Uganda. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Hiking Tours
Do you intend to walk the Virunga Mountains in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda? One of the must-do activities you ought to engage in on your safari in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is hiking trips. Located in the far southern western portion of Uganda, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park’s Virunga mountains will present a hiking challenge for you sharing the Rwanda and Congo border. Famously for mountain gorilla safaris, Mgahinga National Park is a portion of the Virunga volcanic mountain range spanning Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda.
Mgahinga National Park provides walks. Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bwindi Forest National Park round the smallest national park in Uganda. Three of the eight Virunga volcanoes—Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Muhabura—lie in the park. Among the other amazing Virunga mountains are Mount Bisoke, Mount Karasimbe, Mount Mikeno, Mount Nyiragongo, and Mount Nyamulagira. Golden monkeys and threatened mountain gorillas abound in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, mountain rainforest, mountain bamboo makes up the park’s tropical rainforest.
Hiking tours on Mount Muhabura
Rising on the border between Rwanda and Uganda, Mount Gahinga is an extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains. Though it is the smallest of the three volcanoes, Gahinga Mountain stands between Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Muhabura. The mountain goes occasionally called Mount Mgahinga. Rising roughly 3,474 meters above sea level, this amazing location features a marshy caldera on top and a stunning afro-montane forest and bamboo covering mountain gorillas. However, the Mt. Gahinga environment consists of other fascinating animals such golden monkeys and birds.
Unlike Mount Muhabura or Mt. Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga presents remarkably simpler volcanic hikes. All things considered, though, you should be physically fit to complete a 6-hour climb to the top of Mount Gahinga in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There is no requirement for past booking; permits for Gahinga volcano climbing cost US$70.
Beginning at 7:00 a.m., treks to the top of Mt. Gahinga follow a briefing from the park official at the park offices. You will receive a trekking stick following the training; should you want porter services, you will have them. Along with mammals and birds among the otters, your trekking trip here will provide you to see amazing primates including mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Many volcanic cavernues and other volcanic features occupied by bats will be visible to you. Generally speaking, the peak of Gahinga volcano is different than that of Muhavura and Sabyinyo volcanues. Once at the summit, you will discover a large shallow crater swamp featuring rare sub-alpine flora such as lobelia, Alchemilla, and Senecio.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park hiking paths on Mount Sabyinyo
Another extinct volcano in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park where visitors may walk while in Uganda is Mount Sabyinyo. Rising 3,669 meters above sea level, the mountain is Rising between three nations to establish boundaries between Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is the oldest in the Virunga ranges. Mount Sabyinyo volcano also links the three national parks of the rain forest formed by the three nations, which have one common and popular feature, “mountain gorillas.” Parks among these are Mgahinga National Park in Uganda itself, Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
One of the best walks in the Virunga mountains, the peak is deliberately situated in the west of Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda and the northeast of Lake Kivu in Rwanda, providing breathtaking vistas in addition to being in the adjacent national parks of the three nations.
Depending on the path and speed, hiking Mount Sabyinyo takes visitors 6 to 8 days; the elevation of the mountain is roughly 3,966 meters above sea level. Nevertheless, the experience of reaching the top of three countries is worth seeing and being daring.
Mount Muhabura hiking excursions
One of the great inactive volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains on the edge between Uganda and Rwanda is Mount Muhabura, sometimes known as Mount Muhavura. At 4,127 meters (13, 540 ft). Part of the Albertine Rift, the western arm of the East African Rift, muhabura ranks third among the eight main mountains in the range. Muhabura resides in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda directly as well as Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
Hiking Mount Muhabura presents a fantastic chance to see the ranges of Virunga Mountains. There are hardest slopes to check on your degree of fitness; this is a full-day climb to reach the 4127 m elevation. Mount Muhabura is east of the Virunga Mountain Range; Uganda and Rwanda share its boundaries. Hiking takes a day; climbing Mount Muhabura takes roughly six to eight hours to reach the summit and then descend back.
Like any volcanic climb, hiking Mount Muhavura starts early in the morning at 7:00 a.m. with a briefing at either the Kinigi offices of Volcanoes National Park or the Mgahinga National Park offices in Uganda. Travelers on the hiking safari on Mountain Muhabura will come across a lot of creatures like hyenas, golden monkeys, mountain gorillas, duikers, monkeys, and many bird species. They stop for a picnic lunch at one point, then later on reach the peak across varied foliage covers and rocks.
At the top of Mountain Muhabura, you will have views of the magnificent scenery, lovely surroundings, and Virunga volcanoes including Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Bisoke, Nyiragongo, and Karisimbi as well as sights of different lakes, including the little one at the summit, Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, Burera, and Ruhondo in Rwanda, among others.
At Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, hiking is indispensable.
- Shoe for hiking
- Long slacks and a long-sleeved shirt can shield from stinging nettles.
- Storm jacket
- Gardening gloves
- First aid package
- Shoes
- Enough of mineral water and munchies.
- cameras and binoculars
The ideal time to hike Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
One can engage in hiking trips at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park all year round. Still, the most advised period is during the dry seasons, which run from December to February and from June to August.