Mountain gorilla conservation on the Virungas dates back to 1925 when the Belgians gazetted the portion of the range in present-day Congo and Rwanda as a national park. The British administration declared the Ugandan section as a game sanctuary in 1930. Mgahinga was upgraded to national park status in 1991.

What Does Mgahinga Mean?

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park derives its name from Mount Gahinga which is one of the three mountain peaks in the park. “Gahinga” is a local word that means piles of volcanic stones cleared from farmland at the foot of the volcanoes.

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The months of January through March, late June through early October, and mid-December to the end of the month are ideal for Gorilla Trekking, Climbing, and Hiking in Mgahinga Gorilla Park.

April, October through early December, is ideal for those that want a lower price at luxury Lodges such as Mount Gahinga Lodge.

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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is about 510 kilometers from Kampala; the most commonly used route passes through Kabale and Kisoro.  The 434 kilometers journey from Kampala to Kabale can be completed in 8 hours on good tarmac.

It is then a further 76 kilometers to Kisoro town on a mountainous tarmac road with steep ascents and descents.

An attractive, alternative route leaves the main road at Kabale and follows the shoreline of the superbly scenic Lake Bunyonyi to rejoin the Kabale-Kisoro main road at its halfway point at Muko.

There are points of entry to the park: The westerly Ntebeko Gate which is 14 kilometers from Kisoro and the eastery Muhabura Gate which is 9 kilometers from Kisoro.

Ntebeko Gate is the site of the lodge, community campsite, and visitor’s center, as well as being a trailhead for golden monkey tracking and hikes to Gahinga peak, Sabinyo Peak, Sabinyo Gorge, and the short version of Batwa trail experience.

Muhabura gate is the trailhead for hikes to Mahabura peak and the long version of the Batwa Trail.

Habituated gorillas move between the two gates so it is advisable to check which will be used as a trailhead the day before your trek (this can be done at the office in Kisoro or visitor’s center at Ntebeko).

Both roads are reached along a rough and seasonally slippery dirt road that runs south from Kisoro next to the Travelers Rest Hotel. Allow an hour for the journey and be warned that a 4×4 may be necessary after heavy rains.

Mgahinga can be reached from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. From Bwindi’s southern gorilla tracking trailheads at Nkuringo and Rushaga, Kisoro lies 28km south and Mgahinga 14km beyond.  Mgahinga is almost four hours drive from the main trailhead at Buhoma. Dirt roads from Buhoma pass the Ruhija trailhead to join the Kabale-Kisoro tarmac road (see above).

Domestic Flights To Mgahinga National Park

Domestic flights between parks will most likely be booked by your Uganda tour operator as part of your Uganda safari package. Aerolink offers daily morning flights to Kisoro.

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