Mgahinga National Park, one of the smallest national parks in Uganda, is 34 square kilometers in size and is situated in the Kisoro district in southwest Uganda. Since its establishment as a national park in 1991, it has been overseen by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and published by the Ministry of Tourism, with the primary objective of safeguarding the endangered Mountain Gorilla species that inhabits the park’s deep forests. This park also borders with the Volcanoes National park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park of D.R. Congo.
Numerous rare animal species may be seen at Mgahinga National Park, including golden monkeys, buffaloes, forest elephants, giant forest pigs, bushbucks, duikers, and I’hoest monkeys. Beautiful francolin, African paradise flycatchers, olive pigeons, and many more species of birds can also be found there.
During their visit on a Uganda Safari, visitors can partake in a variety of fascinating activities offered by Mgahinga National Park, such as:
Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park
The main activity in Mgahinga National Park is gorilla trekking. The Nyakagezi gorilla group is the only gorilla group that lives in this park. Gorilla trekking starts at 8:00 am in the morning, but visitors in groups of eight are expected to arrive at the park early for registration, briefed on the rules and regulations to be followed, and then assigned a knowledgeable park guide who is familiar with the gorilla trails to be followed.
After finding the gorillas, travelers have one hour of direct contact with them, but they must maintain a minimum of seven meters of space between them. Gorilla trekking takes approximately six hours. Additionally, visitors always get the opportunity to learn about the gorillas’ way of life and behaviors throughout this hour-long event. They may also see the gorillas play, nap, nurse, and attend to their young.
Tourists always take advantage of the opportunity to snap pictures and movies, but they are usually cautioned against using the flashlight feature on their phones or cameras, especially when they are among wild animals. Tourists can see many primate species, including baboons, I’hoest monkeys, and bird species, while trekking.
Batwa Trail experience in Mgahinga National Park
The Batwa guides conduct and lead the Batwa trail experience in Mgahinga National Park, which starts at the foot of Muhavura Cave. The reason this activity becomes interesting is that tourists get to interact with the Batwa people and learn about their traditional way of life, culture, and how they used to live in the Mgahinga forest before it was designated as a national park. They also get to learn how to make bamboo cups and the Batwa people’s methods for gathering and hunting.
Along the way, visitors can see medicinal plants that are used to treat a wide range of illnesses, watch traditional cultural dance performances, and hear the Batwa women sing despairing songs about their way of life in the forest. They can also take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to visit the sacred Ngarama cave, which was once home to the king.
Volcano Climbing and Hiking
Three chronic volcanoes—Mt. Gahinga, at 3474 meters high; Mount Sabinyu, at 3645 meters high; and Mount Muhabura, at 4127 meters high—are part of Mgahinga National Park and are designated as one of the park’s main attractions. Visitors can climb and hike these volcanoes while on safari.
Golden Monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park
The golden monkey trekking experience at Mgahinga National Park typically lasts between 30 minutes and 3 hours, depending on how long it takes visitors to locate the monkeys that are always on the move in quest of food. After successfully locating the golden monkeys, guests are granted an hour to see the monkeys’ jumping, playing, eating, and sleeping habits. Visitors always take advantage of this time to snap images and make movies to share with family and friends back home.
The park’s golden monkey trekking activities start early in the morning. However, before visitors go into the jungle to find the golden monkeys, they receive a quick orientation at park headquarters and are assigned a knowledgeable park guide who is familiar with the various trails to follow.
Bird Watching in Mgahinga National Park
With over 184 different bird species calling Mgahinga Gorilla National Park home, it is no wonder that so many people travel to Uganda just to have a peek at these amazing creatures. It is considered one of the top birding locations in the country. When tourists go bird watching, they are always accompanied by a knowledgeable bird guide who helps them identify various bird species, such as the speckled mouse bird, double collared sunbird, black kite, dusky crimson, yellow vented bulbul, olive pigeon, fire finch stonechat, African paradise flycatcher, blue headed coucal, alpine swift, cape robin chat, moorland, Rwenzori turaco, Olive Woodpecker, and others. These are categorized into groups such as endemic species found in the Albertine Rift and migratory and forest birds.
How to Access Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga National Park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda. Tourists can get there either by use of Road or Air transport.
For the case of Road transport
If tourists want to travel by road, it will take three to four hours to get from Kampala to the Parks headquarters in Ntebeko, via Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale-Kisoro road.
Use of Air Transport
Travelers arriving at the park by air will reserve flights from Kajjansi Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip or from Entebbe International Airport with Aero Link Uganda.