3 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking Safari

Safari highlights

• Gorilla trekking beneath the Virunga volcano chain
• Cultural experience with the Batwa community, the original forest people
• Dramatic mountain scenery around Kisoro and Lake Mutanda
• Scenic drive through the highlands of Kabale and Echuya
• Quiet, uncrowded park atmosphere

Itinerary route map

1. Kampala
2. Mbarara
3. Kabale
4. Kisoro
5. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 01
   Day 1 Kampala / Entebbe to Mgahinga via Kabale

   Your safari begins at about 6:00 with a pick-up in Kampala or Entebbe and a long drive south-west via Masaka and Mbarara. Stops include the Equator at Kayabwe for photographs and a lunch break along the way. The scenery changes steadily as you leave the plains and climb into Uganda's highlands.

   After Mbarara the road passes through Ntungamo and on to Kabale, a hill town at an altitude of around 1,800 metres. From here the route climbs through terraced hillsides and over the Kanaba Gap, from which you can see the Virunga volcanoes ahead on a clear day. Lake Bunyonyi is nearby, and your guide may stop at a viewpoint.

   You continue down to Kisoro and the park, a journey of about nine to ten hours in total. You check in at your lodge near Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, have dinner and rest. The air is cool at night, so bring a warm layer and prepare for an early start tomorrow.

2. 02
   Day 2 Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural experience

   After breakfast you go to the park headquarters for the morning briefing, where rangers explain the rules and assign trekkers to a gorilla group. Mgahinga is part of the Virunga Conservation Area, and gorilla families here sometimes move across the border, so trekking is subject to availability. Your guide confirms the arrangements in advance.

   The trek begins in bamboo and montane forest at the foot of the volcanoes. The terrain can be steep and muddy, and the hike takes anywhere from one to several hours depending on where the gorillas are. Once you find them, you spend one hour observing their behaviour and taking photographs.

   After lunch, you join a Batwa cultural experience. The Batwa were the original forest people, and the community shares its story, traditional hunting methods, medicinal plants and songs, including a visit to Garama Cave. The experience is respectful and informative, and it supports Batwa livelihoods. You return to the lodge for dinner and rest.

3. 03
   Day 3 Mgahinga to Kampala / Entebbe

   After breakfast, you check out and begin the long drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. If the weather is clear, enjoy a final look at the volcanoes and the beautiful terraced hills of Kisoro before you leave. Your guide can also stop at Lake Mutanda for a view. Rooms and breakfast times are arranged so that you can leave in good time, because the journey ahead is a long one.

   The road climbs back over the hills to Kabale, where you may stop at a viewpoint above Lake Bunyonyi for photographs. Lunch is taken at a restaurant in Kabale or Mbarara, and you continue through Masaka, with another stop at the Equator if you wish to buy souvenirs. Early starts make the day easier, and you will have time to enjoy the views along the way.

   The journey takes about nine to ten hours, so you arrive in Kampala or Entebbe in the evening. Your driver-guide drops you at your hotel or the airport. It is a long day, but the scenery is rewarding, and you will have the memory of a special encounter with mountain gorillas.