Getting to Mgahinga National Park : Mgahinga National Park in South Western Uganda is one of the popular game parks in Uganda. The park is solely known as a primate hub and is home to the famous mountain gorillas and a number of other primate species. On top of being home to the mountain gorillas the park is also a collection of beauty sceneries being part of the Virunga conservation area, it has 3 of the virunga massif that just add so much beauty to the park.
The activities done at this park of course include mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking and other primate treks. They also include mountain hiking, birding, nature walks, forest walks, Batwa trail experience and a visit to the neighboring communities.
So it’s no, surprise that people are always seeking to visit this amazing park, but since in south western Uganda, how does one get to the park exactly?
They are two ways to get to Mgahinga National Park that are road and air.
Road.
By road you can get to the Park either from Kampala or Kigali.
From Kampala you travel 8 to 9 hours (510km/317mi)to Kisoro town via the masaka mbarara highway. When you get to Kisoro town, you will then drive 45mins to one hour to get to Mgahinga National park. This is what we refer to as the straight route – because it doesn’t include major stops to other destinations before you get to the park.
This means that there are also other routes from other Uganda safari destinations. These rputes are from Lake Mburo National park 5 to 7 hour’s journey to Mgahinga and from Queen Elizabeth National park 6 to 7 hours journey to Mgahinga National Park.
Another road route to the park is the route from Kigali city. The journey from Kigali city to Mgahinga takes about 4 to 5 hours – 4 to 5 hours shorter than the route from Kampala to Mgahinga. When using this route you will drive from Kigali city to the Uganda border where you will be accessed for entry into Uganda and after you are okayed to go you will then head to Mgahinga National park. From the border to Mgahinga National Park it takes you about 1 to 2 hours.
By Air
You can also get to the Park using air transport. If you choose to fly to Mgahinga, your jounery will start at the Kajjansi airfield near Entebbe airport. Flights to Mgahinga are scheduled so you consult with your tour operator about the times of departure and the days the flights are available.
A flight from Kajjansi to Mgahinga National park will take about 1 hour and 45 mins. However, you should know that you don’t land in the park exactly. You land at the nearby airfields or airstrips. The nearest airstrip to Mgahinga is the kisoro airstrip, so you will land at Kisoro airstrip and from the airstrip you will travel by road for 1 hour or 45 mins to get to Mgahinga.
Using air, gets you to the park quicker than the road, so if you are one who is trying to savour time air is the option for you. Also if you don’t want the hassle of the long drive air is the best for you. Better still you can use air just to have the experience.
On the other hand, using road is a longer option but the most adventurous. It gives you a chance to experience the country’s landscape and enjoy beautiful sceneries as you do that. This applies whether you are coming from Kampala or Kigali.
