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Safari lodges in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda

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Tourist Activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda

Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
This is one of the major reasons tourists will want to visit Mgahinga National Park. Mgahinga’s only habituated mountain gorilla family can be tracked down by a maximum of eight (8) travelers per day.

The activity sets off from Ntebeko at 8am with a short briefing by the park management about what to expect and basically how to behave when encountering the mountain gorillas.

The hunt for the exact location where the gorillas are that particular day can last between two and eight hours including a full hour spent with the family where tourists can take photos (non-flash photos) and just gaze at the beautiful gorillas; an experience that is limited to just four National Parks in the World including Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The prices of the gorilla permits vary a lot with the change in seasons (the total number of travelers per period of the year).

In the low season, East African residents can get a permit at 150,000 Uganda Shillings (UGX) and 250,000 UGX for the high seasons. Foreign residents can get permits at 500$ in the peak season and as low as 250$ in the low season.

Foreign residents can purchase gorilla permits in the high season at 600$ and get them at as low as 350$ in the low season.

Currently, because of the migrating nature of the Nyakagezi family, Uganda Wildlife Authority has maintained that the gorilla permits are sold at the park.

Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park; The Park’s long bird list provides opportunities for tourists to enjoy birding safaris in Mgahinga Gorilla National park.

With a long list of over 115 bird species this satisfying experience can last between 3 and 4 hours sighting bird species like the Cape Robin-chat, olive Thrush, Dusky turtle dove, the Rwenzori Turaco, bronze sunbird, Kivu ground Thrush and the Regal sunbird.

The most rewarding spots are in the Sabinyo and Gahinga mountains. On the eastern boarder of the park, a stone wall was built to keep the park’s buffalos away from the neighboring farmlands.

Along this wall, birders can also enjoy incredible sightings of bird species. It is advisable to move along with a guide who will easily identify the many bird species for the tourists during the birding experience.

Cultural encounters.

Tourists also stand the opportunity to make visits to the neighboring communities and furthermore to mingle with them and just experience how they do their daily duties and also listening to many of their survival technics.

An interesting time is the one spent with the Batwa community; some short-structured people with a fascinating history and traditions.

The Batwa trail takes tourists through the a number of Batwa daily activities like wild honey harvesting, extracting medicine from plants, and harvesting wild fruits.

Tourists will also be entertained by music and dances from the Batwa women. The Batwa trail also includes visits to the famous Garama cave where the Batwa’s king used to have his palace.

Going through the Batwa trail should take about six (6) to seven (7) hours to complete.

Guided Nature Walks.

Another very exciting activity for tourists to participate in is the guided nature walks. During the nature walks, tourist get the opportunity to discover a lot of unique biodiversity including the fauna and flora species not forgetting the remarkable view of the Congo boarder, Lake Mutanda, the towns of Kisoro and Bunagana and the amazing Gisozi hill’s caldera.

The nature walk is conducted with the aid of a guide ranger who not only provides tourists with security but also helps in identifying the different fauna and flora species along the way.

The nature walks last about four (4) hours and pass through the Rugezi swamp.

Mountain Hiking/Climbing in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

The park also caters for the needs of tourists who enjoy mountain climbing.

However, this activity is open to all and only requires an average level of fitness. Tourists do not really need to use expert gear during the mountain climbing; a pair of solid shoes, preferably jungle boots would do. It takes about six (6) hours to hike up the Gahinga Mountain (3,474m); seven (7) hours for mount Sabinyo (3,669m) and eight (8) hours for the park’s highest peak called Muhavura (4,127m).

At the summits, tourists can enjoy captivating views of the surrounding ranges, Uganda’s boarder with Congo and the legendary Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Horseback safaris Lake Mburo National Park, Lake Mburo is the only park which offers horseback safaris. This is an entirely new way of encountering the African wilderness on the back of a domesticated animal.

Unlike in the game drives where some shy animals run when they hear the sound of the car engines, during the horse rides most of the animals stay because the horses are like fellow animals.

The horseback safari is currently being organized and managed by the Mihingo lodge and can last up to four (4) hours.

Along the way tourists can see animals like the topi, bushbucks, impala, eland, zebras, duikers and warthogs. The lodge also offers tourists the opportunity to enjoy a bush breakfast as part or exclusive of the horseback safari.

Cultural encounters, Lake Mburo is surrounded by two major local communities, the Bahima and the Banyankole who are both large-herd cattle keepers.

There is a cultural center just outside the park which showcases the cultures of the Hima people and preserves the Ankole long horned cattle, a unique breed of cattle which is quickly disappearing due to the introduction of exotic breeds in the region.

