How to get to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

Road and air transportation are the primary means of transportation to reach Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda, within the Greater Virunga Landscape, in the Albertine Rift Valley. By road, the length of the journey to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Kampala is around 499 km. This requires about 10 hours to complete the journey via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro.

It is possible to travel by road to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Rwanda if you landed at Kigali International Airport. From Kigali city in Rwanda, the travel distance to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is around 132.5 km. However, a pause at the Cyanika border is necessary to ensure that your immigration documents are considered. The travel time ranges between 3 and a half hours to 4 hours.

You can also drive from other top Uganda destinations to access Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. These include Bwindi National Park (49 km away), Lake Bunyonyi (130.1 km away), and Queen Elizabeth National Park (143.4 km away). Traveling from all these destinations is safer in a private vehicle hired from a reputable tour and travel company. Standard Safaris offers these, plus experienced drivers, to ensure that you travel safely and comfortably.

Flights from Entebbe to Kisoro

There are daily flights that start from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. These flights take only 1 hour and 15 minutes. Due to prevailing weather conditions, all flights to Kisoro Airstrip are scheduled either in the morning or midmorning. The first aircraft lifts off at 07:00 a.m., and the time of arrival at Kisoro Airstrip is 08:15 a.m. The second flight is set for departure at 10:30 a.m. and arrival at Kisoro Airstrip is at 11:45 a.m.

All flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip are operated by the seasoned AeroLink Uganda. They reserve the right to change departure times, but will inform you prior. Standard Safaris will be in constant communication with you. It is recommended that you check in at Entebbe International Airport 60 minutes before your scheduled flight. This is key in reducing delays, mishandling of luggage, and dealing with any security concerns.

But reaching the park’s headquarters from Kisoro Airstrip is by road. The journey takes less than 100 minutes and offers views of the countryside and people in it. A driver from Standard Safaris will ensure that this journey is completed in the comfort of a 4X4 safari Land Cruiser. Other available transport options that can be used to traverse the winding roads to Mgahinga include minivans, coaster buses, and saloon cars.

When to go to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

With the park open throughout the year, exploring this precious destination can be done on any day. But it is much less challenging to explore Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the dry season. This is when the rainfall received has reduced in frequency and amount. This causes the forest floor to remain drier or less muddy. Traversing the forest then becomes much easier since the risk of slipping is reduced.

The dry season in Mgahinga is generally recorded from June to August and also from December to February. But, if you are a visitor on a budget, we at Standard Safaris recommend you visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the wet season. Though heavy rains make it quite challenging to walk inside the forest, you will enjoy the tour. This is because the place is less crowded and accommodation and transport are got at discounted rates.

The wet season runs from March to May and also from October to November. The heavy rains can sometimes interrupt a tour. These rains also cause muddy and slippery conditions in the forest. But, on the plus side, there are plenty of birds available to spot during the wet season. The vegetation is also thick enough to make photography magical.

What to see in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

Fauna

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has at least 76 mammal species that have been recorded, including the eponymous mountain gorillas. Golden monkeys are the other key mammals that live in the beautiful bamboo forests of the park. Other large mammal species to see here include the African leopard, bush elephant, bush buffalo and giant forest hog, and bushbuck.

More primates to see in Mgahinga include olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and vervet monkeys, etc. There are over 79 bird species that live in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, including numerous Albertine Rift endemics. Some of the bird species to see include Rwenzori batis, handsome francolin, Archer’s robin-chat, slender-billed starling, and dusky turtle dove, etc.

Flora

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is covered with unique species of flora. These a categorized as forest, woodland, grassland, and others. There are montane, bamboo, afro-alpine, and sub-alpine vegetation, etc. Plenty of ferns, lianas, and other flora can be observed as you walk along the forest trails.

Relief features

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is blessed with a range of physical features that make it a memorable destination to explore. The primary features are the unique 3 Virunga volcanoes comprising Mount. Sabyinyo, Mount. Mgahinga and Mount. Muhabura. These also offer sites with craters and caves for exploration. The terrain in the park is characterised by gentle slopes and rugged elevated highlands that have volcanic soils.

Activities to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking are undoubtedly the key activities to do in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. However, the destination also offers birdwatching excursions, hiking the volcanoes, and nature walks, etc. The Batwa trail is a very exciting, memorable experience in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Most of the activities start at the Ntebeko Visitors Center. This is also where the park headquarters are situated.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.