5 Days Mgahinga Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trekking

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our driver/safari guide will welcome you. He will then transfer you to your hotel in Kampala for the night. Check into the hotel, refresh and have dinner. The driver guide will also brief you about your 5 days Mgahinga gorilla and golden monkey safari. Other related information about your safari journey will also be provided. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 2: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After early morning breakfast, set off for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Your first stopover will be at the Equator Monument in Kayabwe. Have a brief experience at the equator with photography and proceed. Enjoy the 9-hour journey to Mgahinga, traveling through scenic landscapes. Have another stopover in Mbarara city for lunch. Proceed to Mgahinga through the ecstatic rolling hills of southwestern Uganda. On arrival, drive to your lodge and check in. Refreshment, dinner, and overnight.

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Today, prepare for a face-to-face encounter with the giant mountain gorillas. After breakfast at your lodge, you will be driven to the Park Headquarters for a briefing. Remember to carry some snacks or packed lunch and drinking water. At 8:00 am after the briefing, you will venture into the forest for a mountain gorilla search. You will be in the company of experienced park rangers. These will help guide you on your trekking tour. While in the forest, look out for golden monkeys, olive baboons, forest elephants, various bird species, etc.

Though thrilling, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga can take between 1 to 6 hours. This depends on the location of the Nyakagezi gorilla family in the forest. Mgahinga has only one habituated gorilla group that is open for tourism. When you encounter the gorillas, you will have an hour to marvel at the apes. Appreciate the heart-dropping experience as you explore the habits and behaviors of these giant primates. Expect to find them nesting, relaxing, and feeding. Besides capturing up-close photos and videos of these beautiful moments. Thereafter, you will trek back to the Park Headquarters for certification. Then drive back to your lodge and relax.

Day 4: Trek the Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga

Wake up early and have breakfast at your lodge. With packed lunch and drinking water, leave the lodge for golden monkey trekking. And like gorilla trekking, the experience will start with a briefing at the Park headquarters with other tourists. Then after, you will be led by an assigned park ranger into the forest to look for the golden monkeys. Expect to spend between 30 minutes to 4 hours looking for the golden monkeys. This depends on the location of these species in the forest. Even so, trekking them is quite easier. Park rangers follow through the trails with leftover bamboo shoots, leaves, and fruits. After finding them, you are restricted to spending one hour with the monkeys. Additionally, you will encounter wild mountain gorillas, other monkey birds, and several bird species. After trekking, return to the Park headquarters. The driver will pick you up and drive you back to your lodge to relax.

Later in the afternoon, indulge in a cultural trail to the Batwa communities. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park holds the cultural significance of the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa are forest dwellers who lived in the forests of Mgahinga and Bwindi for thousands of years. This was before the two were gazetted into National Parks. During the trial, you will be taken to explore the previous life of the Batwa as forest dwellers. Besides their unique traditions and lifestyle. Furthermore, you will enjoy delightful traditional performances from the Batwa native dancers. Return to your lodge after. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Travel back to Kampala

After spending 4 days in one’s of Uganda’s primeval gems, your Uganda safari has come to an end. Today, you will wake up to an early breakfast and transfer back to Kampala. Enjoy the spectacular sightings en route to your journey. With brief stopovers for lunch and bathroom breaks. Proceed with your journey and on arrival in Kampala, the driver will transfer you to your hotel. Should you have a return flight to catch, you will be dropped off at Entebbe Airport for your departure.

Safari Includes;

• Gorilla trekking permits
• Golden monkey trekking permits
• Full-board accommodation
• Transportation in a 4x4 safari vehicle
• A professional English-speaking driver/guide
• All activities included in the itinerary
• Drinking water in the safari vehicle

Safari Excludes;

• Travel insurance
• All personal expenses
• All optional activities excluded in the travel itinerary

Guidelines for Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trekking
• While with the primates, keep your voice at a low tone, even when you ask questions.
• Eating, smoking, and drinking near the primates are prohibited. Designated time and place will be communicated
• Always keep a distance of about 7 meters when from the primates for both your safety and the primates’
• Flash photography with primates is not allowed, for it may disturb the primates.
• Remember to carry good hiking shoes to help you navigate the rough landscape in the forest.
• Carry long-sleeved shirts and long trousers for the cold
• Carry a good camera and binoculars to capture impressive photos of the gorillas and golden monkeys.
• Pace yourself with plenty of drinking water and packed lunch or snacks.
• While trekking, always follows the instructions of the rangers for your safety. Remember that these primates are also wild animals. One cannot always know what to expect.

End of Safari.

NUMBER OF PPLE RATES
1 2815
2 1845
3 1705
4 1485
5 1473
6 1365
7 1375