Planning a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda; What to see & do in Mgahinga, Where to Stay in Mgahinga, when is the to Visit Mgahinga, and which is the best way to get to Ngahinga Gorilla National Park?
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is arguably the best place to visit on a private Luxury crowd-free Gorilla trekking experience in Uganda. Here there is only one (01) habituated mountain gorilla open for the traditional 01-hour gorilla trekking experience. Only eight gorilla permits are available on a daily, eight (08) tourists are allowed to track the Nyakagezi Gorilla Group and spend up to a maximum of 01-hour viewing, photographing, or filming the gorillas. There is just no other place in the world where you get to enjoy a Private Crowd free Gorilla trekking experience other than on a Safari to Mgahinga gorilla National Park.
How to Plan a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- What is there to see & do in Nkuringo Region?
- Best Time to Visit Nkuringo Region.
- Where to stay on a Safari to Nkuringo Region.
- How to Get to Nkuringo Region.
What is there to see & do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park? Planning a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla national Park:
- Gorilla Trekking: Gorilla trekking or tracking is the main drawcard for visitors to the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Park has Only one (01) habituated gorilla group – 08 gorilla permits on the daily available for purchase at $700 per person for non-residents, $600 per person for foreign residents including expatriates living and working in East Africa; Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, or Burundi. East African Citizens pay Ugx250,000 per person to spend 01 hours with the gorillas in Mgahinga. Realm Africa safaris™ can assist you to book your Mgahinga gorilla Permits well in advance to avoid missing out as they do get sold out especially in the peak season months of June – August, September – October, and December.
- Golden Monkey Tracking: Mgahinga Gorilla National park is the only place in Uganda where travelers can enjoy the experience of tracking Golden Monkeys on a safari to mgahinga.
- Golden Monkey habituation Experience: Golden Monkey habituation In Mgahinga is a 4-hour experience that permits strictly 06 persons in a group to join a team of field researchers on a lifetime adventure to prepare a wild group of golden monkeys human visits. The golden Monkey Habituation experience in Mgahinga can be done either in the morning or afternoon – we, however, prefer the morning experience as afternoons are usually characterized by rains that might make your golden monkey trekking experience a little slippery and not as fun as doing it in the mornings. Planning a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
- Batwa Experience: The 4-hour Batwa cultural experience in the Mgahinga National Park showcases the life of the Batwa native pygmies— their historical nomadic cultures when they occupied the expanses of the present-day Mgahinga Gorilla National Park up until 1991 when it was gazetted as a national park. The tribe was forced out of the park and since then have been struggling to cope with modern life outside the jungle. The Batwa Trail in Mgahinga is a joint venture with the Batwa community project and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. This walk is truly an experience, not challenging at all, but rather informative and exciting – we recommend adding it to your safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
- Hiking experiences: In addition to the rather more intense mountain gorilla trekking safari in Mgahinga, The region is a favorite for well-seasoned hikers who take on Volcano hiking safari experiences. Mgahinga National Park boats of the best climbing experiences. Here you can hike to any of the three(03) volcanoes; Sabinyo, Muhavura, or Gahinga. Hiking up any of the three Volcanoes generally takes about a day.
- Birdwatching: Mgahinga is also a great place to encounter the amazing forest Birds. The best time is April to Mid-may and October to November. there are usually migratory birds in the park from November to April adding to the variety of bird species to be seen
Best Time to Visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
The Best time to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is during the dry season months of June – August, or December – February when the trails are fairly drier and therefore easier to navigate. However, it is important to remember that the dry season months mentioned above are also the peak season for tourism in Uganda and East Africa in general. We recommend booking your accommodation, gorilla permits, and flights well in advance.
For more information: Best time to visit Mgahinga NP
Where to stay on a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Planning a Safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park:
Our favorite place to stay in Mgahinga is the well-situated luxurious Mount Gahinga Lodge. As the name suggests, this lodge is located at the foothills of Mount Mgahinga – only 5 minutes from the UWA Gorilla Trekking Briefing point. Travelers on a tight budget, might consider staying at the community-owned Amajambere Campsite or stay in Kisoro town where there is a varied range of budget hotels, guesthouses, and campsites.
See Accommodation in Kisoro town.
How to Get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
- Mgahinga National park is just 5 hours if you fly in through Rwanda.
- Mgahinga area is off the touristic route – most tour operators opt for Bwindi ( See Bwindi Vs Mgahinga)
- A Gorilla Safari to Mgahinga can easily be combined with a Gorilla Safari to Rwanda. Remember the Mgahinga is only 2 ½ hours from Volcanoes National park. You get to trek gorillas in Both Rwanda & Uganda – the safest Places to trek Gorillas.
Getting to Mgahinga from Entebbe International Airport
- By Road:
Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Entebbe is one of the longest drives you will probably encounter while on your Uganda Safari. Driving to Mgahinga could last 09 – 10 hours depending on the prevailing road conditions – remember Uganda is the “Capital of speed humps ” these slow down traffic, and the last section of road from Kisoro to Mgahinga is rocky and conditions change with the weather – horrible when it rains, dusty when it shines.
If driving to Mgahinga, we recommend you use a 4×4 Toyota Landcruiser and an experienced driver-guide – we discourage self-drive – want to know why? Read our post ” East Africa Self drive Safari – NOT recommended“.
- By Air:
Getting to Maghinga by Air is by far easier than by road – of course! a lot much easier. Areolink Uganda Operates charter flights to Kisoro town which last just under 1hr 30 minutes landing in Kisoro. Kisoro town is just 1hr 30 minutes driver from Kisoro Airport. The flights to Kisoro a very scenic but are subject to prevailing where Conditions and surcharges based on the Minimum Number Of persons flying to this area. It’s therefore important that you plan your flying safari in advance (3 months) to avoid any last-minute inconveniences.
Getting to Mgahinga from Rwanda, Kigali City.
Kigali Capital City – Rwanda, is a mere 5 hours drive to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. This is our second best recommendation for Gorilla trekking or Habituation in Uganda. Because the drive from Rwanda is short (compared to 10 hours from Entebbe Airport) we always advise our clients to fly through Rwanda and trek in Uganda.
Learn More about Flying into Rwanda to Trek Gorillas in Uganda.
