About Mgahinga National Park Uganda : Mgahinga Gorilla national park is the second gorilla destination in Uganda and the smallest park in Uganda, the park is found in found in the Virunga Conservation Area hosting the second population of the endangered mountain gorillas. The Virunga Conservation Area form an area of 434 square kilometers comprising of Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla national park itself.
Mgahinga Gorilla national park stretches over an area of 34 square kilometers comprising of 3 volcanoes which are part of the Virunga chain that is Mount Mgahinga, Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga.
Mount Mgahinga
Mount Mgahinga also called Gahinga is a dormant volcano and one of the 8 Virunga volcanoes, this volcano is the smallest of the Virunga volcanoes and gets its name from “a small pike of stones” referred to as Gahinga in Kinyarwanda and Rufumbira.
Mount Mgahinga lies between Muhabura and Sabyinyo, the volcano has a caldera which is believed to be over to be about 180 meters wide.
Mount Sabyinyo
Mount Sabyinyo is named from the Kinyarwanda word “Iryinyo” meaning “tooth”, Mount Sabyinyo is the oldest volcano in the Virunga range and marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda and in Uganda it is found in Mgahinga Gorilla national park. Mount Sabinyo has 3 peaks situated on different levels, these peaks are reached during hiking experience.
Mount Muhabura
Mount Muhabura also known as Mount Muhavura is a inactive Volcano situated on the border between Rwanda and Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla national park, at the height of 4,127 meters, Muhabura is the 3rd highest of the 8 volcanoes of the Virunga range. Mount Muhabura is part of the Albertine rift, the western branch of the East African Rift.
Mountain gorillas in Mgahinga
Mgahinga gorilla national park hosts over 100 mountain gorillas with only 1 habituated gorilla family Nyakagezi, this family is known to be an ever migrating gorilla family in the neighbouring Rwanda’s
LOCATION OF MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
Mgahinga Gorilla national park is located in the south western corner of Uganda with Kisoro Town as the nearest town.
MAP OF MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
HOW TO GET TO MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park located in South western Uganda, Kisoro district is accessible by road and by air.
Travelling to Mgahinga national park by road
By road, Mgahinga national park can be accessed from Kampala city, Kisoro Town and Kigali city of Rwanda,
the park is accessed from Kisoro Town which is approximately 14 kilometers away
- Travelling to Mgahinga From Kisoro Town
From Kisoro Town, it is a drive of 14 kilometers to get to Mgahinga Gorilla national park
- Travelling to Mgahinga From Kampala
From Kampala it is a drive of about 10 hours to Mgahinga Gorilla national park, Kisoro town through towns such as Masaka, Mbarara and Kabale. During your drive to Mgahinga Gorilla national park offers you an opportunity to cross the Southern Hemisphere through the Equator crossing near Lake Victoria in Kayabwe Town.
From Kampala to Mgahinga Gorilla nation you can use either public or private means of transfer, however private means of transport are recommended as they reach to the park.
Note: public means of transport such as the Jaguar Executive Coaches only end in Kisoro District meaning you will have to hire a private car to take you to the park.
- Travelling to Mgahinga from Kigali
From Kigali city of Rwanda to Mgahinga Gorilla national park, it takes approximately 4-5 hours which a less hours’ drive is compared to from Kampala, the drive to Mgahinga takes you through Musanze Town in the northern Rwanda and cross Uganda via the Cyanika border, then continue to Kisoro Town and from there head to Mgahinga Gorilla national park.
Travelling to Mgahinga Gorilla national park by air
Domestic flights to Mgahinga Gorilla national park are offered on a daily basis from both Entebbe International airport and Kisoro airport to Kisoro airstrip serving the park. The daily domestic flights are offered by AeroLink, Bar Aviation and others.
Are you planning to visit Mgahinga Gorilla national park for a Uganda gorilla safari, kindly contact us on info@eastafricasafaristours.com
