Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park 2023: Gorilla trekking is an exceptional and one of the most popular activities in Mghainga gorilla national park that involves visitors moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas. Mgahinga gorilla national park is the smallest protected area located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district neighboring with Virunga national park in Congo and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking is also done in other destinations like Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park in Democratic republic of Congo.
Gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home of one habituated gorilla family named Nyakagezi and trekking starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and start trekking in the jungle which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, animals, different bird species among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos
Best time to go for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails are wet, muddy and slippery which makes trekking difficult.
Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park
A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document or card that is issued to any visitor above the age of 15 years allowing him or her to visit a habituated gorilla family and spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. A gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park costs 700 USD per person for foreign non residents, 600 USD per person for foreign residents and 250,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to book a gorilla trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park
There are two ways of booking gorilla trekking permits in Mgahinga gorilla national park for example booking directly through Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA) where you will contact them via email or telephone calls. Gorilla trekking permits in Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the mountain gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability and if there are permits available on your preferred dates, you will be asked to make a deposit. Once we receive the money, we will purchase the permit on your behalf and send you a scanned copy of the receipt as confirmation.
Where to stay in Mgahinga gorilla national park during gorilla trekking
Mgahinga gorilla national park has accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your gorilla trekking safari including Mount Gahinga Lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mutanda Lake Resort, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Mucha Lodge, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Montana Guest House, Kisoro Travelers Rest Camp among others.
How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to Ntebeko park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.
Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book a scheduled or charter domestic flight with bar aviation or Aerolink Uganda limited from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
You can also access Mgahinga gorilla national park from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to Mgahinga gorilla national park via Cyanika border in Kisoro which takes about 3 to 4 hours drive.
Other activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Mgahinga gorilla national park has other activities that you can engage in after gorilla trekking including golden monkey trekking, Batwa trail experience, bird watching, mountain climbing, guided nature walks among others.
For more information about gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park 2023, do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various Uganda safari packages.
