

From Kampala or Entebbe, the drive to Mgahinga National Park is about 540 kilometers. Taking the route from Kampala to Kabale to Kisoro to Ntebeko Visitor Center. The drive time to Mgahinga National Park is about 8 to 9 hours. From Kampala to Kabale, the drive is about 414 kilometers, then carries on for 80 kilometers to Kisoro town for about 2 hours. You can continue to the park gate at Ntebeko Visitor Center, 14 kilometers south of Kisoro.

By Air

Daily domestic flights depart Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Kisoro airstrip. You can then catch a transfer vehicle to your lodge. The drive is about 30 minutes to the park gate. Domestic daily flights to Kisoro airstrip depart upon demand.

Charter flight services from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip are available. You have to pre-book your flights.

How much is a gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park?

The cost of a gorilla safari varies with which package you choose: a luxury, mid-range, or budget safari package. 

Other factors considered when calculating the gorilla safari package include;

The number of people traveling, the time of booking the gorilla safari, the number of days on safari, additional activities to combine with gorilla trekking, the number of days on safari, and others.

No matter which safari package you choose, the cost of a gorilla permit cuts across all gorilla packages. 

The current cost of the Mgahinga gorilla permit is $800 per person per trek for foreign nonresidents, $700 per person for foreign residents, and 300000shs for East African residents.

What Is Included And Excluded In The Cost Of Gorilla Permit?

Inclusions of gorilla permit cost:

• Park entrance fees
• Ranger guide services
• Gorilla conservation support
• Security during gorilla trekking
• One hour with the mountain gorillas
• Certificate after gorilla trekking
• Others

Exclusions of gorilla permit cost: porter cost, transport to gorilla safari destination, snacks, and any other items of a personal nature.

Book Additional Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking In Mgahinga National Park

Within Mgahinga National Park are other activities worth combining with gorilla trekking that is:

Golden Monkey Trekking

Golden monkeys are a special monkey species only believed to be living in the Virunga area. They are some of the most endangered primates in the world. Golden monkeys are charming to watch and hop from one tree to another. 

The golden monkeys have a larger body structure compared to other monkey. Their active nature, even though habituated, keeps tourists on their toes because of their very active nature. Golden monkeys live in communities under the leadership of an alpha male.

Mgahinga National Park is one of the few parks hosting golden monkeys. It would be best to have a golden monkey trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority to access the golden monkeys.

Birding In Mgahinga National Park 

Birding in Mgahinga National Park allows you to view some rare bird species like the Albertine rift endemics. Mgahinga National Park hosts over 115 bird species, but hopefully, the list will expand according to ornithologists.

Some of the birds living in Mgahinga National Park include Rwenzori Turaco, Malachite Sunbird, Alpine Chat, Handsome Francolin, and Dusky Turtle, to mention but a few.

Mountaineering In Mgahinga National Park

The topography of Mgahinga National Park is composed of three distinctive highlands on which you can hike to enjoy the beautiful views of this area. Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhavura are great regional landmarks. 

You can hike on either of these volcanoes, and when on top, you get the stunning view. When you hike to the summit of mountain Sabyinyo, you get to simultaneously see the border of Uganda, Rwanda, And D.R.Congo.

Other Uganda Activities To Combine With Gorilla Trekking Include:

Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, mountaineering on Mountain Rwenzori, visiting Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest in Uganda, visiting the source of the River Nile, and white water rafting, to mention but a few.

When Is The Best Time To Do Gorilla Trekking In Mgahinga National Park?

Mgahinga National Park is open all year round, but people prefer the dry season for gorilla trekking. This is normally from June to September and December through January. The traits in the park are believed to be clearer, with less protruding undergrowth, and mountain gorillas and other forest dwellers are more active.

You must know that rains in this area fall without warning, so no matter the season, you may experience unpredicted showers at any time. Come prepared for anything so that you stay dry. Having a packing list for a gorilla trekking adventure saves you from forgetting important things necessary to use during a gorilla safari.

How Long Is Gorilla Trekking In Mgahinga National Park?

The length of the gorilla trekking adventure is hard to predict, as a number of factors are responsible for determining when to find them. Some tourists have located the mountain gorillas in two hours while others have spent three-quarters of the days.

 The location of the mountain gorillas is determined by factors like the proximity of their food, the weather conditions prevailing, in case of a fight amongst the mountain gorillas, the pace of other trekkers, and so much more.

The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker so that no one is forgotten in the wilderness. In order not to delay the rest, you need to have some level of fitness before gorilla trekking. 

How Sure Can I Be To See The Mountain Gorillas In Mgahinga National Park?

The gorilla permit cost is hefty for one not to see the mountain gorillas, but no worries, as the chances of seeing the mountain gorillas are 99%. Mountain gorillas live in a particular area for some time, and when food is exhausted, they move to the new feeding grounds. This doesn't mean you won't find them because a team of trackers wakes each day to follow the gorilla families. They pass the report of their findings to the park warden, and this is the clue used by rangers to locate the mountain gorillas with tourists.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has a fund policy that it follows in case you need help locating the mountain gorillas. 

Is Gorilla Trekking In Mgahinga National Park Safe?

Mgahinga National Park is protected by a well-trained team of ranger guides which often patrol its boundaries to ensure no encroachers get into it to set snares, poach wildlife, stage an attack on tourists, and so much more.

Each day, rangers guides with items to protect tourists, and the forest dwellers accompany the trekkers. One carries a rifle, and another with a machete to trim creepers and create a path for tourists.

The park security team cooperates with other Uganda security agencies to keep law and order.

It would be best if you also minded personal security by not sneaking away from the rest of the tourists. The wilderness is vast, so getting lost in the jungle may be easy, but communicating with a rescue team may be hard.

Avoid letting people not familiar to you, and do not lodge staff into your room during the gorilla trekking safari because some may have ill intentions.

Never try to count large sums of money publicly, as you may attract the wrong people.

Tasting local cuisines along the routes may cause stomach disorders and make you sick to go for gorilla trekking. Ask your ranger guide for help in case you wish to have a taste of the local meals.

Only enter the forest with an escorting ranger guide to avoid chances of encountering the unhabituated forest dwellers.

Carry limited baggage you can list without help to avoid inconveniencing others or forgetting your bags.

Pack the right gorilla trekking gear like safari boots, long-sleeved shirts and trousers, safari hats, insect repellants, first aid kits, hard cash, and more.

Is Gorilla Trekking Difficult?

Gorilla trekking is strenuous, depending on where the mountain gorillas may spend the day. The mountain gorillas sometimes take some time at the slopes while other times in the deep fissured valleys. It would be best if you had some fitness to get where these primates may be spending their day.

The nature of the topography where mountain gorillas live is volcanic, so expect some ridges and plateaus which are challenging to hike sometimes.

Contact us for more information if you are interested in gorilla trekking activity.