Road trip to Mgahinga national park

Road trip to Mgahinga national park is a thrilling way to get to one of the most loved tourist destinations in the country. Mgahinga national park is a spectacular gorilla trekking destination located in the southwestern part of the country in Kisoro district.  The national park is located on the borders of Rwanda and DR Congo covering a total area of 33.9 sq. km.

Just like any other national park within the country, Mgahinga national park can be accessed using road transport. Road trip to Mgahinga national park can either be from Kigali or Entebbe/Kampala. Because the road distance is always long and roads from Kisoro to the park are sometimes in poor conditions, we do recommend 4×4 good safari cars.

Road trip to Mgahinga national park

The road trip to Mgahinga national park from Entebbe/Kampala is a very long one taking 9 to 10 hours. The journey starts from Entebbe international airport, a hotel, or any area around Kampala with your safari driver briefing you about the journey as well as the safari.

Road trip to Mgahinga national park takes tourists through a number of districts because the park is located so far in the southwestern corner of Uganda. The journey goes through Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro where the park is located. From Kisoro tourists branch off on Kisoro Cyanika Road and go through different villages for 1 to 2 hours and finally to the park.

It’s a 9 to 10-hour journey from Kampala/Entebbe to Mgahinga national park in Kisoro. This time includes stopovers along the way where tourists might have lunch, stop at different attractions, and much more. There is a stopover at Mpambire where royal drums are made and tourists here will see the whole process of making drums or even purchase them if they want to.

There is a stopover at Kayabwe along Masaka road where the equator lining crosses the main road. At the equator, tourists do enjoy photography and they also get an opportunity to study about the equator lining. There are water experiments at the equator, sunrise and sunset experiences as well as craft shopping.

The road trip to Mgahinga national park takes you through Lake Mburo national park which is found in Lyantonde district along the highway route to western and southwestern Uganda. Going through Lake Mburo national park tourists can have a small stopover to see different animals on the sides of the road and among these include antelopes and zebras.

Another stopover during the road trip to Mgahinga national park can be Igongo Cultural Centre. This place has a hotel with local and international foods and a museum. Tourists usually visit this area to have lunch because one can’t drive from Kampala/Entebbe and reach Mgahinga national park at lunchtime.

If you choose a road transport journey to Mgahinga national park you must be ready to sit in the safari vehicle for 9 to 10 hours. You should expect different stopovers and spectacular views of the attractions along the roadside on your way to Mgahinga national park.

Another route connecting to Mgahunga national park is from Kigali. Tourists staying in Kigali or using Kigali international airport can always get to Mgahinga national park in 4 to 5 hours. The estimated time includes the time taken crossing at the border since you must stop and present all the necessary documents if you want to enter the country.

You need a good safari car to drive a 134km journey from Kigali to Mgahinga national park. The road trip takes you through different villages and districts of Rwanda and you get to cross to Uganda using Cyanika border in Kisoro. From Cyanika border you do use Kisoro road and branch off at a certain point to different villages and finally to Mgahinga national park.

For travelers that can’t wait for 9 to 10 hours from Entebbe/Kampala to get to Mgahinga national park, there is an option of flying to Kisoro airstrip. Kisoro airstrip is located a few hours’ drive from Mgahinga national park so travelers who want to get there in less than 9 to 10 hours can always fly.

Different airline companies among which include Bar Aviation Uganda and Aerolink Uganda have daily morning flights to Kisoro airstrip. The flights start from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip and land at Kisoro airstrip in 1 hour and 25 minutes. Tourists who would love to fly to Mgahunga national park must inform their tour operators in advance to book their seats.

One of the most visited national parks in Uganda is Mgahuinga national park and it’s because of the so many attractions seen in the park. The national park is one of the two areas in Uganda which harbors endangered mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga is the main activity done in Mgahinga national park but other activities like bird watching, cultural visits, nature walks and much more are carried out in the park.

Where to stay on your road trip to Mgahinga national park?

Where to stay on your road trip to depends on your travel budget because lodges are of different prices and offer different services. The lodges in Mgahuinga national park where you can stay include Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Musasa Mountain Triangle Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Lodge, Mgahinga Safari Lodge, Mountain Gahinga Rest Camp, Mount Gahinga Lodge, and Mutanda Safari Lodge to mention but a few.

The most appropriate time to go on a road trip to Mgahinga national park

The best time to go for a road trip to Mgahinga national park is between June and September, and then again in December and February. These are called the dry months as they are characterized by little or no rainfall. During the dry months, the roads leading to the park especially those off Kisoro road are dry and easily passable even though dusty. Gorilla trekking trails in Mgahinga park are dry and easier to navigate and vegetation is short with clear views of wildlife.