Summary
Day 1: Arrival at the Airport and transfer to Mgahinga national Park
Day 2: Hiking Mount. Sabinyo (3669m)
Day 3: Ultimate gorilla trekking
Day 4: Hiking Mount. Gahinga (3474m)
Day 5: Golden Monkey Trekking and nature walk.
Day 6: Hiking experience to Mount Muhabura
Day 7: Batwa cultural experience and Lake Mutanda canoeing.
Day 8: Transfer to Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe/Kigali International Airport & transfer to Mgahinga National Park
Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport or Kampala, our friendly team will warmly welcome you. You will then embark on a scenic journey to Mgahinga national park, located approximately 510 kilometers (317 miles) away.
The journey will take us through captivating landscapes, rural communities, and picturesque views. Along the way, you will have stopovers at interesting sites, such as the Equator, where you can capture memorable photos and learn about this geographical wonder. After the long drive, you will check in at your chosen lodge in Mgahinga.
Accommodations
Mgahinnga Rest camp(budget) / Mt.Gahinga Lodge(luxury)
Day 2: Hiking Mt. Sabinyo (3669m)
You will wake up very early in the morning, have your breakfast and packed lunch as well as drinking water, and then head to the park headquarters for a short briefing by the experienced game ranger.
You will then embark an exhilarating 8-hour hike to Mt. Sabinyo that will give vistas of countryside. After descending back to the bottom of the mountain and check in at your lodge room to freshen up and have dinner plus overnight stay.
Accommodation
Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp (budget)
Mgahinga Gorilla Camp(mid-range)
Day 3: Ultimate gorilla trekking in Mgahinga
After having an early breakfast, you will go for briefing at the park headquarters by a ranger guide and then enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is remarkable! The area offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists.
The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates.
Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Return to your lodge.
Accommodation
Virunga hotel
Travellers Rest House or similar
Day 4: Hiking Mt. Gahinga (3474m).
Early in the morning, you will have your breakfast. With your packed lunch and drinking water, you will move straight to Mgahinga mountain headquarters for a briefing with ranger guides and then embark on an astounding hike for 5-6 hours, hike to Mgahinga peak through clean bamboo trails, view lush swamp the former crater with breathtaking views of the surrounding. You then descend back to your lodge room, take dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation
Mgahinga community campground (budget)
Mt.Gahinga lodge (Upmarket)
Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking and Nature Walk
Set out on a thrilling golden monkey tracking adventure. Trek through the forest, following the lively and agile golden monkeys as they leap from tree to tree. Observe their playful interactions and capture incredible photographs.
In the afternoon, enjoy a refreshing nature walk in the park, taking in the stunning scenery and discovering the unique flora and fauna.
Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp (budget)
Mgahinga Gorilla Camp(mid-range)
Day 6: Hiking Experience to Mt. Muhabura (4127m).
You will wake up early in the morning, have your breakfast, depart t for you hiking activity, start your hiking to the peak of mount Muhabura, view all the beautiful scenery, the top of Virunga peak, mount Ruwenzori, lake Albert, Queen Elizabeth and many more.
Once you make it all the way up to the top after such a challenging hike, you be rewarded with breathtaking scenery, the beautiful countryside, lakes and the other volcanoes within the Virunga ranges like Sabinyo, Gahinga, Karisimbi, Bisoke and Nyiragongo.
The summit gives you that feeling of being completely away from the real world. There are opportunities to spot primates, birds and even large forest mammals like buffaloes and Elephants. Then there is a crater lake at the summit with beautiful clear waters.
You will descend back to your hotel room to have dinner and overnight stay.
Mgahinga community campground (budget)
Mt.Gahinga lodge (Upmarket)
Day 7: Batwa Pygmies Cultural Experience and Lake Mutanda canoeing.
In the morning at 8: 30, you will have a cultural visit to Batwa communities that will immerse you into the rich cultural heritage of the Batwa pygmies, the indigenous people of the region.
You will have the opportunity to interact with the Batwa community, learn about their traditional way of life, and participate in cultural activities such as traditional dances and storytelling.
You will visit the Garama caves, a sacred place for the Batwa who lived in the area for so many years. Visitors meet the Batwa guides, the shortest people on earth. Along the trail, you will learn from their explanations and showcase their former forest traditions including hunting skills, herbal medicine administration, water collection using bamboo shoots, tree climbing, and houses, evolution of fire technology, and pipe smoking.
After one hour of walking, arrive at Garama caves and Batwa elders will first pray to their perfect black god for spiritual guidance. Inside the caves is a stair giving access to its dark interior, the Batwa pottery remains and molded chairs where they used to stay and hide from enemies during battlefields can be seen.
There are also bat colonies as you come out, the Batwa trail ends with memorable cultural dance performances including folklore and rituals.
You will then go back to the lodge, have lunch and then go for relaxation on lake Mutanda with a fresh breath of the lake, go for canoeing that will give you breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding.
Accomodations
Kisoro Tourist Hotel /budget
Mutanda Lake Resort/Luxury
Day 8: Transfer to Kampala-Entebbe.
At 7:00am you will have a cup of coffee, organize and check out of the hotel and get back to your journey to Kampala, the driver will drop you in the hotel you checked in or at the Entebbe airport to catch-up on the flight back home.
End of the safari
Thanks for choosing Us.
Inclusions of the safari
Hiking permit
Gorilla trekking permit
Drinking water
All airport transfers.
Park entrances
All activities on itinerary & park entry fees.
Accommodation and meals
Transport in Standard Safari vehicle
Professional Tour Guide
Exclusions of the safari
International Flights and visa
Activities not included in the safari.
Items of Personal Nature
Tips and Gratuity
Porters
