Where is Mgahinga national park located?

Where is Mgahinga national park located? Mgahinga national park is among the 10 national parks of Uganda and it’s located in the southwestern part of the country. Mgahinga national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda in a district called Kisoro. Mgahinga national park at the same time is located in the Virunga conservation area which consists of Mgahinga national park, Virunga national park, and volcanoes national park.

Mgahinga national park is located in Kisoro district in the area of Virunga volcanoes which are Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhavura, and Mount Sabyinyo. The national park covers a total area of 33.9 sq. km which makes it the smallest national park in the country.

Mgahinga national park is located 13km from Kisoro town and can be accessed by road transport from the main Kisoro route in less than 50 minutes. Mgahinga national park is not so big compared to other national parks but it does stretch to the borders of two countries and these are Rwanda in the south and DR Congo in the west.

Mgahinga national park is a location for mountain gorillas that are not seen anywhere in the world. Mountain gorillas are endangered species of primates that share 98% human DNA. The mountain gorillas attract so many tourists to Uganda and it’s one of the areas that bring high revenue within the country.

Mgahinga national park is located a 9 to 10 hours drive from Kampala/Entebbe which are starting point of safaris in the country. Mgahinga park is also located 2 hours from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip. The flights land at Kisoro airstrip in 1 hour and 25 minutes which is not so far from Mgahinga national park.

Tourists who want to get to the location of Mgahinga Gorilla national park using road transport will take 9 to 10 hours or more once it’s a rainy season. The road route to Mgahinga national park from Kampala/Entebbe goes through Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Rukungiri, Kabale, and Kisoro to the park. Road transport to Mgahinga national park is full of great views of different attractions along the way and a number of stopovers.

Mgahinga national park is located near Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and both of these are homes to mountain gorillas. The two national parks are located in the southwestern corner of Uganda in the thick vegetation covers. Mgahinga Gorilla national park was gazetted in 1991 by the government of Uganda to protect endangered mountain gorillas, as well as the vegetation and other animals that were living there.

The 33.9 sq. km area of Mgahinga national park in Kisoro district found in the southwestern part of Uganda is home to different wildlife species. Mgahinga Gorilla national park is not only home to mountain gorillas but also 76 mammals, 180 bird species, and a few primate species like golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys among many others.

Getting to Mgahinga national park

Tourists can get to Mgahinga national park using road transport or air transport in a single day. The national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and by road transport, travelers can drive from Entebbe/Kampala via Masaka, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, and Kisoro to the park. The road transport journey to Mgahinga national park takes 9 to 10 hours and it has different stopovers along the way as well as attractions.

By air transport, luxury travelers and those that hate traveling for long distances get to Mgahinga national park in 1 hour and 25 minutes. There are different airline companies among which include Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda which have daily morning flights to Kisoro airstrip from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi airstrip.

Best time to visit Mgahinga park

December to February and June to September are the Best time to visit Mgahinga park simply because they are characterized by little rainfall ad a lot of sunshine. They are called dry season months and they do attract lots of tourists because of the good weather conditions. Most of the countries are experiencing winter back in their homes and so they move looking for summer which is the best time in Mgahinga national park.

During the dry season, the park activities give out the best experience because the trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate, the vegetation dries up and some become short which gives out clear views of wildlife. During the dry season, roads from the main road Kisoro to the Mgahinga national park are in good condition and this does change the time taken to access the park.

Tourists can still tour Mgahinga national park from March to May and October to November but this is a rainy season. A few tourists visit the park during this season because of the too much rainfall received within the park. The trekking trails are muddy and slippery during the rainy season, vegetation is very tall with unclear views of wildlife and the roads leading to the park are muddy which increases the time a person is supposed to reach the park.