Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda's smallest national park, covering just 33.7 square kilometers in the extreme southwest of the country on the slopes of three of the eight Virunga volcanoes: Mount Muhabura (4,127 m), Mount Gahinga (3,474 m), and Mount Sabyinyo (3,669 m). It forms part of the Virunga Conservation Area shared with Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park and the DRC's Virunga National Park. Despite its small size, Mgahinga protects a significant population of mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, and offers some of the most scenic volcano hiking in East Africa. The Batwa Trail here is also among the most culturally rich in the region, led by indigenous Batwa guides who lived in these forests before the park's establishment.
Highlights
Top Experiences
Mountain gorilla trekking on the Ugandan side of the Virunga volcanoes, with the habituated Nyakagezi group resident in the park
Golden monkey trekking and habitation experience, spending time with a habituated community of these striking, bamboo-dependent primates
Volcano hiking on Muhabura (four to six hours), Gahinga (three to four hours), and Sabyinyo (six to eight hours, with views into Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC from the triple point summit)
The Batwa Cultural Trail, a full-day guided experience led by Batwa elders through the forest demonstrating traditional skills — fire-making, medicinal plants, bow and arrow use — and storytelling
Birdwatching in the bamboo and montane forest zones, with Albertine Rift endemics including the Rwenzori turaco and handsome francolin
Gorilla Permits
Gorilla tracking permits at Mgahinga cost USD 800 per person per trek in Uganda (2024 rates). Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and should be booked in advance. The Nyakagezi group sometimes moves across the border into Rwanda, though it generally stays on the Ugandan side during dry months.
Combining With Bwindi
Mgahinga is about 15 kilometers from Kisoro town and works well as a one or two-night addition to a Bwindi itinerary for travelers who want to trek gorillas and also hike a volcano or do the Batwa Trail.
🦍 With GorillaWise Collection & Safaris
We include Mgahinga for travelers wanting gorilla trekking paired with volcano hiking or the Batwa Trail, combining it with Bwindi and Lake Bunyonyi for a complete southwestern Uganda experience.
Available Packages
🗓️ Best Time to Visit
June to September and December to February for the clearest volcano views and best hiking conditions. Gorilla trekking runs year round.
Uganda 🇺🇬