Climbing Mount Gahinga; Mount Gahinga is one of the three Virunga volcanic mountains found in  Mgahinga gorilla national park which is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district bordering with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Mount Gahinga is an extinct volcano that is 3,474 meters above the sea level and it lies between Mount Sabinyo and Mount Muhabura. Mount Gahinga derives its name from the word Gahinga which means a pile of small volcanic stones and it’s the lowest and easy to hike volcano in Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Climbing Mount Gahinga

Hiking mount Gahinga starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will start hiking which takes about 6 to 8 hours round trip. During trekking, you will pass through different vegetation zones like bamboo forest where you will be able to view different wildlife species including primates, bird species, animals among others and once you reach the summit, you will enjoy views of a large shallow crater swamp with sub-alpine plants and giant lobelia.

Cost of Mount Gahinga hike

Climbing Mount Gahinga in Mgahinga gorilla national park costs 80 USD per person for foreign non residents, 70 USD per person for foreign residents and 50,000 USD per person for East African citizens and the price includes park entrance fees, guide fee and exclude tent, porter and cook fees.

Best time to climb Mount Gahinga

Mount Gahinga can be climbed anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore hiking trails will be dry and passable which makes climbing easy compared to the rainy season when the hiking trails are wet and slippery which makes climbing difficult.

What to pack/carry for Mount Gahinga hike

There are a number of items that you should pack for your hiking safari in Mgahinga gorilla national park including Hiking shoes to protect your ankles and keep your feet dry, long sleeved clothes to keep you warm especially during morning hours, energy snacks and drinking water to keep you hydrated, waterproof rain jacket to protect you from rainfall, camera and extra batteries to take photos, insect repellent to protect you from biting insects, walking stick to give you support while climbing, garden gloves, a hat to protect you from sunlight, back pack to carry your hiking equipment’s among others.

How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in south western part of Uganda and can be accessed by both road and air transport means. When using road transport means, you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro and then to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.

Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed from Kigali Rwanda where you will fly to Kigali international airport and then cross to Mgahinga gorilla national park through Cyanika border in Kisoro or Katuna border in Kabale which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.

When using air transport means, you will book scheduled or charter flights from Entebbe international airport to Kisoro airstrip and then connect to the park headquarters by road.

Where to stay during your hiking safari

Mgahinga gorilla national park has a number of accommodation facilities where you can stay during your hiking safari. The accommodation range from luxury, midrange, budget and campsites including Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Bwindu Jungle Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Mucha Lodge, Kisoro Travelers Rest, Mubano Hotel, Montana Guest House, Muhabura Motel, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, Travelers Rest Hotel, Lake Chahafi Resort, Mt Muhabura Climbers Rest Camp, Muanda Eco Community Centre among others.

Other activities in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Apart from climbing Mount Gahinga, Mgahinga gorilla national park offers other interesting activities that travelers can engage in during the safari including Gorilla trekking where you will be able to spend time with the mountain gorillas, bird watching where you will be able to enjoy variety of bird species, guided nature walks, golden monkey trekking where you will be able to spend time with the golden monkeys, Batwa trail experience where you will be able to interact with the Batwa people who used to live in the forest before it was gazetted into a national park.

For unforgettable experiences on your safari, climbing Mount Gahinga is an exciting activity that can be combined with other activities like gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, Batwa trail experience, bird watching among others. For more information about climbing Mount Gahinga, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable safari packages.