Tourists can visit the homesteads of these people which are just outside of the park and are free to watch as they carry out their daily duties.

The communities have grown used to the tourists and some of them are permissive to tourists to participate in some of their daily activities.

The peoples tell very interesting stories and make awesomely entertaining music.

Tourist Attractions in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda

Mountain Gorillas
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park provides tourists an opportunity to track the famous mountain gorillas.

The Park’s only habituated mountain gorilla group can be visited by a maximum of eight (8) people per day and once the gorilla group has been found, tourist can enjoy a full hour with the family taking photos and simply gazing at the gorillas.

Mgahinga’s only habituated mountain gorilla called Nyakagezi has a total of ten (10) members with a number of silverbacks including Bugiingo, Marfia, Mark and Matthew.

Mark is the alpha silverback and he took leadership in from Bugiingo. Bugiingo is around 53 years and is the father to most of the family’s members.

Also known for its playful juveniles (Ndungutse and Rukundo) who rarely flee from the camera, Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family has a number of females including Nshuti and Nyiramwiza.

Birds

Mgahinga has over 179 bird species in her many habitats which provide satisfaction to birders while on Uganda Safaris to Mgahinga.

The bird list features species like the Double-collared Sunbird, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Turaco, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Wax Bills, Strip-breasted Tit, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Pin-tailed Whydah, Speckled Mousebird and the White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher. Twelve (12) of Mgahinga’s bird species can only be found in the Albertine Rift Valley area.

Other wildlife

The mountain gorillas, Mgahingga has over 75 other species of mammals including 60 habituated golden monkeys.

This is a percentage of the 3000 – 4000 golden monkeys in the Virunga Conservation Area; surely something to look out for while hiking through Mgahinga.

Many of the park’s other mammals are not commonly seen but once in a while, lucky tourists will get their eyes on a couple of them including the forest elephants, the forest buffalos, giant forest hogs, bush pig and the South African Porcupine.

The wild vegetation

The park’s changing altitude offers an awesome variety of vegetation with each level unveiling a different type of vegetation.

At the lower slopes of the park, tourists are greeted by grassland put side by side with forest vegetation. By climbing higher into the next zone, climbers begin to sight the beautiful montane woodlands and then the bamboo vegetation where many of the golden monkeys can be tracked.

The next zone is called the Ericaceous zone which mainly comprises of giant tree heathers. The park’s vegetation reaches the summits in the Alpine type of vegetation with unique plant and tree species that cannot be seen elsewhere but in the East African highlands located 3,000m above sea level.

Getting To Lake Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda – How to Access Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda

How To Get To Mgahinga national park

On a good day with no traffic, the park can be accessed by road over these distances

Travelers can reach the park using a long fine tarmac for 434km Kampala to Kabale, (8 hours). From Kabale, travelers can drive through the mountains on a well tarmacked road for 79km with numerous steep mountings and descents for about approximately 2 hours) which leads to Kisoro town. Read More[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Uganda Safari Parks – Uganda Safari Destinations

As of now, Uganda features a count of 10 national parks including Mount Elgon National Park in the east, Kidepo Valley National Park in the north east, Murchison Falls National Park in the north west, Kibale National Park, Semliki National Park and Rwenzori National Park in the west, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Lake Mburo National Park in the south west.

Right from the colonial era, a range of national parks have been gazetted in the countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo over time and the independent national governments have continued with the initiative.

Uganda is a land gifted by nature. Uganda stands among the many on the continent as the Pearl of Africa teaming with a count of ten National Parks that are spread all over Uganda.

The range of biodiversity thrives in these protected areas from which they find their natural protection to push their existence to posterity.

The Uganda National Parks present opportunity for a myriad of tourist activities like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, the forest hiking, birding, classic wild game viewing among other activities explored on safaris in Uganda. Read More

Kibale Forest National Park has thirteen (13) recorded primate species including the L’Hoest’s monkey and its 1,450 chimpanzees which cannot be seen anywhere else in Uganda in such big numbers.

The park also has an additional sixty (60) mammal species including the migrant, the warthogs, bush pigs, buffalos, 500 elephants and hippos.

Kibale National Park also serves its visitors to four (4) species of wild felids including the leopards and the lions which migrate between Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Kibale National park adjoins with Queen Elizabeth National Park to form a 180km (111 mi) wildlife corridor, and for this reason a number of ground-dwelling mammals cannot be seen regularly. Read More

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the Uganda gorilla safaris & Tours park is conveniently situated in the Kigezi Highlands of south-west Uganda, adjacent to the frontier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was gazetted as a National Park in 1991 and declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1994.

