Mabamba Swamp
Country : Uganda
07 Days Uganda Cultural Safari Encounter Tour
Duration: 6N / 7D
On Request
Mgahinga National Park Travel Guide
The smallest national park of the larger Virunga Conservation, Mgahinga National Park is one of the major attractions for tourist in Uganda. Lying towards the southwestern corner of the country, the national park is enclosed by the Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and the Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The region covers the forested area of three extinct volcanoes of Uganda and endemic flora and fauna. The national park houses around 79 bird species, 39 species of mammal and sparse vegetation of the montane forest. The wilderness includes the family of the mountain gorilla, buffalo and elephant. One can spot the rare golden monkey and the blue monkey along with the species of the golden cat, leopard, spotted hyena, side-striped jackal, black-fronted duiker, bushbuck and giant forest hog. The wildlife of Mgahinga National Park is known for the critically endangered and rare species that one may not see elsewhere in the African region or other parts of the world. It’s the volcanic mountains that add on to the aesthetic beauty making it the most biodiverse region of Uganda. Along with the extinct volcanos, there are indigenous Batwa pygmies dwelling there that exhibit the tribal culture of Uganda.
Places To visit In Mgahinga National Park
Virunga Volcanos
There are three series of volcanoes that form the Virunga Region as one of the attractions in Uganda Mgahinga National Park. With green lush scenery, these can your hiking spot offering you an experience of a lifetime. The Muhabura, Mgahinga and Sabyinyo are the three ranges that offer an exceptional adventure and a stunning scenic view.
Mount Sabyinyo
Sabyinyo is the extinct volcano in Eastern Africa marking the connection in between the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The mountain slopes the endangered Mountain Gorillas that can be spotted while hiking up the three peaks. The hiking requires 8 hours of journey covering 14 km of distance.
Mount Gahinga
Mount Gahinga counts as one of the extinct volcano slopes of Uganda from where the Mgahinga National Park derived its name. The swampy caldera on the peak of the mountain is around 180 meters wide. The region is rich in vegetation where you can find the species of afro-montane and area covered with a thick bamboo forest.
Mount Muhavura
The Mount Muhavura is one of the eighth extinct volcanos of Uganda and the Mgahinga National Park. There are lakes and hiking trails that make it an attraction in Uganda for travellers. With the alpine vegetation, the mountain flaunts its marvellous scenic beauty and a quick trail to discover the remaining Virunga volcanoes and the rift valley.
Grama Caves
The Grama caves are the significant attraction in Uganda that stretches to an area of 200 km. The cave exhibits the dark interior and with the moulded chairs, the remains of Batwa pottery and more. Lying around 4k from the Ntebeko visitor centre the caves are regarded as the sacred site by the tribes of Batwa.
Best Time To Visit Mgahinga National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a year-round destination that can be explored throughout the year. However, the dry season is mostly preferred for a tour as the low humidity, pleasant climate and accessible routes makes the time best to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
December to February and June to September is the time when you can hike up the mountains and experience a satisfactory journey. For gorilla tracking, December to March and June to September is the best time when you could plan a tour.
Things To Do In Mgahinga National Park
Let the experts guide you to the best of this mesmerizing destination
Gorilla Tracking
Mgahinga National Park houses the endangered mountain Gorilla that attracts the majority of travellers to Uganda. Gorilla Tracking is the best thing to do here where you can explore the wilderness and the habituated families of Gorilla. From witnessing their relationship to exploring their ecology, understanding their behaviour and so on, tracking them is a unique experience that requires a lot of skills.
Golden Monkey tracking
Track the endemic and rare golden mountain dwelling in the wilderness of Mgahinga National Park. Tracking these mountain golden monkeys can be challenging as the weather or the presence of a predator can affect the presence of these species. These golden monkeys don’t have a nest, neither have they left their marks behind for tracking them easily.
Bird Watching
With a rich diversity of birds, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park attracts the travellers for Bird watching in Uganda. The species here include the birds like ibis or speckled mous and firefinch bird. These species are present at the region as Buffalo Wall, forests, wetlands and other habitats of the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Volcano Hiking
There are three volcano peaks in Mgahinga National Park that offers a scenic trail to hike up the mountains. There are tours available to hike up the Mount Gahinga or the Mount Muhavura that requires around a long hike of 12 to 14 km. Capture the stunning sight of the wilderness and the lakes enclosed by the alpine vegetation during the breathtaking adventure.
Cultural Batwa Trail
From the base of Muhavura Cave, the cultural trail to Batwa community start that is the best thing to do in Mgahinga National Park. The trail is no less than a living museum that exhibits the lifestyle, culture and history of the tribe. Earlier the tribes were dwelling inside the forest regions that were rehabilitated to the outskirt village for preserving the Mgahinga National Park.
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How to Reach Mgahinga National Park
The Mgahinga National Park is not well connected with a mode of good or direct transport. One needs to interchange and experience a long journey to reach Mgahinga National Park.
Via air; Entebbe International Airport is the nearest airport to Mgahinga National Park in Uganda that is connected via charter flights. You can get the flights from Entebbe or Kampala airstrip to Kisoro airstrip to reach the destination.
Via land; With a distance of 540kms, Kampala is connected to Mgahinga National Park via the road that takes around 10 hours 0f journey. From Kisoro Town, one can hike to the park or hire a cab.
