About the park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. It is about 33.7sq km making it Uganda’s smallest national park. This park gets it’s name from “Gahinga” a local word for piles of volcanic stones cleared from the farmland at the foot of the volcanoes. It was declared a game sanctuary by the British administration in 1991 and in 1993, it was gazetted as a national park. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.

Mgahinga’s most striking physical features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga Range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Mgahinga forms part of the much larger Virunga Conservation Area which includes adjacent parks in these three countries. The volcanoes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.

Mgahinga boasts over 76 mammals which include Elephant, Giant Forest Hog, Bush Pig, Bushbuck, Buffalo, and Leopard. The park has a bird checklist of over 180 species including the 14 Albertine rift endemics.

As well as being important for wildlife, the park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivaled. The Batwa were self-sufficient and visitors to the park can see how as they are taken on a fascinating tour with a Batwa guide, in addition to learning the secrets of the forest.

Activities

Gorilla tracking

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park but definitely not its least popular. It is one of two locations in Uganda where visitors can track mountain gorillas, the other being the world-renowned Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The park has one habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi that receives visitors on gorilla-tracking safaris every day. The Mgahinga trek is quite different from Bwindi because it is a hike that is done along a range of ancient volcanoes. The park’s only gorilla group is a fascinating one being that it has 3 adult silverbacks who quite impressively get along very well. Like in Bwindi, the treks can be challenging or easy and can last between 1 – 8 hours depending on your fitness levels as well as where the gorilla group is on any given day. All treks start with an 8:00 AM briefing followed by hiking into the forest led by a Uganda Wildlife Authority expert ranger guide. A maximum of 8 participants are allowed to visit a mountain gorilla group each day and they get a whole hour, so you will want to have your camera ready to capture these awesome moments. All visitors on gorilla tracking safaris to Mgahinga will need a gorilla permit. This should be booked and paid for in advance.

Golden monkey tracking

Golden monkeys are a unique species that is endemic to this part of the world. A community has been habituated to accommodate human presence. On the golden monkey trek, visitors get to see the primates as they sing in the bamboo reeds while feeding, playing grooming, and nursing their young. Visitors on golden monkey tracking adventures also get a whole hour with the primates.

Volcano hiking

The park’s skyline is dominated by 3 extinct volcanic cones that are easy to see from miles away especially on a clear day. These are Mt. Muhavura or Muhabura (4,127 m), Mt. Gahinga (3,474 m), and Mt. Sabyinyo (3,645 m) all offering unique and exciting hiking experiences. The three volcanoes are a continuation of the Virunga massif which extends into the neighboring countries of Rwanda and DR Congo. All hikes are accompanied by a team of Uganda Wildlife Authority expert rangers and each of the three volcanoes can be summitted in one day, which makes these single-day hikes an excellent day addition to a gorilla tracking safari. Although Muhavura with its crater lake is the highest of the three, Mount. Sabyinyo proves to be the toughest and most famous. Trekkers that reach Sabyinyo’s third peak will be able to stand in three countries at the same time without necessarily needing a visa.

Birding

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is excellent for birding with at least 12 Albertine Rift endemics including the Rwenzori Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Handsome Francolin, and Rwenzori Batis. Other birds include the Black-headed Waxbill, White-naped Raven, the Bronze Sunbird, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black Kite, Double-collared Sunbird, Speckled Mouse Bird, Paradise Flycatcher, Ibis, Fire Finch Stonechat, Grey-capped Warbler, Waxbills, Archer’s Robin-chat, Blue-headed Coucal, Dusky Crimson Wing, Kivu Ground-thrush, Olive Pigeon, Olive Woodpecker, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Chubbs Cisticola, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Banded Prinia, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Crowned Hornbill, Crowned Crane, Dusky Turtle Dove, Alpine Chat, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Lagden’s Bush-shrike, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Common Stone Chat, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Yellow-throated Long-claw, Yellow-crowned Canary, and Grassland Pipit.         

Batwa Experience

This journey down memory lane brings you closer to the lives of ancient forest dwellers, the Batwa pygmies who for thousands of years inhabited this area of the country and depended on these rich forests for their shelter, medicine, and food. Now that this area is a protected area, the Batwa have had to learn alternative living, most notable by actively participating in tourism and conservation. The Batwa trail is a cultural experience led by Batwa guides who take you through the park to reveal to you some of the secrets of the forest that kept them going for millennia. The tour often climaxes in visiting the Garama cave and then some traditional music, an invitation to put on your dancing shoes and join in with the celebration.

Nature walks

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a series of scenic nature walks, the most popular being the Sabyinyo Gorge walk which leads through the park’s incredible vegetation and landscape, and climaxes in one of the most stunning waterfalls. Along the way, tourists will most likely spot some of the park’s wildlife including primates, chameleons, duikers, giant earthworms, and bird species. Gorge walks are led by one of the park rangers who give an extensive talk on the ecosystem.

Itinerary ideas

3-day gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park

Day 1 – Drive to Mgahinga National Park, overnight

Day 2 – Gorilla trekking, Batwa Experience, overnight

Day 3 – Drive back to Kampala

4-day gorilla and wildlife safari

Day 1 – Drive to Mgahinga National Park, overnight

Day 2 – Gorilla trekking, overnight

Day 3 – Golden monkey trekking, Batwa Experience, overnight

Day 4 – Volcanic hike and nature walk, overnight

Day 5 – Drive back to Kampala

Accommodation

Up market: Volcanoes Gahinga Lodge

Midrange/budget:  Kisoro Travellers Rest Inn, Mucha Hotel Kisoro, Lake Chahafi Resort