Updated 19 October 2026

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park, about 34 km² on the slopes of three Virunga volcanoes in the far south-west, where Uganda meets Rwanda and Congo. It has one habituated gorilla family, Nyakagezi, so only eight gorilla permits are sold each day, at US$800 (US$600 in April, May and November). It is also the best place in Uganda for golden monkey tracking, volcano hikes and the Batwa Trail. The park office at Ntebeko is about 30–45 minutes from Kisoro town, 3–4 hours from Kigali and 9–10 hours from Kampala by road.

The landscape

Mgahinga is the Ugandan part of the Virunga volcanoes, protected together with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park. Three dormant volcanoes rise within it: Muhavura, the highest at about 4,127 m, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, whose jagged summit is the point where the three countries meet. The slopes are covered with montane forest, a broad belt of bamboo and, higher up, Hagenia woodland and alpine vegetation. The park was gazetted in 1991. See our guide to where mountain gorillas live.

Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga

The Nyakagezi family is the park’s only habituated group. In the past it often crossed into Rwanda and Congo, sometimes for months, which made Mgahinga permits unreliable, but it has been settled on the Ugandan side for many years. Treks start from Ntebeko after the morning briefing and pass through farmland and bamboo, often on more open ground than Bwindi; walks vary from short to long depending on where the family is. With only one family, permits are limited, so book early. See our guide to permit availability.

Golden monkeys, volcanoes and the Batwa Trail

Golden monkey tracking takes you into the bamboo forest to find habituated troops of these bright orange-gold monkeys, an endangered Albertine Rift species; see our guide to golden monkey tracking. Fit hikers can climb the volcanoes on full-day guided hikes: Muhavura for its summit crater lake and views, Gahinga for a swampy crater, and Sabyinyo, the steepest, with ladders near the top. The Batwa Trail, led by Batwa guides, explores the forest their ancestors lived in and ends at Garama Cave; read about the Batwa experience.

Getting there and where to stay

From Kigali, cross the Cyanika border to Kisoro and continue to Ntebeko, about 3–4 hours in total; see our guide to crossing from Kigali by road. From Entebbe, scheduled flights reach Kisoro airstrip in about 1.5–2 hours, or the drive via Kabale takes 9–10 hours. Lodges and guesthouses are found near the park gate, in Kisoro town and on Lake Mutanda. Mgahinga combines easily with gorilla trekking in Bwindi’s southern sectors; see our Rushaga guide.

Mgahinga or Bwindi?

Choose Mgahinga if you like volcano scenery, want to combine gorillas with golden monkeys and volcano hikes, or are coming from Rwanda. Choose Bwindi if you want more choice of families and dates, a wider range of lodges and the dense rainforest experience. The permit price is the same in both parks.

Frequently asked questions