Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park : Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park is among the activities carried out during tours around Uganda.
Mgahinga national park is located in south western Uganda and is among the destinations where gorilla trekking is carried out.
The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park involves searching the habitat of the gorillas with ranger guides. Once the gorillas are found in the forest, tourists spend 1 hour with the mountain gorillas observing them from a close distance.
Before taking part in gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park, tourists are required to have gorilla permits which can be got from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) through licensed tour operators.
These gorilla permits are issued for a specific number of people to search for the gorillas found in Mgahinga national park. Only 8 people are permitted to visit a gorilla group each day and the gorilla family found in the park is the Nyakagezi group.
Booking gorilla permits in advance is also recommended for tourists to avoid missing out on the gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park since a limited number of permits is issued during the year.
A briefing is also done on the different rules and regulations to follow during gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park and these include that children aged below the age of 15 years are not allowed to engage in gorilla trekking.
Tourists engaging in gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park are also required to keep a distance of about 7 meters from the gorillas. This rule helps to protect both the gorillas and the tourists.
Another rule to follow during gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park is that tourists should refrain from eating or drinking around the gorillas, avoid making noise and also avoid littering in the national park.
Park entrance fees for Mgahinga national park is 40 USD for foreign nonresidents, 30 USD for foreign residents and 20,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
Other activities to do around Mgahinga national park
There is a lot more to do around Mgahinga national park apart from gorilla trekking and they include the following;
Golden Monkey Tracking:
Mgahinga National Park is home to the endangered golden monkeys. Golden monkey tracking is among the activities that tourists embark on as they visit the park and observe and photograph golden monkeys as they move through the bamboo forests.
The golden monkey tracking experience involves hiking along the trails with experienced guides who are knowledgeable about the behavior and habitat of the golden monkeys. During the trekking experience in the forest, tourists will enjoy watching the golden monkeys and observing their behavior, taking photos and videos of the golden monkeys.
The permit of golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga national park costs 60 USD for foreign nonresidents, 50 USD for foreign residents and 40,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
When visiting Mgahinga national park, tourists can also take part in golden monkey habituation which costs 100 USD for foreign nonresidents, 80 USD for foreign residents and 100,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
Visitors embarking on golden monkey habituation safaris in Mgahinga National Park engage in trekking through the lush forests in the company of ranger guides who provide insights into the behavior, ecology, and conservation of golden monkeys.
Hiking and guided nature walks:
Tourists can also engage in hiking and guided nature walks during their visits in Mgahinga national park.
There are different hiking trails followed when visiting Mgahinga national park and they take place around the lush forests and the Virunga mountains such as Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura and also Mount Sabyinyo.
Climbing Mount Gahinga in Mgahinga national park is at an altitude of 3474 meters takes about 6 to 8 hours. Mount Muhabura is at an altitude of 4127 meters and Mount Sabyinyo is at an altitude of 3669 meters.
Climbing the Virunga mountains costs 80 USD for foreign nonresidents, 70 USD for foreign residents and 50,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.
Cultural Encounters:
During cultural encounters in Mgahinga national park, tourists can take part in the Batwa cultural experience which provides a unique opportunity to interact with the indigenous Batwa pygmies.
Tourists visiting Mgahinga national park can get to know about the traditional hunting techniques of the Batwa, how to use herbal medicine, and cultural dances, and learn more about their way of life.
Bird Watching:
Bird watching is another activity which takes place in Mgahinga national park which is home to a big number of bird species (over 115 bird species) including the Albertine endemics such as Rwenzori Turaco, Crowned hornbill, Blue headed Coucal, Grey capped warbler, Double collared sunbird, Handsome Francolin, Cinnamon Chested bee eater, Kivu ground thrush among others.
Best time to visit Mgahinga national park
Gorilla trekking is an activity which can be done year-round in Mgahinga National Park.
The best time to visit Mgahinga national park is during the dry Season (June to August and December to February) when the weather is relatively dry, making it easier to trek through the different trails and to observe the mountain gorillas in their habitat.
The dry seasons are also a preferred time to engage in gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park because the trails are less muddy and slippery providing a more comfortable trekking experience.
The months of March to May and also November are part of the wet season where there are fewer tourists visiting Mgahinga national park and rains are also received during those months. The trails followed during gorilla trekking are also muddy during the rain season making gorilla trekking difficult.
How to get to Mgahinga national park
The different ways to get to Mgahinga national park include the following;
By Air:
Flights from Entebbe airport to Kisoro airstrip in Mgahinga National Park are among the ways that tourists can access the national park during safaris.
By Road:
Mgahinga National Park can be accessed by road and the drive Kampala to Kisoro takes about 9 to 10 hours and passes through several towns and scenic landscapes.