It was created due to its exceptional biodiversity, with more than 163 species of trees and over 100 species of ferns. Various bird species and butterflies, as well as many endangered species, including the mountain gorilla. Read More

Lake Mburo national park has a number of bird species including the uncommonly seen shoebill, the white winged warbler, the African fish eagles and the red faced barbet which can only be viewed in Lake Mburo National Park. In total birders can be delighted to see over 300 bird species in Lake Mburo National Park. Read More

Like three other National Parks in Africa, Mgahinga provides a refuge to some of the world’s remaining population of world mountain gorillas.

Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National park, together provide shelter to over half of the world’s total mountain gorilla population.

Mgahinga National Park is positioned in the far southwestern part of Uganda in a district called Kisoro about 510km from Uganda’s Capital City Kampala.

The park is Uganda’s smallest national park with a total area of 33.7km2. Read More

Mountain Elgon National Park is located on the eastern part Uganda and bisected by the border of Kenya and Uganda.

The park is also the largest and oldest solitary, volcanic mountain in East African region. Its enormous areas form, eighty (80) km in diameter and rises more than 3,000m above the surrounding plains.

The mountain’s cool heights offer respite from the hot plains below, with the higher altitudes providing a refuge for flora and fauna. Read More

Queen Elizabeth National Park which is described as “Uganda’s Great Rift Valley” by Andrew Roberts is the second largest national park in Uganda spanning in the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri.

The park was established in 1954 and it covers almost 1,978 square kilometers. It is bordered in the West by Lake Edward and in the North by the Rwenzori Mountains, and is separated into two parts, the Northern and Southern park. Read More

Uganda Gorilla Safari Tours – Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris

Uganda Gorilla Safaris comes with an exceptional experience that is not only got from encountering the Mountain gorillas but also a tour to different wildlife safari destination of Queen Elizabeth national park alive with tree climbing lions, Kazinga Channel, undertaking an ultimate primate trekking encounter and wetland nature walk in Kibale forest park or visiting the different cultural sites spread in different parts of Uganda.

These together with their unique rich cultural heritage combine to trigger or offer an utmost Uganda Gorilla safari experience.

3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Uganda Safari

This 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Uganda Safari tour, takes you into the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to trek the world endangered species of the mountain gorillas thriving in the park. Read More

4 Days Gorilla & Wildlife Safari in Uganda

The 4 Days Gorillas & Wildlife Safari in Uganda, is safari package that allows you to explore the world endangered species of the Mountain gorillas thriving in Bwindi Impenetrable National park. Read More

4 Days Gorilla & Wildlife Safari Uganda

The 4 Day Gorilla & Wildlife Safari Tour Uganda, is short interesting tour that gives you chance to have life changing experience of trekking the mountain gorillas thriving in the ancient Impenetrable forests in Bwindi. Read More

5 Days Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari tour

The 5 Days Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari tour to Queen Elizabeth & Lake Mburo National Park is that packed safari package that offers visitors on Uganda safaris. Read More

5 Days Uganda Gorilla trekking & Wildlife Safari

The 5 Days Uganda Gorilla trekking & Wildlife Safari takes to Queen Elizabeth National Park alive with unique wildlife species like the elephants, buffaloes, lions, jackals, leopards, Kobs. Read More

6 Days Gorilla & Chimps Safari Uganda

The 6 Days Bwindi Gorillas & Kibale Chimps Safari Uganda is one of the excellent safaris 0rganised for you to explore the natural wonders in Uganda. Read More

Long Uganda Safaris – Long Uganda Gorilla Safari Tour & Wildlife Tours

8 Days Uganda Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safari

The 8 Days Uganda Mountain Gorilla trekking Safari is an excellent safari package that starts with the visit to lake Mburo national park which is unique Small National park. Read More

9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Safari

The 9 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorilla Tour is complete safari package that will take you to the Pearl of Africa’s most outstanding tourism destination like Murchison Falls National Park. Read More

10 Days Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari

The 10 Days Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari is a comprehensive safari package that enables you to explore among the Uganda’s best destinations that are filled with counts. Read More

13 Days Gorilla Safari in Uganda

The 13 Days Gorilla Safari in Uganda starts and ends on Entebbe Uganda. The safari features impressive Uganda safari micro destinations talking you to Lake Mburo National Park. Read More

15 Days Uganda Gorilla, Wildlife & Culture Safari

The 15 Days Uganda Gorilla, Adventure, Wildlife & Culture Safari starts and ends in Entebbe Uganda. The safari takes you to the famous Uganda safari destinations. Read More

18 Days Uganda Comprehensive Safari

The 18 Days Uganda Comprehensive Safari gives you a detailed encounter of Uganda stretching from the north east to the south west. Read More

Other Related Uganda Safaris – Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safaris

7 Days Uganda Primate Safari Tour

The 7 days Uganda Primate safari tour provides travelers on primate trekking that rare chance to trek the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable national park conveniently positioned in south western part of Uganda. The safari takes travellers through Kibale forest national park. Read More

3 Days Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking

The 3 days Kibale chimpanzee trekking tour enables you to explore Kibale National Park dubbed the primate capital of the world with largest counts of habituated chimpanzees in the whole of Uganda.

