2 day gorilla trekking from Kasese
Kasese district is located in western Uganda, close to the Uganda-DR Congo border, about 5-6 hours southwest of Kampala, the Ugandan capital. Kasese Town is one of Uganda’s fastest-growing municipalities and serves as the district government center. Kasese Town is roughly 4-5 hours’ travel from Mgahinga National Park by road and 45 minutes by transport. You can fly from Kasese Airstrip to Kisoro Airstrip, which is near Mgahinga National Park. We utilize comfortable 4X4 vehicles with plenty of luggage room for journeys to Mgahinga National Park from Kasese Town.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Virunga volcanic mountain system of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda and is well-known for its mountain gorilla safaris. The park is Uganda’s smallest national park, bordered by Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park contains three volcanoes: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhabura, all of which are part of the six Virunga Mountains. Mgahinga National Park is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and Golden Monkeys. The park is a tropical rainforest made up of lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests, and mountain bamboo.
Why Booking Gorilla Tracking Safaris from Kasese
Kasese town is located at the foothills of Mount Rwenzori National Park, and with NGO’s in the area, many people may want to take short tours to see mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla or Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Parks, but it is difficult to secure Gorilla Permits, which can only be booked at the Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters in Kampala. Contact Kisoro Tours Uganda, and we will schedule your Gorilla permit as well as additional services such as hotel, meals, and transportation.
Provide us with the dates you desire to visit to Bwindi Forest or Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks for gorilla tracking, and we will go ahead and check the availability of gorilla permits. Once we locate and find space, we shall hold them for you.
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Our professional driver guide will meet you at the agreed-upon pick-up location and will have your gorilla permits. He will then transfer you to either Bwindi National Park in any of its sectors, which are Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga and Nkuringo in the south, or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where you will check into your lodge for dinner and overnight. The second day is your gorilla tracking day and return to Kasese.
What is included?
Our Gorilla Safaris from Kasese are all-inclusive trips and safaris. This allows you to sit back and relax while enjoying your safari, as we handle all aspects of the excursion. Our Gorilla excursions include a ticket to spend one hour with the gorillas, accommodation and meals, transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle, fuel for the round journey, park admission fees, a park ranger guide, security, and drinking water. Our driver guides are educated in defensive driving and are informed about flora and animals.
Excluded charges include alcoholic beverages, international airfare, visa fees, and personal tips for guides and waiters. We usually give you tips and suggestions so that you spend wisely. For additional details on what is included and excluded, please contact Kisoro Tours Uganda via email info@kisorotoursuganda.com or WhatsApp. +256 785 790925.
What to Do at Mgahinga National Park from Kasese?
Mgahinga National Park is worth your time and visit because there is so much to see and do. To perform the things listed below, you will need to stay one or two nights near Mgahinga.
Gorilla Trekking
You can observe mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park during your safari, which begins in Kasese. Gorilla trekking is a once-in-a-lifetime event that involves meeting rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat while watching them move, feed, and live. The gorillas are thought to contain 99% human DNA and are fascinating to see. Mgahinga National Park features one habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi gorilla family, which is open for trekking every day. Only eight guests are permitted to pay for a one-hour viewing and picture session once the gorillas are located.
For a successful gorilla trek in Mgahinga National Park, you must have a valid gorilla permit obtained from the Uganda Wildlife Authority for the desired date of the trek. The permit costs USD800 for foreign non-residents, USD700 for foreign residents, Uganda shillings 300,000 for East African citizens, and USD500 for the rest of Africans. On the day of the walk, you will drive to the Park Headquarters for a briefing on the rules to follow while in the forest and with the gorillas.
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Experienced guides and park rangers will accompany you on the hike into the deep rain forest on the mountain slopes. The drive through dense jungle and up steep slopes is well worth it for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see mountain gorillas in their native habitat. You will be able to get within 7-5 meters of these wonderful apes, participating in their everyday lives and experiencing their activities. You will be granted one hour of watching the gorillas before returning to the starting site to obtain a certificate for a successful gorilla trek, which is spectacular.
