Can I fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga

Can I fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park?: Yes, you can fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park. Kisoro is the district in southwestern Uganda where Mgahinga national park is located. Kisoro has got an airstrip called Kisoro airstrip which tourists or any kind of traveler can fly to if they want to avoid the long distance journey to the park. From Entebbe/Kampala to Mgahinga national park take 9 to 10 hours which is too much for some tourists.

Tourists that want to travel in a luxury style or those that hate traveling for long distances can fly to Kisoro and visit Mgahinga national park for gorilla trekking. Kisoro airstrip is the main area used by travelers flying to Kisoro and some surrounding districts. Kisoro airstrip receives flights from different airstrips across the country as well as those from Entebbe international airport.

For travelers who have been asking about flying to Kisoro and trekking mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park well it’s very possible. There are different airline companies in the country which do help travelers fly to southwestern Uganda. Among the airline companies available in Uganda include Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda.

The above airline companies have one daily morning flight to Kisoro because of the weather conditions in southwestern Uganda. The airline companies have different prices and services therefore which one to use usually depends on the choice of the tour operator, the traveler, and also the travel budget.

The daily morning flights to Kisoro airstrip start from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip and they take 1 hour and 25 minutes to get to Kisoro airstrip. From Kisoro airstrip to Mgahinga national park, tourists are transported by safari guides using safari vehicles. It takes about 1 to 2 hours to get to Mgahinga national park and the time taken depends on the nature of the roads.

The flights to Kisoro airstrip happen in time during the dry season which means it’s the best period to visit the park. the dry months are from December to February and June to September when there is little or no rainfall in the country. During the rainy months from March to May and October to November, the flights some days because of the bad weather conditions which lead to invisibility.

Yes, you can fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahunga national park only when you have a gorilla trekking permit. You need a gorilla trekking permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority to be allowed to see mountain gorillas within the forest of Maghinga. The gorilla permit can be got directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority or from a licensed local tour operator.

A gorilla trekking permit comes at a fee of $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East African member states. Only 8 gorilla permits are available in Mgahinga national park therefore one needs to book early in advance of 3 to 4 months or more especially if they are visiting the park in the dry season which is called the high season since most tourists travel.

Gorilla trekking on a flying safari to Kisoro

Even if you fly to Kisoro airstrip, you can’t reach in time for briefing meaning that you will fly today and trek the next day. On the day of gorilla trekking, tourists need to wake up early in the morning for breakfast and then join their driver guide to transport them to Ntebeko Visitors Centre where the activity starts from. The activity starts with a briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking.

Only one group of trekkers does trek Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family and it never exceeds 8 people. The group is led into the jungle by armed ranger guides who know the routes to use while looking for the mountain gorillas. Inside the jungle, trekkers do trace where the apes could have slept, passed, or eaten. It takes 2 to 7 hours to locate the mountain gorilla family and the time taken depends on the location of the apes as well as the speed of trekkers.

When the mountain gorilla family is finally spotted, trekkers do get 1 hour to be around the members and this comes with opportunities of watching their behaviors, take photos and encounter them do daily activities among which include nesting, grooming, coupling, eating, breastfeeding, and much more.

After encountering the mountain gorillas, the ranger guides use the shortest routes to get out of the jungle. Trekkers then meet their driver guides and drive back to Ntebeko Visitors Centre where they pick up their gorilla trekking certificates before heading to their lodges or next destinations.

Best time to fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas of Mgahinga national park

Travelers can fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas at any time of the year however the dry season is the best. The dry season happens from June to September and December to February when the park or the country is receiving little or no rainfall. During the dry season, the weather is so good for flights, trekking trails are dry and passable inside the park, vegetation is short and roads from the airstrip to the park are passable.

Tourists can still fly to Kisoro and trek mountain gorillas in Mgahinga national park during the rainy season from March to May and October to November because the park is open. The rainy season is not the best because of the bad weather conditions. Too much rainfall delays flights, make trekking trails slippery and roads connecting from the airstrip to the park are in poor condition.