The 3 day’s Chimpanzee trekking safari offers you an opportunity to encounter the habituated chimpanzees in their natural habitat.. Read More

3 Days Murchison falls Wildlife tour

The 3 Days Murchison falls Wildlife tour is good tour package that will take you to Uganda largest national park –Murchison falls located in the North Western part of Uganda .

The tour will offers you an opportunity to explore the world’s most powerful water fall and have an account of unique wildlife species like giraffes, elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopard among others. Read More

4 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari to Kidepo National Park

The 4 days Uganda Wildlife Safari to Kidepo Valley National Park is good wildlife tour that entails you encountering Africa’s wilderness park-Kidepo National Park conveniently located in the rugged, semi-arid valleys of Karamoja region on the far northern frontier of Uganda and Sudan.

The 4 days wildlife safari to Kidepo allows you to view wide –range of exciting faunas like the greater and lesser kudu, eland and cheetah, lion, leopard, spotted hyena. Read More

4 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trek & Lake Mburo Wildlife Tour

The 4 day Bwindi gorilla trek &Lake Mburo Wildlife Tour is short interesting tour that gives you chance to have life changing experience of trekking the mountain gorillas thriving in the ancient Impenetrable forests in Bwindi.

The safari starts from Kampala and it takes you to south western Uganda to Bwindi Impenetrable where you will have the best experience on earth to interact with the stunning apes of the mountain gorillas. Read More

4 Days Queen Elizabeth Uganda Wildlife Safari

This 4 Days Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari will enable you to participate in the highly experiential tourism activities in Uganda‘s Second largest National Park-Queen Elizabeth national park.

The 4 Days wildlife safari will allow you to encounter the adventurous launch cruise on the picturesque waters of the Kazinga Channel, undertake an early morning game drive in the well-coordinated Kasenyi tracks and chimpanzee trekking at Kyambura George. Read More

12 Days Uganda Classic Wildlife Safari

The 12 Days Uganda Classic Wild Safari is one of the comprehensive safari packages that are organized by prime Safaris & Tours for tourists interested in wildlife viewing experience in the Pearl of Africa.

This complete Safari package will allow you to explore Kampala Capital City which is destination endowed with different attractions ranging from historical to cultural and religious attractions. Read More

15 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari – Murchison falls, Kibale forest

The 15 days, Uganda Wildlife safari is complete safari package that will take you through the most marvels of Uganda the pearl of Africa.

The safari offers you an opportunity to take park in the top tourism activities within Uganda’s national parks including wildlife viewing in Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth, Chimpanzee tracking in the primate Capital-Kibale forest Park. Read More

16 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari Tour

The 16 days Uganda Wildlife Safari Tour is a comprehensive Safari package that entails wildlife viewing, adventure activities, culture tours, scenery viewing, Chimpanzees and Gorillas trekking.

It takes you through the cosmopolitan city of Kampala, Jinja adventure Capital of East Africa, Kidepo national park and local Karamojong community, habituated chimpanzees of Kibale, wild game of Queen Elizabeth, gorilla trekking in Bwindi. Read More

5 Days Queen Elizabeth & Kibale Uganda Wildlife Tour

5 Day Queen Elizabeth & Kibale Wildlife Tour is an interesting tour package that is organized for visitors interested in trekking the chimpanzees and participating in boat cruise, game drive, forest walk, wetland walk and community tours.

The safari tour take you to explore Kibale National Park, home to a total of 70 mammal species, most popularly the thirteen (13) species of primate including the chimpanzees and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Read More

6 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari – Kidepo Valley Park & Murchison falls

The 6 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari is good safari packages that visitor on Uganda Safari should opt for. The Safari package enables you to explore the two outstanding protected areas in Uganda –the pearl of Africa.

The 6 days Uganda wildlife safari starts from Kampala and it takes you to Kidepo Valley National park strategically positioned in the unexplored Karamoja region in the North Eastern part of Uganda. Read More

7 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari

This 7 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari is complete safari package that is targeted for visitors interested in wild game viewing.

The Safari takes you to Murchison Falls National Park- Uganda ‘s Largest National Park with the world’s powerful falls and an account of unique wildlife species like Elephants, Lions, Hippos. Read More