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The Mgahinga National Park never disappoints with its interesting activities. From popular gorilla treks to the riveting cultural encounters there are lots of interesting things to do in Mgahinga. Here are the different tourist activities that can be done in Mgahinga Gorilla National park;

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking is the most popular adventure activity within Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The park has one habituated gorilla group called the Nyakagezi Family. Gorilla tracking within this park can take from just 30 minutes to an entire day. On a gorilla trek in Uganda, you will search for the gorillas through the rain forest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers.

Golden monkey tracking

Mgahinga National Park is one of the few destinations where golden monkeys can be seen on an organized tour. The park offers golden monkey tracking in the morning hours. The walk takes about 2-4 hours’ and upon meeting the mountain gorillas you have up to one hour to watch the gorillas.

Golden monkey tracking is an active primate adventure that allows you to track and get close to unique golden monkeys in the wild. It isn’t as strenuous as trekking mountain gorillas.

Bird Watching

With over 115 bird species in this Park, tourists can participate in an exclusive bird watching safari. The most spectacular birding spots within this Park include the Gorge trail between Mount Sabinyo and Gahinga that offers magnificent sighting of the Cape Robin-chat, Dusky turtle Dove, the Rwenzori Batis, the Streaky seed-eater, the Kivu-ground thrush, Olive thrush, the Regal sunbird, the brown-crowned Tchagra, the Black-headed waxbill and the Blue-headed sunbird among others. Other incredible birding areas within Mgahinga National park include the Bamboo zone (from 2500 to 2600 meters), the Montane forest from 2660 meters from 2700 meters above sea level, the Rwenzori Turaco is common within 2700meters above sea level. Another perfect place is along the Uganda-DRC border. The dense vegetation at the border of the forest is where you will spot the Doherty’s bush-shrike, the Chubb’s Cisticola, the Banded Prinia and the Red-faced woodland warbler among others.

Cultural Encounters

The Batwa trail is the most common and eye-popping cultural encounter within Mgahinga National Park and Uganda at large. The Batwa are the people who inhabited the Mgahinga Forest before it was gazzeted into a National park in 1991, displacing them to fend for themselves and live as beggars. These people were hunter-gatherers who relied on the forest for everything ranging from shelter, food to medicine and the only time they are allowed to enter into the Forest is during the Batwa trail. This exciting trail entails activities such as visit to the traditional healer who uses local herbs to treat common ailments, ancient ways of constructing hats, how to gather honey, the activity also demonstrates some of the hunting skills, demonstration of making bamboo cups and highlighted by the visit to the Ngarama cave where you will be entertained by the Village women is sorrowful songs

Mountain/Volcano Climbing

Mgahinga National park is a home to three wonderful volcanoes that lie within the Virunga Massif-Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabinyo and Mount Muhabura and their peaks rewards tourists with the breathtaking views of their Peaks and the Surrounding areas.

Hiking and Nature walks

Nature walks within Mgahinga National park introduce tourists to the several primate species, birds, butterfly and exceptional tree species that capture the attention of tourists. Some of the hiking trails within the National park include hiking through the Sabinyo gorge trail, hiking through the Congo-border trail, the Batwa trail and the golden monkey track. Nature walks within this Park is a must-do because it allows tourists to get closer to the wildlife and bird species.

Batwa Trail

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is not only a home to the critically endangered Mountain gorillas but also the Batwa people (for the Batwa trail) where tourists are led to the Forest to learn about some of the different plant and tree species used for food, learn about their hunter-gatherer skills, how to harvest honey, visit to the traditional healer and also enjoy their traditional songs and dances.