Location

The Park, gazetted in 1991, covers an area of 33.7km2. It is found in the extreme Southwestern corner of Uganda that borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. It includes parts of Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabino Volcanic Mountains. The summit of Muhavura has a small crater lake and forms the highest point (4127m) in the Park. The summit areas are dominated by wort and dwarf heath vegetation. This emerges into bamboo and broad leaved montane forest, down the mountains. The lower slopes have high altitude savannah woodland with lots of lichens and mosses.

The Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla brengei) are the most awe-inspiring animals to be found in Africa. Unfortunately, man has not been merciful to them. Poachers have decimated them, and man has destroyed their natural habitat. They have faced extinction, but today sound conservation policies have slowed down their decline, and in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park they are able to establish their family groups untroubled by predatory man.

Here on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains, in south west Uganda, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (33.7 sq.km) has been established to provide a secure habitat for these massive, but gentle creatures.

Access to the families is strictly controlled (and not always permitted) and small groups of visitors are always accompanied by a trained ranger. To keep disturbance to the animals to a minimum there are limits to the number of tourists allowed in at any one time. Here we are in the home of the animals and we must act as the perfect guests.

Access

The park can be reached by road through Kabale and Kisoro 510km from Kampala.

Accommodation

Visitors to this Park can be accommodated in nearby Motels in Kisoro or Kabale.
Volcanoes' Travelers Rest Hotel nestles under the towering volcanoes, with spectacular views of the Rift Valley and the emerald-green Lake Mutanda in the distance.
There is also a mountain camp for climbers in the saddle between Muhavura and Mgahinga.

Wildlife

Colobus Monkey, Jackal, Porcupine, Golden Cat, Gorilla, HoneyBadger, Duiker, Aardvark, Elephant. This Park is the second home of the rare Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in Uganda. Other animals in the area include golden monkey, leopard, giant forest hog, bushbuck and buffalo. There is a wealth of birdlife.

Gorilla Booking Policies

Mgahinga forms a portion of the Virunga Volcano conservation area, a system of gorilla movements are affected by the distribution of plant species on which they feed. The availability of bamboo shoots, a seasonally preferred gorilla food item, affects the movements of the tourist group across the Uganda-Congo border. This is a biological behavior of a wild species, and cannot be controlled or predicted. We have reviewed our booking policies and the new policies are detailed below: -

Six permits a day can be booked two months in advance.

A deposit fee

A fee of US $ 50 per permit for non-resident and foreign resident visitors and US$20 for Ugandan citizens will be paid in Kisoro (or Kabale) office for the service of placing a booking on the booking sheets. This fee will be receipted separately and must be paid before a booking is put down. It is a deposit of the full permit fee, the balance will be paid in Kisoro on arrival.

Deadline for Reporting to MGNP Office in Kisoro - before 5pm the day before tracking.

The deposit fee receipt MUST be presented to the Kisoro park office before 5 p.m. on the day before the tracking. Any visitor who does not turn up in Kisoro before 5p.m. on the day before the tracking, or do not have the Deposit fee receipt for the booking, the permit will be sold to another visitor.

Tracking Permit fee will be paid in Kisoro

Rates for a permit differ based on the residence status of the visitor. The three categories are non-resident (pays full fee), foreign resident of Uganda (pays 75% - with proof of residency in Uganda), Uganda citizen (pays 20%). Reference can be made to the price list posted at point of sale to verify the correct fee. Visitor category will be verified at check-in prior to departure for the tracking.

The gorilla tracking permit will be issued in Kisoro the day before tracking upon full payment (i.e. payment of balance of the tracking fee).

Refunds of the Deposit Fee

a) If the gorillas are not in Uganda on the day of the tracking, the office at which the deposit fee was

Mutanda Lake and Virunga Mountains

 paid will make the refund. Remember that the Deposit fee is paid in advance and will only be refunded when the Kisoro office confirms that the gorillas are not in Uganda on that day.

b) A permit will also be refunded if a visitor voluntarily withdraws due to illness. However, any person

 being turned back by Park Authority after failing to declare illness will not be allowed a refund.

Advance Booking

Advance booking shall be made up to two months before the date of tracking and only permits for one month shall be sold (e.g. Tracking Permits for 1st November shall be booked on 1st of September). Advance bookings shall always be made on the first working day of the month.

Permit Limits

Each Tour Company shall book up to only 20 permits for that particular month, while individuals may book up to only 2 permits for that month on the day the booking opens.

Permits not sold on the day the booking opens will be open for sale the following day with no limits on the number the tour operators would buy.

Mandatory booking fee

Gorilla booking will be accompanied by a mandatory booking fee for entrance into two other National Parks and at least one park, for Tour Operators and other individuals respectively. Tour Operators should prove that the itinerary using block-booked permits contains visits to these other National Parks.

See also Gorilla Permit and Gorilla Rules