For guests interested in visiting the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, we arrange hikes to the volcanic peaks of "The Guide" Muhabura (4127m), "Old Man's Teeth" Sabinyo (3669m), and "Pile of Rocks" Gahinga (3473m), each possible to climb within a day. You can also visit an abandoned Batwa cave, go bird trekking, track the golden monkey, or pay a visit to the endangered, magnificent, mountain gorilla. No park activities except gorilla tracking need to be booked more than a day in advance.

For those also interested in learning about our local culture, we offer community walks and village visits as well as treks to scenic highlights just outside the park. Visit a local blacksmith or an abandoned Batwa cave, climb a triple-headed crater hill or take part in any of our other meaningful activities. All of them are easy on the pocket and none of them require advance notice.

Park activities

Hike a Volcano

Meet with rangers at 7:30 in the morning, head up a narrow path through bamboo or even alpine forest and then enjoy magnificent views from the peak of one of our three Virunga Volcanoes. You can be back at Amajambere Camp in time for (heavy) dinner.  Mt. Muhavura is the tallest, most scenic and most difficult; Mt. Sabinyo is beautiful but steep and not for visitors with vertigo; Mt. Gahinga passes through thick bamboo forest and has the highest chance of primate sightings but remains the one most likely to get you home in time for tea. Whichever volcano you choose, you can expect scenic views into Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda; plentiful of birds and signs of bigger wildlife; spectacular trees which grow all the more spectacular as you climb; and a genuine sense of being alive. All trails are well-kept and no special equipment is necessary. The price is set at $40 USD for either of the three. 

Track the Mountain Gorilla

The Virunga volcanoes are home to some 300 mountain gorilla individuals. These are the 'Gorillas in the Mist' which Dian Fossey famously devoted her life to and studied for decades. About a hundred of the Virungas' mountain gorillas live in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. While most of these meet with very few humans, one group, Nyakagezi, is used to receiving tourists. It has eight members led by a large silverback. Because Nyakagei sometimes migrates across the border to Rwanda, few book ahead and permits to see the group can generally be got without much trouble some days in advance. However, visitors should definitely first check either with us or with the UWA to see if the group is in the country at the time of their visit. A permit for one hour with the gorillas currently costs $500 USD. See 'Animals of the Park' or 'Gorillas in the News' to the right for more information.    

Track the Golden Monkey

We also have a habituated group of some 40 Golden Monkeys in the park. This is a highly endangered species whose only homes are the Virunga Volcanoes and a couple of forests in Rwanda. The Golden Monkey is stark yellow about the chest and black about the arms and they prefer the bamboo forest of the slopes of Mt. Gahinga but little is known of the animal's behaviour in general. Tracking the Golden Monkey costs $40 USD. See 'Animals of the Park' to the right to learn more.

Walk the Batwa Trail

The Batwa are the indigenous people of our region and the original inhabitants of the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Sadly, they and other indigenous forest peoples have historically been discriminated against and referred to as 'primitive pygmies'. Much of this discrimination still persists today. However, a very long time ago a Batwa king of the region lived inside Garama cave in the Mgahinga forest. Hikes to the long lava cavern are led by Batwas who are rangers and the community gives ancient sing and dance performances in their old traditional home.

Go birding

The MGNP is part of the Western Rift Valley, a wonderful area for birds and bird-watchers alike. Perhaps most famous of the forest's over 200 feathered inhabitants are the Rwenzori Turacos; great, colourful fossils which particularly enjoy the slopes of Mount Sabinyo. There are several trails available through the forest, to the lush gorges of the volcanoes and to swamps deep within the forest, which offer excellent opportunities for birding. See Animals of the Park to the right for more information our our feathered residents.

Walk along the Congo border

Ever wanted to walk with one leg in Uganda and one leg in the Democratic Republic of Congo? The park offers this, with an experienced ranger at your side. This trail passes by a large swamp (see the map in Contacts - Amajambere Camp) and consequently gives a good chance of wildlife encounters. The entire trail is done with the amazing backdrop of Mt. Sabinyo.

Visit the viewing platform

A viewing platform has been raised just a few hundred meters inside the park, offering great views of the three volcanoes as well as of Lake Mutanda far below. This is a free activity which is much enjoyed by casual visitors and afternoon hikers alike.    

Community activities

Explore a lava cave

When lava stiffens and cools after an erupton, it pulls itself together and creases up like a rug and tunnels form just underneath. The entrance to one of these tunnels lies just half an hour's walk from Amajambere Camp, along the park's edge and across some fields of crops. Your community guides will bring lanterns, guide you through a tunnel of more than a hundred meters in length and introduce you to its denizens: bats. 

Hike a triple-headed crater hill

There are several crater hills, known as caldera or cinder cones, around the three volcanoes. These are a sort of 'mini-volcanoes' which only go off once and went off very long ago. A particularly tall one stands strategically half an hour's walk downhill from the camp, offering with marvellous views of the volcanoes. It should also be interesting to see the cultivation on its top going on all the way down to the bottom of its three craters.

Visit a Batwa village

The Batwa, as explained above, are indigenous people of the region. Like everyone else they were forced out of the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park at its gazetting in 1991. While many others could move in with family or migrate further away, the Batwa owned no land nor money and were reduced to day-labourers at best. Your visit can give you an understanding of their marginalised situation and at the same time encourage their traditional culture: singing and dancing for visitors is one of the ways the community gets its food.

Visit a traditional blacksmith

A long long time ago, tools and weapons for hunting or for war were smithed over fire. Indeed, some of us still prefer to buy our tools from the traditional experts - knowing that the quality far surpasses what you get in many hardware stores. You can visit one of our traditional blacksmiths for a nice view of the smithing process and will also have the opportunity to order a souvenir.