5 Days gorilla and Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park : Mgahinga gorilla national park is the second home to mountain gorillas in Uganda with only one habituated mountain gorilla group called Nyakagezi gorilla group and also at the same time home to the Golden monkeys in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking is another exciting primate activity to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park, golden monkeys are classified as endemic species only found in the Virunga volcano range and two other forests in Central Africa. These beautiful creatures get their name from the color of their fur which is a good feature to marvel about. Mgahinga national park is gifted with both the Gorillas and Golden monkeys hence it is called the place “where Silver meets gold”. This 5 Days gorilla and golden monkeys is designed to offer visitors a combination of experiences such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, and Golden monkey trekking and blended with other experience such as Batwa community tours. This trip includes transportation, accommodation and permits.
With this package, travellers also have an option of starting the trip in Kigali- Rwanda. This is because compared to the long hour drives from Kampala/Entebbe which is 8-9 hours, we can arrnge transportation to start in Kigali city with an airport pick. It takes about 4-5 hours driving from Kigali to Mgahinga national park via either Katuna or Cyanika borders.
Highlights
- Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to hotel in Kampala
- Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and Batwa Community tour
- Day 5: Return to Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport – Hotel
On arriving at Entebbe International airport, you will meet our company representative who will also be your safari guide for the 12 the driver will pick you up and transfer you to Kampala. From the airport, it is about 1-hour drive to Kampala city. On locating your hotel, proceed to check-in for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay
- Luxury option – Kampala Sheraton Hotel
- Mid-range option – Fairway Hotel and Spa
- Budget option – Forest Cottages
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
On the 1st day of your 5 Days gorilla and Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park, after breakfast, you will be met by your safari guide of the trip and embark on your journey to Bwindi national park located in Kisoro district in the far south west of Uganda close to the Rwanda and Congo borders. Since it is quite a long drive, you will enjoy en-route stops at the Equator and in Mbarara town which is the largest and urban town in the western part of Uganda for lunch and refreshments. On reaching, Kisoro town in the evening, proceed to your accommodation. Check-in, refresh as you wait for dinner and overnight rest.
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Chameleon Hill Lodge
- Mid-range option: Ichumbi Safari lodge
- Budget option: Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides before entering the forest in your trekking gears including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stocking for tacking-in, long sleeved shirts and long trousers and a rain coat or jacket to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park is no different from other trekking parks that is trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily.
On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back to meet your driver/guide and transfer back to your new lodge. Relax as you enjoy the views of the Virunga Mountains, dinner and overnight stay at
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option: Lake Mutanda Safari Resort/Gahinga Lodge
- Mid-range option: Lake Mulehe Safari lodge
- Budget option: Travellers’ Rest Hotel/Mucha lodge
Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and Batwa Community tour
On the 4th day of your 5 Days gorilla and Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park, after breakfast, drive back to the park with your packed lunch in your trekking gears. It is the same procedure of trekking as of the previous day. Gather at the park head offices with other tourists for briefing about the Golden monkeys before you enter the forest, hiking through the trial that leads to where the Golden monkeys could be. On a lucky day you may encounter the gorillas again, different birds and forest animals. Trekking may take 2-5 hours depending on their location. On meeting them, you will spend an hour in their presence before you return to meet your guide.
You will later afternoon connect for a Batwa community tour. The Batwa people are the ethic group who occupied forest before it was gazetted as a national park. They are the pygmies of Uganda with a unique lifestyle. Visiting this community will remind you of the olden days of an African siting where food was got through hunting, gathering from fruits and honey, disease treatment using medical plants to mention a few. Later evening return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Return to Entebbe
After early morning breakfast, check-out of the lodge and embark on your journey back to Kampala/Entebbe with en-route lunch and refreshments. Depending on your flight arrangements, you will be dropped at a location you will advise including airport drop off if you have a flight on this very day. End of Safari
