Golden Monkey Trekking Permits In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Gorilla Monkey Trekking Permits In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: In the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, visitors above the age of 15 are granted legal cards by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) that grant them access to habituated golden monkeys and an hour to spend with them in their natural environment. The only place in Uganda where golden monkeys may be seen is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, the country’s smallest protected area, which is situated in the southwest of the country in the Kisoro district. Aside from housing endangered mountain gorillas, other notable inhabitants of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park include several bird species, forest elephants, bush pigs, and gigantic forest hogs.
The cost of a golden monkey trekking permit at the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is 60 USD for non-resident foreigners, 50 USD for residents, and 40,000 UGX for East African nationals.
The cost of a golden monkey habituation permit is $100 USD for non-resident foreigners, $80 USD for locals, and $100,000 UGX for East African nationals. The pricing for trekking with golden monkeys and accommodations do not include the admission charge to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which is forty dollars per person for non-resident foreigners, thirty dollars for inhabitants of other countries, and twenty thousand Ugandan Shillings for citizens of East Africa.
How to get permits for trekking with golden monkeys
Through a reputable tour operator like Budget Gorilla Trekking, you may reserve golden monkey trekking permits in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Simply contact us with the dates you would like to see the golden monkeys. Following your contact with us, we will check with UWA to see if any permits are available. If so, you will be required to make a deposit. We will be able to acquire the permit on your behalf after the payment has been received.
When to reserve permits for golden monkey trekking
In order to avoid last-minute disappointments, golden monkey trekking permits in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park should be reserved two to four months in advance of the trekking date. This is because the permits tend to sell out quickly, particularly during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February.
What the Golden Monkey Trekking Permit Includes
A golden monkey trekking ticket entitles you to an hour-long visit with the primates, the services of an informed park guide from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and armed ranger guides to keep you safe.
Trekking with golden monkeys
In the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, golden monkey trekking is an exciting and vigorous activity that begins early in the morning at about 8:00am with a briefing on the expectations, rules, and regulations. Following the briefing, you will be split up into groups of eight, with a trained golden monkey family and an experienced park guide assigned to each group. Because golden monkeys tend to roam around in search of food, trekking with them can take anywhere from two to five hours, depending on where they are. Following trails made by leftover bamboo shoots and leaves, you will trek until you find the golden monkeys. Once you have, you will have an hour to spend with them in their natural habitat, during which you can watch them eat, play, and jump up on tree branches. You can also learn more about their habits and behaviors, take pictures, and document the wonderful moments to share with people back home.
When is the best time to go golden monkey trekking?
While golden monkey trekking in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be done year-round, the best time to go is in the dry season, which runs from June to February. During this time, the park experiences little rainfall, making the access roads and trails for golden monkey trekking passable and dry. This makes trekking easier than during the rainy season, when the trails become muddy and slippery, making golden monkey trekking more challenging.
Additional things to do in the Gorilla National Park in Mgahinga
After trekking with golden monkeys, visitors can partake in other fascinating activities at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, such as gorilla trekking, which allows you to spend an hour with the mountain gorillas, bird watching, which allows you to see a variety of bird species, including endemic species from the Albertine Rift, mountain climbing, which allows you to hike Mount Sabinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Muhabura, and cultural trail experience, which allows you to interact with the Batwa people who used to live in the forest before it was gazetted.
How to Enter the National Park for Gorillas in Mgahinga
The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is reachable by air; to get there, reserve a domestic scheduled or charter flight from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. From there, take a road to the park headquarters. The park is located in the southwest of Uganda.
Road transportation is another option for visiting the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. From Kampala, drive through Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, and Kisoro before arriving at the park headquarters, which would take approximately nine to ten hours in a safari vehicle.
It is also possible to reach Mgahinga Gorilla National Park from Kigali, Rwanda. To get there, take a flight to Kigali International Airport, and then drive for three to four hours to pass the Katuna border in Kabale or the Cyanika border in Kisoro to reach the park headquarters.
Where to Stay in the National Park for Gorillas in Mgahinga While on a golden monkey trekking safari, visitors can stay at a variety of lodging options in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, including the Ichumbi Hotel, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mount Gahinga Rest Camp, Mucha Hotel, Kisoro Travellers Rest Hotel, Montana Guest House, Lake Mutanda Resort, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp, and Ikaze Cottages.
You can contact Budget Gorilla Trekking for additional information about golden monkey trekking permits in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.