Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in the Southwestern region of Uganda in Kisoro district. This national park is considered as the smallest national park compared to all other national parks in the country because it covers a total surface area of about 34 square kilometers and it shares boarders with Virunga national park, which is situated in the Democratic republic of Congo, and Volcanoes national park found in Rwanda.
Mgahinga gorilla national park is famously known because of its endangered species therefore is commonly visited due to the fact that is ranked as the best destination to visit for gorilla trekking activities. More so this national park is stands at an elevated area with an altitude between 2,227 meters and 4,127 meters high. Mgahinga national park was established as a national park in 1991 and it is under the management of the Uganda Wildlife Authority which was introduced by the ministry of the tourism industry with an aim and big role of ensuring and protecting the mountain gorillas and other wildlife species which are have stay within the dense forests which they consider as their natural habitats in the national park.
Mgahinga gorilla national park has many tourist attractions which attract the attention of many tourists to travel from all over different parts of the world to visit the park hence leading to the development of the tourism industry in Uganda and these attractions include; the Ntebeko visitors centre, caves like the Garama caves which are the most visited caves in the park and tourists get to see numerous bat caves, wildlife species whereby this parks is a home to over 300 mountain gorillas, 180 bird species like; Paradise flycatcher, Rwenzori batis, cape robin chat and around 76 mammal species such as; golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffalos, bush backs, giant forest hogs among others. Lastly. The Virunga volcanoes due to the fact that this national park as around eight volcanoes which share boarders with countries like; the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and lie within the Virunga Massif among others.
Things to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National park.
Tourists exploring through Mgahinga Gorilla national park while on their safari in Uganda gives individuals are offered great opportunities to engage in several activities like;
Gorilla trekking.
Mgahinga gorilla national park is a home to over 300 endangered mountain gorilla species and has two habituated gorilla groups, which are known as Hirwa, and Nyakagezi gorilla groups. Gorilla trekking activities at this park always begin at 8:00am in the morning however trekkers arrive an hour before at the park headquarters where they are given short briefings about the do’s and don’ts during trekking and they put in groups with a maximum number of 8 members depending on which gorilla groups/ families they are going to trek. In Mgahinga national park , the gorilla trekking permits is charged at a fee of about 700 USD per person and this activity always goes for about 2-5hours and the endangered gorilla species are located, tourists are given one full hour to interact with the species as they learn their characters and watch how they feed among others.
Bird watching.
Mgahinga national park is a home to over 180 bird species which makes it a best destination for bird lovers to visit due to the fact that they get chances to sight see different bird species such as; Rwenzori Batis, Bronze sunbird, Regal sunbird, the brown crowned tchagra, Olive thrush, blue headed sunbird, bronze sunbird among others. In addition, tourists interesting in involving themselves in bird watching activities are encouraged to pay a fee of 30 USD per person.
Volcano climbing.
Mgahinga national park has three volcano mountains such as; Mount Sabinyo, mount Gahinga, mount Muhavura and volcano climbing activities within this national park cost 80 USD per person however, the advantage of this is that it covers other expenses like; the park entrance fees and park guide fees. Tourists with big interesting in engaging in volcano climbing should be physically fit due to the fact that involves in climbing up to the top of the mountains. The climbing of these mountains helps tourists to capture a classic view of the park while at the top with its wonderful attractions such as; giant lobelia, golden monkeys, bamboo forests among others.
Hiking and guided nature walks.
Hiking and guided nature walks in Mgahinga national park all commence from the park headquarters, which are found in Ntebeko, and hiking is charged at a cost of 30 USD per person. During hiking and walking around the park through the foothills of Virunga volcanoes, tourists are always accompanied with park guides and individuals get to look at some of the attractions in the park such as; Bamboo forests, Rugezi swamp, bird species and capture stunning views of the beautiful water bodies such as; Lake Mutanda.
Apart from the mentioned above, tourists have many other activities to participate in during their safari in Mgahinga national park such as; community visits, game viewing, cultural encounters and among others.
Where to stay with Mgahinga Gorilla national park.
Mgahinga gorilla national park offers its guests with very many accommodation facilities, which are comfortable however, they are put in different ranges and classes for example; they range from budget, luxury and mid-range. Hence giving a chance to tourists to choose where they would prefer to stay and what matches with their budget. These lodging facilities include; Gahinga safari lodge, Bird nest Bunyonyi resort, Amajambere Lwacu camp, Bunyonyo overland resort, Kisoro travelers rest hotel, countryside guest house and mount Gorilla safari lodge among others.
Contact our trusted tour operators in case of any more information and inquires about Mgahinga national park and Book with our tours and travel companies like; Focus East Africa Safaris who offer the best tour packages to the tourists who travel to Mgahinga gorilla national park on their safari in Uganda.