Golden Monkey Trekking
Golden monkey trekking is another activity available in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese town. Golden monkeys are also rare primates in the world, and Uganda is fortunate to have them persisting in Mgahinga National Park. Golden monkey tracking is one of the park’s principal activities, distinguishing Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from other destinations. There are two golden monkey trekking villages.
A golden monkey trekking permit costs USD60 for foreign non-residents, USD40 for foreign residents, and Uganda shillings 40,000 for East African citizens, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority Tariff for 2024-2026. The trip begins at 7:00 a.m. with a training at the park headquarters on what to do and not do in the forest. Later, you begin your stroll into the forest with park guides and Rangers until you discover the golden monkeys, which you are permitted to observe for one hour. In East Africa, golden monkeys can only be found in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.
Volcano Climbing/Hiking
Mgahinga National Park contains three of the six Virunga Mountain chains: Mountain Sabyinyo, Mountain Gahinga, and Mountain Muhabura, and you can choose to climb one of them according on your fitness level. Mountain Sabinyo stands at 3,669m and takes about eight hours to accomplish the round trip, climbing a steep ridge up to the peak, The smallest mountain, Gahinga, at 3474m, takes around six hours to ascent and descend and is capped by a swamp-filled crater and huge lobelia.
Mountain Muhavura is the highest mountain at 4,127m, and the 12km round trek takes approximately eight hours. On a clear day, hikers can see the Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Edward, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and the summits of the Rwenzori Mountain from the summit. If you are fortunate enough to visit Mgahinga National Park, you will be able to witness many tree species, birds, Forest Elephants, Primates, and Gorillas.
Batwa Cultural Experience
The cultural experience is one of the highlights to do in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese Town. Mgahinga National Park used to have Batwa Pygmies in the forest, who were relocated as a conservation precaution for endangered apes and primates. The Batwa Cultural Encounter will present you to their distinct culture, dancing, manner of life, and food, as well as their traditional forest living.
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The Batwa will lead the way into the forest, where they will show traditional forest life activities such as hunting, fruit harvesting, honey collection, and ceremonial performance, among others. These Batwa pathways are designed to celebrate culture while also supporting the livelihoods of the villages surrounding the park by charging a fee. Donations to children and women’s groups are greatly appreciated, and purchasing mementos benefits the community.
Bird watching
Mgahinga National Park is home to approximately 79 bird species, including several indigenous to the East Congo Montane region, which includes Mgahinga. The Dusky Turtle Dove, Cape Robin-chat, Kivu-ground Thrush, Olive Thrush, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bronze Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Black-headed Waxbill, and Streaky Seedeater, among others, are inconspicuous inhabitants of the tangled vegetation at the forest’s edge. Birding takes place in the gorge between Mount Sabinyo and Mount Gahinga, as well as in the forest Age. The birding route is approximately a four-hour trek, with guides assisting you in identifying the noises and species.
Where can I stay in Mgahinga National Park?
To engage in Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese Town, you will need to spend more than one night near Mgahinga. Mgahinga National Park has a variety of hotel options for you to stay at during your visit. The majority of the lodges are located on the fringes of the forest, providing an excellent view of the forest and mountain ranges. The lodges range from budget to luxury, and include Mount Gahinga Lodge, a premium hotel, Lake Chahafi Lodge, and Lake Muhele Lodge, Lake Mutanda Lodge which can be used for both midrange and budget purposes. There is also an alternative to stay in motels in Kisoro town, which is only a 30-minute drive away from the park headquarters.
Why should you book gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese with Kisoro Tours Uganda?
Kisoro Tours Uganda provides incredible Uganda safari experiences, including gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park from Kasese Town, as well as throughout Uganda and the East African region. Contact us here for discounted packages and tailor-made trips. Kisoro Tours Uganda is highly rated and reviewed on Trip Advisor, so you may benefit from the experiences of other travelers who have traveled with us.
