Situated in the southwest of Uganda, Mgahinga National Park is one of the two national parks in Uganda that host the exciting mountain gorillas that is to say itself and Bwindi impenetrable National Park. Mgahinga is one of the most visited national parks in the country for the exciting activities and attractions it’s associated with, especially the mountain gorilla and golden monkey tracking activities.
The National Park also shelters other small primates especially the l’hoest, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and blue monkeys alongside other exciting mammals. Mgahinga National Park is known for its stunning scenery of the extinct volcanoes.
It is important to remember that this national park hosts three of the eight Virunga mountain ranges, that is to say, Mount Muhabura, Sabyinyo and Gahinga. They are characterized by thick tropical rainforests on their bases and slopes, lush flora and beautiful views as they protrude through the clouds. Mgahinga National Park is the smallest national park in the country seated on an area of approximately 33.9 square kilometers.
About the Park
Mgahinga was established as a national park in 1991 after being a game reserve since the 1930s. The park was established mainly to protect the endangered mountain gorillas that inhabited the region and were on the verge of extinction due to threats from human activities. Before 1991, biological surveys were conducted and rangers were trained to ensure that the gorillas were kept safe from the poachers and the wrath of human activities that were reducing their habitat size and their numbers from time to time. Tourism activities started in 1994 when some of the gentle giants were habituated.
Mgahinga National Park is made up of three conical extinct volcanoes of the Virunga massif. These contribute to its sensational beauty and make it further unique from the rest of the parks.
Mgahinga is also home to a variety of primates which further sets it apart from the rest of the national parks in the country. It is home to mountain gorillas, blue monkeys, golden monkeys and l’hoests.
Mgahinga presents beautiful views of the far Lake Bunyonyi islands which makes it a favorite spot for sightseeing.
Gorilla tracking. This is conducted by the beautiful Nyakagezi gorilla family. The tracking activity starts usually at 8:00 AM and goes on up to the afternoon when the guests get to meet the gentle giants in their natural habitat.
Golden monkey tracking. This exciting activity is carried out in two phases, the morning and the afternoon sessions. Morning sessions begin at 8:00 AM and the afternoon sessions begin at 2:00 PM.
Hiking. Visitors to this beautiful park can also go hiking on the mountain ranges of their choice. Hiking presents beautiful views of the surroundings.
Batwa trail experiences. Mgahinga National Park neighborhood is inhabited by the exciting Batwa people that visitors to the park can have the opportunity to interact with. They are renowned for their sensational traditional entertainment, storytelling and an interesting way of life.
Bird watching. This beautiful park is also home to various species of birds which tourists can get the opportunity to observe in the mountain areas and the forests on the bases. Guests have the opportunity to spot beautiful birds such as secretary birds, scavengers, vultures, hammerkops, African fish eagles, turacos, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black bee eaters, sunbirds, yellow-billed ox-peckers, grey crowned cranes and cinnamons.
Nature walks. These are usually conducted through the trails in the forests as the tourists get to appreciate the natural environment and listen to the wild sounds as they enjoy the breeze which is so therapeutic and worthwhile.
Mountain gorillas. Mgahinga National Park is a renowned habitat for mountain gorillas that inhabit the slopes of the mountain ranges in the park. There is only one gorilla family that is habituated in Mgahinga called Nyakagezi. This awesome family has nine members which are exciting to look at.
Other wildlife species. The National Park is not only home to mountain gorillas but also other exciting wildlife species, especially the forest hogs, elephants, golden cats, bush babies, blue monkeys, mangabeys and serval cats.
Luxury Lodge in Mgahinga National Park:
- Mount. Gahinga Lodge
Mid-budget lodges in Mgahinga National Park:
- Traveler’s Rest Hotel
- Lake Chahafi Resort
Low-budget lodge in Mgahinga National Park:
- Mucha Riverside Lodge
Our Partners
Uganda Tourism Board
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Uganda Wildlife Authority
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The Buhoma Gorilla Camp
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The Bwindi Kids Charity
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What our customers Say ?
ExcellentBased on 21 reviewsHeadspun2023-07-16Unforgettable Rwanda Emerald tailored our 5 day trip to Rwanda to all our many and frequently changing requests without any fuss. Chris, our driver/guide for the duration, could not have been more helpful and professionalNic2022-10-25Amazing holidays! Great holidays! Even my special wishes were included into the planning although time was short. Our guide and driver City Tyson Magezi was caring and responsible. We traveled for four weeks and stayed in different accommodations from hut to tent to amazing hotels.Susanne2022-08-19Just amazing It felt so safe and comfortable and exciting to travel with emerald. Our guide was so caring, so experienced and always friendly and an a great mood. He showed us so many animals included lions and leopards. That was just amazing . We saw wonderful landscapes like waterfalls and had contact to people . No Uganda or Eastern Africa without emerald . I m deep in love with Uganda and will come back as soon as possible.Jose Murta2022-05-13Memorable Family Trip in Uganda Fantastic Trip that exceeded our expectations! Travelled to Uganda with wife and 2 children (9 and 10y old) for 7 days. Since the start (at planning stage) got a great support from Bob (company owner) and Edmund (our guide) via WhatsApp. They tailored a program to our needs including the unforgettable mountain gorillas hike, general hikes to waterfalls, safari including boat trip to see hipos!! Edmund, our guide, always super polite and the kids enjoyed him a lot! All our hotels, meals included in the package so no hassle on this….we just paid for drinks! The only regret I have is not staying one extra day in the Mburo National Park to explore a bit more ;) Memorable trip with so much nature and a super-humble people that made the experience even more enjoyable!! Super recommend!! The whole family just feeling we need to get back to explore more ;)Dwayne B2022-05-13Great Experience With Emerald!! It was an amazing experience! My guides Lucky and Hillary made me feel as if I was family and took care of everything I needed. They were very knowledgeable as we trekked to gorillas in Bwindi and a ride a wildlife safari through Queen Elizabeth. I learned so much from them about the animals, the terrain and the surrounding people. They we also incredibly helpful in helping me find activities around Buhoma, where I stayed, all of which were great. By the time I left I knew I had made friends who I will continue to stay in touch with. Can’t wait to come back with my family!Dávid B2022-05-12Feeding python - 9 lions on a tree - leopard vs. lion We saw all animals and extremely special situations in a short period of time, good organization and friendly guide Paul with lots of knowledge.Rachmurta2022-05-10Unforgettable trip! We spent one week in Uganda travelling by the guidance of Gorilla Experience safari. The whole experience were definitely above our expectations. Edmand was a friendly, polite and kind guide the whole time!Vit Siv2022-04-22Ultimately Unique Experience of Uganda! It was unbelievable unique experience, one in a life time. Everything right from arrival to minor ditals was taken care of, too service! Itinerary was compiled/tailor to our wishes and needs as well as to include as much activities as possible. Tyson was our guide. He is an amazing guide, but even better person. He did an incredible job to put this all together, and make it all happen. We managed to do everything we wanted and even more. Definitely a trip to remember!!Emmanuel OKalany2022-01-08A rewarding experience for a family visit to queen Elizabeth National Park My family and I had an excellent guided tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The itinerary planning provided was good and the costing of items was realistic. The care and hospitality of the team was excellent. They were also flexible to make time adjustments brought about because of traveling with childrenGordon Y2021-06-23Trip to Kaiso Tonya Game Reserve The guide/driver was too keen to find out my interests. That way, we always had something to talk abouts. Thank you