Gorilla permits in Mgahinga National Park allow you to track the one gorilla group of the national park the Nyakagezi gorilla family. The biodiverse national park is Uganda’s smallest ecosystem covering an area space of approximately 33.7 square kilometers, it occupies the Uganda side of the great Virunga mountain boasting an Afro montane forest growing at the slopes of the mountain. The main features of the park include 3 of the 8 series that make up the Virunga massif, along which are Mountain gorilla species living the lower slopes of the bamboo forest. The primates can only survive in the mountainous area and recorded as the world’s largest living primates.
Mgahinga national park was first gazette in the 1930 as game reserve and later upgraded to the status on a national park in the 1991 as a way of protecting the critically endangered species of the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, the topography of the national park is amazing, it is unique with the best views, other primates besides the resident common species include the olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and over 100 species of birds for example the Rwenzori turaco, great blue turaco, sunbirds, martial eagles to mention a few.
Gorilla permits in Mgahinga national park are acquired from the Uganda wildlife authority, these are a limited number because it’s just one gorilla group, a group of 8 persons is allowed to participate in gorilla trekking per day, and time taken depends on how far the gorilla families have moved it takes 2-8 hours or even entirely the whole day. Gorillas love to nest on the ground, living in families of up to 20 members led by a male silverback. These permits can be bought directly from the company or by the use of a tour operator, when considering an option you will need to write to the operator. It is important to book permits in time to avoid inconveniences and last minute cancelations.
Gorilla permits are charged $700 for foreign nonresidents, $600 for foreign residents and 250,000 shillings the permits can be purchased directly from the Uganda wildlife authority or through a spur operator, other activities that require permits in the park include the Golden Monkey tracking, the monkeys are endemics of the Virunga region, it is the only place of Uganda to see the unique golden monkeys, they live in the bamboo forest of the conservation area. Hiking the mountains of Muhabura and Sabinyo is only permitted and accompanied by the Uganda wildlife game ranger.
Mgahinga national park is located in the south western part of Uganda, it can easily be accessed from the Kigali international airport in Rwanda or the Entebbe international airport in Uganda, and from here it takes approximately 9hours’ drive through the beautiful country side of the Kigezi highlands. Charter or scheduled flights can be arranged from the Entebbe international airport of Kampala Kajjansi to land at the Kisoro airstrip, it takes 1hr30 minutes flight to the destination.