Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park; Golden monkey trekking is an exciting and the best done activity in Mgahinga gorilla national park after gorilla trekking. The activity involves travelers moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the golden monkeys and once located spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro district bordering with Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo. Apart from Mgahinga gorilla national park, golden monkey trekking is also done is Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Golden monkey trekking experience

Golden monkeys are active primates which live in bamboo forested areas and trekking starts early in the morning at 8:00am with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest in search of the golden monkeys which takes about 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on where they golden monkeys are located because they like to move from one area to another in search of food. During trekking you will follow trails of leftover bamboo shoots, leaves, fruits among others and once the golden monkeys are located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to learn more about their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, play, jump up in trees, take beautiful photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari.

Mgahinga gorilla national park also offers golden monkey habituation experience where the wild golden monkeys are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Visitors who engage in the habituation experience are allowed to spend four hours with the golden monkey family under habituation process.

Cost of a golden monkey trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park

A golden monkey trekking permit is a card issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority to any visitor above the age of 15 years allowing him or her to visit the habituated golden monkey family. A golden monkey trekking permit in Mgahinga gorilla national park therefore costs 100 USD per person for foreign non residents, 100 USD for foreign residents and 100,000 UGX for East African citizens.

Golden monkey trekking permits should be booked 3 to 4 months in advance before the trekking date because they usually get sold out quickly especially during the dry or peak season in the months of June to September and December to February.

Best time to go for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season which is also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, august, September, December, January and February because that’s the best period when golden monkey trekking trails are passable and vegetation will be thin due to little rainfall hence giving you an opportunity to clearly view the golden monkeys and other wildlife species in the forest.

Where to stay in Mgahinga gorilla national park

There are several accommodation facilities in and near Mgahinga gorilla national park where visitors can stay during the golden monkey trekking safari. The accommodations range from luxury, midrange and budget including Amajambere Lwacu Community camp, Mondi lodge Kisoro, Mount Gahinga lodge, Bam Rest house, Gahiza Island Retreat, Kisoro Travelers rest hotel, Muhabura Motel, Lake Chahafi Resort, Rushaga Gorilla Haven lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Mount Gahinga lodge, Mucha Hotel, Kisoro Travelers lodge, Mubano Hotel among others.

How to get to Mgahinga gorilla national park

Mgahinga gorilla national park is located in southwestern Uganda and can be accessed by air transport means whereby you will book a charter or scheduled flight with Aerolink Uganda limited from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road. Domestic flights to Mgahinga gorilla national park can be booked by your tour operator.

Mgahinga gorilla national park can also be accessed by road transport means whereby you will drive from Entebbe or Kampala via Masaka, Mubende, Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kabale, Kisoro and then connect to the park headquarters which takes about 9 to 10 hours drive.

Visitors can also access Mgahinga gorilla national park from Kigali Rwanda whereby they will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect to Mgahinga gorilla national park by road via Cyanika border which takes about 3 to 4 hours drive.

Golden monkey trekking is an interesting activity that can be combined with other activities like gorilla trekking, Batwa trail experience, volcano hiking, bird watching, guided nature walks among others in Mgahinga gorilla national park and wildlife viewing in Murchison falls national park. For more information about golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park you can reach out to us at Achieve global safaris.