Mgahinga Gorilla Park – Bespoke Uganda Safari Itineraries

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda’s smallest national park, sits at an altitude between 7,000 and 13,000 feet, making for some stunning views.

Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes – part of the spectacular Virunga Range that borders Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda and forms part of the larger Virunga Conservation Area. As well as being important for wildlife, the park has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the Indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people,” and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivaled.

A lodge terrace with wicker chairs overlooks a green garden with a Virunga volcano beyond.

A mountain gorilla peers through lush tropical foliage in dense green jungle.

Two guides in olive gear walk ahead through tall grass toward a forested hillside on a gorilla trek.

Why visit Mgahinga?

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to groups of the rare mountain gorillas, as well as endangered golden monkeys. While gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is possible, there are fewer habituated groups than in Bwindi and the groups are easily able to move between Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo making sightings less reliable.

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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to groups of the rare mountain gorillas, as well as endangered golden monkeys. While gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is possible, there are fewer habituated groups than in Bwindi and the groups are easily able to move between Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo making sightings less reliable.
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For us, the stunning views, the lack of crowds, the hiking, and the opportunities to visit with and learn from the local Batwa communities are the real draw of Mgahinga. It’s also the only spot in Uganda to trek the golden monkeys.
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Mount Gahinga Lodge is our favorite property in the area. You can combine Bwindi Lodge and Mount Gahinga Lodge in Uganda with Virunga Lodge in Rwanda for the ultimate primate itinerary!

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Other areas to explore

A visit to Mgahinga puts you within easy reach of many other beautiful and fascinating parts of Uganda.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a chance for travelers in Uganda to get their non-gorilla game-viewing fix.

A young mountain gorilla looks directly at the camera from amid the foliage of Bwindi Forest.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The dense rain forest of Bwindi in southwestern Uganda is home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, including multiple groups that are habituated to humans.

A red dirt road cuts through open savanna with flat-topped hills on the horizon in Kidepo.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Known for its true remoteness, Kidepo Valley National Park is a pristine wilderness of savanna grasslands, stunning mountains and riverine landscapes.

Two cyclists on mountain bikes ride alongside zebras grazing on open green savanna in Uganda.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is a good stopover on a drive between Entebbe and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for gorilla trekking and is a hidden gem in Uganda.