Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Uganda's smallest national park sits in the corner where Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC meet, on the slopes of three extinct Virunga volcanoes. It is a very different experience from Bwindi: open bamboo and afro-montane forest rather than tangled rainforest, and almost no other visitors.

One habituated gorilla family, the Nyakagezi group, ranges here. It has a history of crossing the border, which is why we treat Mgahinga permits as a specialist option rather than a default, but when the family is settled, it is the quietest gorilla trek in East Africa.

Mgahinga's other draw is the golden monkey, a striking Albertine Rift endemic tracked in the bamboo zone, with a habituation option for a longer session.

Highlights

• Nyakagezi gorilla family trekking
• Golden monkey tracking and habituation
• The Batwa Trail, led by the forest's original inhabitants
• Summiting Muhabura, Gahinga or Sabyinyo
• Standing in three countries at once on the Sabyinyo climb

Best time to visit

June–September and December–February. The volcano climbs are genuinely dangerous underfoot in heavy rain, so dry-season timing matters more here than in Bwindi.

Getting there

Nine to ten hours by road from Kampala, or a flight to Kisoro airstrip. Only about four hours from Kigali, which makes it an efficient add-on for travellers flying into Rwanda.