Can I fly to Kigali and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga?

Can I fly to Kigali and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga?: Flying to Kigali and trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park is possible. It is a growing trend among very many tourists because from Kigali to Mgahinga the journey is shorter. Mgahinga national park is located in the southwestern part of the country in Kisoro district.

Mgahinga national park is one of the national parks lucky to be hosting endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are said to be close relatives to human beings with over 98% human DNA. Lots of tourists love to encounter mountain gorillas and they do come from different parts of the world just to spend time with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitats.

Mgahinga national park gorilla trekking is one of the most requested safaris because some tourists love to travel for short distances. Mgahinga national park is among the most loved national parks in the world simply because it harbors endangered mountain gorillas. Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family is up for trekking in Mgahinga national park as members have been fully habituated and are used to human presence around them.

There are about two reasons as to why tourists are now flying to Kigali and trekking mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park is that it saves time. From Kigali to Mgahinga national park it takes 4 to 5 hours but from Entebbe/Kampala to Mgahinga national park tourists need 9 to 10 hours to access the park.

The other reason would be that gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is cheaper compared to Volcanoes national park Rwanda. A tourist would be saving if they flew to Kigali international airport and then trekked the mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park but not those of Volcanoes national park. A gorilla permit in Volcanoes national park is $1500 and Mgahinga it’s $700.

What is the cost of a Mgahinga gorilla trekking permit from Kigali?

Uganda Wildlife Authority is the government body responsible for issuing gorilla permits and it does sell them in three categories. Tourists coming in from Kigali to Mgahinga national park do purchase gorilla permits at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states.

Tourists visiting Mgahinga national park from Kigali should know that only 8 gorilla permits are available in the park because of 1 mountain gorilla family. Tourists should therefore try booking the permits 3 to 4 months or more in advance to avoid last minute booking disappointments or being left out.

A traveler must have a gorilla permit in order to visit a mountain gorilla family. By purchasing a gorilla permit, a traveler would have helped in the conservation of mountain gorillas. The gorilla permit fee includes ranger guide fees, community development contributions, and park entrance fees.

Mgahinga gorilla trekking from Kigali

The gorilla trekking experience in Mgahinga national park never changes that much as tourists are always excited to meet the endangered apes in their natural habitats. Tourists coming in from Kigali should know that the activity starts very early in the morning at Ntebeko Visitors Centre. It does start with a briefing where trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the activity.

Armed ranger guides lead a group not exceeding 8 people into the jungle where searching for Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family does take place. Searching for mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park take trekkers through different trails for 2 to 7 hours and the time taken to locate them is determined by the speed of trekkers as well as the nature of the trails.

After hours of searching and locating mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park, the trekkers are given 1 hour to be with the apes. The time given is used to learn about the mountain gorilla behaviors, take photos, and watch the members do daily activities such as nesting, grooming, coupling, hunting, breastfeeding, and much more. Later trekkers do trek out of the jungle and get back to Ntebeko where they pick up their trekking certificates.

Things to pack for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park from Kigali

For any traveler to enjoy mountain gorilla trekking they must pack the right equipment. Tourists who are visiting Mgahinga national park from Kigali need to pack items such as waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved shorts, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, a sweater, a light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, insect repellents, sunscreen, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks to mention but a few.

Getting to Mgahinga national park from Kigali

The distance from Kigali to Mgahinga national park is 134 km and it takes tourists 4 to 5 hours to access the park including border crossing time. From Kigali to Mgahinga national park tourists do drive to the birder at Cyanika where they cross to Uganda and continue to Kisoro then branch off to the park. The roads are well constructed apart from the one branching off to the park which is made of marram.

Best time to fly to Kigali and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park

Tourists interested in mountain gorilla trekking can fly to Kigali and trek mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the best for mountain gorilla trekking because they have little or no rainfall. The vegetation is short and scattered with good views of gorillas, trails are dry and easily passable, and roads connecting to the park are in good state.

Tourists more so budget travelers need to fly to Kigali and visit Mgahinga national park during the rainy season if they want to enjoy discounts on accommodation facilities as well as tour packages. The rainy season happens from March to May and October to November but it’s characterized by too much rainfall which makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall and thick with poor views of gorillas, and roads leading to the park are impassable.