Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Gorillas, Golden Monkeys and Volcanoes

About Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga is Uganda’s smallest national park, about 34 km² in the far south-west corner of the country, where Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo meet. It protects the Ugandan slopes of three of the eight Virunga volcanoes: Muhabura (4,127 m), Gahinga (3,474 m) and Sabyinyo (3,669 m). Across the borders the same forest continues as Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Virunga National Park in Congo.

The park’s slogan is “where silver meets gold”: silverback mountain gorillas and the rare golden monkey, which lives only in the bamboo forest of the Virungas. It is much quieter than Bwindi, with one gorilla group and only a handful of lodges, and on a clear day the views across the volcanoes and the lakes of Kisoro are some of the finest in East Africa.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga

Mgahinga has one habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi group, so only eight gorilla permits are sold for the park each day. Treks start at Ntebeko visitor centre at about 8:00 with a briefing, then follow the ranger-guides up through farmland, bamboo and montane forest. Depending on where the group slept, the walk takes between two and five hours return, and you spend one hour with the gorillas.

• Permit: sold by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, at the same price as Bwindi: US$800 per person for foreign non-residents at the time of writing.
• Minimum age: 15 years.
• Terrain: steeper and more open than Bwindi’s forest, at altitudes above 2,300 m, so you will feel the climb. Porters can be hired at the gate.
• Booking: with a single group, permits are scarce. Book them as early as possible, ideally when you book the car.

Golden monkey tracking

Golden monkeys are a subspecies of the blue monkey with a bright orange-gold back, found only in the Virunga bamboo belt. A habituated troop of several dozen lives in the bamboo above Ntebeko. Tracking is easier than a gorilla trek: usually one to three hours on gentler slopes, with an hour in the bamboo watching the troop feed and leap between stems. The light under the bamboo is soft and green, which makes it a favourite for photographers.

Volcano hikes and the Batwa Trail

• Mount Sabyinyo: a long, steep day hike with ladders near the top, to a summit where Uganda, Rwanda and Congo meet.
• Mount Gahinga: a six-hour return climb to a swampy crater at the summit, the easiest of the three.
• Mount Muhabura: the highest, a full day of eight hours or more to a small crater lake, with views as far as Bwindi on a clear morning.
• Batwa Trail: a half-day walk led by members of the Batwa community, the forest’s original hunter-gatherer inhabitants, ending at Garama Cave.

Best time to visit Mgahinga

Treks run all year. June to August and December to February are the driest months, with firmer trails and clearer views of the volcanoes. March to May and September to November bring heavy rain; the walks are muddier and the summits often in cloud, but the lodges are quieter. Nights are cold all year at this altitude, often below 10 °C, so pack a warm layer.

Getting to Mgahinga by car

The fastest approach is from Kigali, which is why many Tanzania road trips continue through Rwanda to Mgahinga. The last stretch from Kisoro to the park gate is a steep, rocky track where a 4×4 with good ground clearance is essential, especially after rain. Mgahinga pairs naturally with Rushaga, Bwindi’s southern sector, which is only an hour and a half away. If gorilla permits sell out in one park, the other often has space.

See crossing borders with a rental car for taking our 4×4 into Rwanda and Uganda.

Where to stay near Mgahinga

There are a few lodges and community camps close to Ntebeko gate, and a wider choice in and around Kisoro town, 14 km away, which also has fuel, banks and a market. Staying near the gate saves a rough drive before a 7:30 briefing; staying in Kisoro or at Lake Mutanda, 30 minutes away, gives more choice and a lakeside setting.

Header photo: Mount Muhabura and Mount Gahinga by Rachel Ndyabawe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.