Mgahinga is a part of a larger ecosystem and is sited on the clouds at an altitude of between 2227m and 4127m. it was formed to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests and it’s also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.

Its most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga range that lies along the border region of the Uganda Congo and Rwanda mgahinga forms part of the much larger Virunga conservation area which includes adjacent parks in these countries.

The park is a home to the 300 gorillas located in the Virunga massif. And its where gold meets silver where gorillas are house with the same habitat of the golden monkeys. And the cultural practices of the local’s cover the north slopes of the three northern Virunga volcanoes- muhavura, gahinga and sabinyo.

The park derives its name from Gahinga a Kinyarwanda word for a pile of volcanic lava stone heaps around which cultivation is carried out. Muhavura means guide and sabinyo means the old man’s teeth. It’s bordered to the south of Rwanda and to the west by DR Congo. Sabinyo is deeply eroded with jagged crown and deep gorges and ravines, gahinga has swamp filled- crater about 180 wide and muhavura as a small crater lake about 3m wide at its summit. While at the top of sabinyo you get to be set foot in all the three countries of Uganda, DRC and Rwanda at the same time.

Accessibility to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

The Park can be by road where the park is about 510km from Kampala the capital city and the commonly used route passing through kabale ad Kisoro. The 434km journey from Kampala to kabale can be completed in 8 hours on a good tarmac. Its further 76km to Kisoro town on a mountain tarmac road with steep ascents and decants. And a attractive alternative route leaves the main road at kibale and follows the shoreline of the superbly scenic lake buyonyi to rejoin the kabale Kisoro main road at its halfway at muko. Ntebeko the main entrance to mgahinga gorilla national park is 14km from Kisoro at the end of dirt road with some steep ad rocky sections

Air Travel

The park can be reached by air by using the daily Entebbe airport flights to Kisoro airfield

Activities at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Birding

The best birding in the park takes I some of the most beautiful scenery in the gorge between mountain gahinga and sabinyo, through the bamboo forest and in the montane forest Cultural encounter, for generations mgahingas dense forest were home to the Batwa hunter gathers and fierce warriors who depend on the forest for shelter food and medicine.

Gorilla tracking

The guide leads you through the gorillas’ world surrounded by wild forest and impressive birdlife, explaining the gorillas’ behavior along the way.

Hiking and nature walks

Around the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes gives visitors the chance to spot forest birds, the rugezi swamp, wild vegetation, bamboo forests and glorious view of lakes and agricultural villages.

Mountain and volcano climbing

All the three mountains can be climbed taking one day each and view from the peaks all well the effort taking Rwanda, DR Congo, the Virunga’s, the Rwenzori’s, Bwindi impenetrable forest and lake Edward.