3-Day Mgahinga Gorilla & Golden Monkey
Uganda’s quietest gorilla park: a single habituated family, the Nyakagezi group, on the slopes of three volcanoes — and a troop of golden monkeys in the bamboo below.
Fewer trekkers, more open ground and often a shorter walk than Bwindi. The trade-off: the family occasionally wanders across the border into Rwanda.
- Duration
- 3 days / 2 nights
- From
- USD 1,790 pp
- Effort
- Strenuous gorilla day · easy golden-monkey walk
- Permits
- 1 gorilla permit (USD 800) + 1 golden monkey permit (USD 100)
- Best months
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Feb
- Arrive & transfer to Kisoro
Skirt the Virunga chain to Kisoro, with the cones of Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabinyo ahead. Evening briefing and an early night.
- Mgahinga gorilla trek
Track the Nyakagezi group through bamboo and montane forest. More light and less undergrowth than Bwindi, but the ground still climbs steadily.
- Golden monkeys, then depart
A gentler morning with a fast-moving troop of golden monkeys, then the transfer back to Kisoro airstrip or the road to Kigali / Kampala.
- Permits
- 1 gorilla permit (USD 800) + 1 golden monkey permit (USD 100)
- Guide
- Private English-speaking driver-guide throughout
- Vehicle
- 4×4 safari Land Cruiser, fuel & all park entry fees
- Activities
- Every trek, game drive, boat cruise & walk in the day-by-day
- Lodging
- 2 nights · Kisoro / Mgahinga-area lodges, full board
- Meals
- All meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on the final day
- Transfers
- Airport pickup & drop-off, bottled water in the vehicle
- Flights
- International flights; optional local hops (Kihihi / Kisoro)
- Visas
- Uganda e-visa (USD 50)
- Personal
- Tips, porters (~USD 20 per trek), drinks, laundry, curios
- Insurance
- Comprehensive travel insurance (required to travel)
Mgahinga sits high — the trailhead is above 2,300 m. Arrive hydrated and take the first hour slowly.
Price by group size
| Travellers | Per person (twin) | Single supp. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller | USD 2,600 | — |
| 2–3 travellers | USD 1,790 | USD 230 |
| 4–6 travellers | USD 1,610 | USD 230 |
| 7–8 travellers | USD 1,500 | USD 230 |
Keep looking
The direct route: forest-edge lodge, one dawn trek, out again. For tight windows done right.
Four hours with a semi-habituated group and the research team. Limited permits, USD 1,500.
Chimpanzees in Kibale, then south to the mountain gorillas. The classic primate double.