Visiting the Golden Monkeys in Uganda

Visiting the Golden Monkeys in Uganda is only done in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The safety of visitors is top priority for Uganda and all travel agencies, Uganda as a destination is very safe for your holidays, Vacations and safaris Is Mgahinga National Park safe for golden monkey trekking. Our travel consultants will always communicate to you the truths about safety in Uganda and suggest to you how to keep up with you own personal safety in any case while on your visit to Uganda.

Mgahinga National Park

Visiting the Golden Monkeys in Uganda. Mgahinga National Park is located Kisoro district south western Uganda, East Africa. Mgahinga gorilla national park is among the Virunga volcanic mountain chain of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda famous for having the endangered Primate species namely Mountain gorillas and Golden Monkeys. . The park is Uganda’s smallest national park which is boarded by Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo and Bwindi Forest National Park in Uganda. Mgahinga gorilla national park has the three volcanoes namely Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo and Mountain Muhabura all of which are part of the six Virunga Mountains. Mgahinga National Park harbors the endangered mountain gorilla and the Golden Monkeys.  The park is a tropical rain forest comprised of lowland equatorial evergreen forest, tropical seasonal forest, montane rain forests and mountain Bamboo.

Mgahinga National Park is among the ten National Parks in Uganda for tourism and the second national park for specially gorilla tourism and the only Park for Golden Monkey tourism in Uganda. This park is such a beauty that you should not miss out while visiting Uganda. It is under the management of Uganda wildlife Authority, a government body in charge of all the conservation areas in Uganda.

Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga National Park

The Golden monkey Cercopithecus mitis kandti is one of Uganda’s 20 primate species. It is found in Mgahinga Gorilla National park which is part of the Virunga Mountains where it is endemic. Compared with other monkey species, the golden monkeys are gorgeous in appearance and beautiful to look at.

The golden monkey overall estimate currently stands between 2000 and 4000 individuals and since they are only found in the Virunga’s, they have been classified as endangered. They live in troops of about 100 lead by an Alpha male, and mostly feed on bamboo shoots, a variety of seasonal fruits, bamboo leaves, lichens, sprouts, flowers, leaves and small invertebrates. These golden monkeys are divided into two troops, the largest located in Sabinyo in having 80 – 100 monkeys and the other troop is found in the Volcanoes.

Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park

Golden Monkeys are also rare primates in the world and Uganda is lucky to have them remaining in Mgahinga national park. Golden monkey tracking is one of the primary activities in the park that make Mgahinga gorilla national park a distinct destination. There are two communities of golden monkeys habituated for trekking, the trekking starts early morning at 7:00am with briefing at the park headquarters about the dos and don’ts while in the forest. Later you start your walk into the forest with park guides and Rangers until you find the golden Monkeys and you are allowed to view them for one hour. In East Africa, the golden monkeys are only found in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.

What is the Cost of Golden Monkey trekking permits for Mgahinga National Park?

Golden Monkey tracking activity is under the Management of Uganda Wildlife Authority a governing body of all tourism activities in National Parks in Uganda. One must have acquired the golden Monkey permit to be allowed to do golden monkey trekking. The trekking permits cost USD100 for Non- foreign residents and USD90 for Foreign residents and Uganda shillings 40,000 for East African Citizens. Once you contact us, we shall check availability of the permits for your desired date of trekking, once availability is confirmed we shall send you an invoice for payment of the permits so that secure them in advance. Golden Monkey trekking permits are the cheapest compared to the fees of other primate trekking activities.

How to access Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga gorilla National Park can easily be accessed from Kigali in Rwanda just four hour drive from to the Park, through the Chanika boarder between Uganda and Rwanda. The drive from Kigali can start from the Airport /hotel with a city tour of Kigali and then cross into Kisoro district in Uganda for Lunch and overnight. You can also access Mgahinga National park from Entebbe/Kampala, where you will drive approximately 9-10 hours’ drive on Kampala-Mbarara- Kisoro highway to the park. There is also and option of flying from Entebbe international Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip and the flight is about 2 hours into Kisoro Airstrip. There are scheduled flights departing every day with Aerolink Uganda and other flight companies, charter flights are also available. We can tailor your trip and you visit other parks with also a visit to Mgahinga national for an amazing experience.

Where to stay in Mgahinga National Park?

Mgahinga National Park has a number of accommodation choices where you can stay while on your visit. Most of the lodges are found in the out skirts of the forest with a clear view of the forest and the mountain ranges. The Lodges range from Budget to Luxury and these include; Gahinga Lodge which is a luxury hotel, Lake Chahafi Lodge, Lake Muhele Lodge which can serve as for both Midrange and Budget. There is also an option of staying in hotels in Kisoro town, the town is just 30 minutes’ drive to the Park headquarters. Some the travelers opt to stay in Lodges/Camps in Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as it is about 1 hour drive to Mgahinga National Park.

Why book with Eco Adventure Safaris to Mgahinga National Park?

Eco Adventure Safaris is experienced in organizing amazing gorilla trekking safari experiences to Uganda and Rwanda. We are also highly rated and reviewed on trip Advisor. We combine gorilla trekking safaris with eco-friendly and unforgettable high-end adventure and wildlife safaris that help preserve biodiversity, conserve wildlife and uplift local communities, these include chimpanzee trekking, Big 5 safaris and game viewing, Mountain Hiking, Boat cruises excursions and Cultural encounters to give you a memorable and best African Safari experience including popular and great African safari destinations Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and Namibia. Feel free to contact us about the Total price of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda. Contact us here about Visiting the Golden Monkeys in Uganda