Hiking Mount Gahinga

Hiking mount Gahinga; Mount Gahinga is one of the three Virunga volcanoes in Mgahinga gorilla national park which is the smallest national park in Uganda located in southwestern region in Kisoro district neighboring with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo. Mgahinga gorilla national park is also known for harboring other Virunga volcanoes Mount Sabinyo and Mount Muhabura, primates like the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, animals like elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pigs, buffaloes, bushbucks and different bird species.

Hiking Mount Gahinga

Mount Gahinga is a dormant and the smallest of the three volcanos that is Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabinyo that stands at an altitude of 3,474 meters. Hiking Mount Gahinga starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules, regulations and expectations. After the briefing, you will be allocated an experienced park guide, park rangers, walking stick and then start hiking which takes about 6 to 8 hours round trip with stopovers at various points of the mountain to allow you rest, eat, enjoy the beautiful scenery and take great pictures. During the hike, you will pass through farmlands and bamboo forest where you will be able to view different animals, primates like golden monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys among others. Once you reach the summit, you will be able to view a large shallow crater swamp that is 180 meters wide with unique sub-alpine plants like lobelia. While at the summit you will also be able to view other Virunga ranges Mount Sabinyo and Muhabura, Rwenzori mountain ranges among others and later start descending down to the starting point.

Cost of hiking Mount Gahinga

Hiking mount Gahinga in Mgahinga gorilla national park costs 80 USD per person for foreign non residents, 70 USD per person for foreign residents and 50,000 UGX per person for East African citizens. The fee include entrance fees for Mgahinga gorilla national park and exclude tent, porter and cook fees.

Best time to hike Mount Gahinga

Hiking mount Gahinga can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September, December to February because during this period there is little rainfall in the national park therefore vegetation will be short which allows you to have views of different wildlife species in the park clearly and hiking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the hiking trails are muddy and slippery.

How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive.

When using road transport means, Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda where visitors will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to the park headquarters via Cyanika border in Kisoro which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Bar aviation or Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Where to stay while in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your safari including Mount Gahinga Lodge, Kisoro Travelers Rest Camp, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Lake Chahafi Resort, Mutanda Lake Resort, Mucha Hotel, Muhabura Motel, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Mubano Hotel, Muhabura Motel, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp among others,

Other activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park offers other interesting activities that visitors can engage in apart from hiking mount Gahinga including gorilla trekking where you will be able to spend one hour with the endangered mountain gorillas, bird watching where you will be able to view variety of bird species, golden monkey trekking where you will be able to spend one hour with the unique golden monkeys, guided nature walks, Batwa cultural experience where you will be able to interact with the Batwa people who used to live in Mgahinga forest before it was gazetted into a national park.

What to pack for mount Gahinga hike

There are a number of essential items that visitors should pack for their hiking safari including hiking shoes, garden gloves, long sleeved clothes, a waterproof rain jacket, first aid kit, energy snacks and drinking water, insect repellent, a hat and sunglasses, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, walking stick, back pack among others.