Can I Trek Nyakagezi Gorilla Family in Mgahinga Alone?

Can I trek the Nyakagezi gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park alone? A single gorilla group is always assigned to strictly 8 tourists per day and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park unlike other gorilla trekking destinations has only the Nyakagezi gorilla family as the only habituated gorilla family. That said, one may ask “is it possible to track the Nyakagezi gorilla family in Mgahinga alone?”

Yes, it is possible for one person/trekker/tourist to trek Nyakagezi gorilla family group in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park alone. But, this can only happen on the condition that a tourist on Uganda safaris blocks and buys all the gorilla trekking permits meant for tracking the Nyakagezi gorilla group. A total of 8 permits are always for purchase for a single habituated gorilla group.

How can I trek the Nyakagezi gorilla family in Mgahinga alone?

Trekking Nyakagezi gorilla group is possible for visitors interested in exclusive gorilla experiences. Obtaining gorilla trekking permits is key if you are to track the Nyakagezi group alone but with park guide services.

You can reach out to the reservation team at Maranatha Tours and Travel via email: info@adventureugandasafaris.com/info@silverbackgorillatour.com, then our team can visit Uganda Wildlife Authority offices to block all the available gorilla trekking permits for Nyakagezi gorilla family on your behalf. A deposit on each gorilla permit will be required to be paid usually ranging from 100%, 70%, and 30%.

How much are Mgahinga Gorilla trekking permits?

All Mgahinga Gorilla National Park gorilla permits are available for booking at US Dollar 700 per visitor per day for the foreign non-residents, per foreign resident at US Dollar 600 and Shs. 250,000 for East African citizens. Booking the entire gorilla permits for Nyakagezi may cost foreign non-residents US Dollars 5600 and you will enjoy an exclusive gorilla trekking experience with special guide services. Trekking Nyakagezi gorilla group alone means you will be the only visitor/trekker/tourist with the park ranger guides accompanying and no other visitor!

However, it is advisable to secure your permits in advance because the demand is high and Nyakagezi is the only habituated gorilla group in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. We recommend that you book the permits 2-6 months early before taking a flight to Uganda for gorilla trekking.

Get in touch with our reservation team, provide the dates you intend to visit the Nyakagezi gorilla family, and our staff will check for availability. Once availability is confirmed at UWA, we shall get back to you with details of how you can make payments to enable the team to block all the gorilla permits on your behalf. Purchasing of the permits will be done upon you paying and the scanned copies of the permits will be sent to you online for record purposes and it confirms that the exclusive gorilla permits for the Nyakagezi group have been booked.

What more to carry/pack for gorilla trekking? Pack waterproof hiking boots, camera with no flashlight, long trousers, sweater, rain jacket, gardening gloves, first aid kit, insect repellent, snacks, bottled water, etc.

Nyakagezi gorilla group

In the past years, Nyakagezi could roam between Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park. But, for a long, the group has settled fully at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which it calls home with members of about 10 mountain gorillas and is led by a mature adult male gorilla- Mark (silverback).

Trekking Nyakagezi gorilla group is possible on Uganda gorilla safari in Mgahinga starting at Ntebeko. Briefing on gorilla trekking rules is done right at Ntebeko and actual trekking commences at 8:00 am taking 2-6 hours depending on your speed of walking. Note, the best time to go enjoy your trek to see the Nyakagezi group is during the dry season (June, July, August, September, December, January, February).

Nyakagezi gorilla family is located in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Southwestern Uganda and the park sits within the Virunga region. It is the smallest park with boundaries stretching up to only 33.7sq.km and lies at altitudes of 2227 and 4127m. Mgahinga was created as a National Park in 1991 and its purpose was to provide shelter to mountain gorillas and other wildlife.

Within Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, there are 3 Virunga volcanoes- Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura. Access to Mgahinga is possible from Kampala or Kigali. From Kampala, it is 510kms, about 9-10 hours’ drive and from Kigali, 4 hours’ drive through Katuna/Chanika border crossings. By air, fly to Kisoro airstrip from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airfield.

Where to stay

The top accommodation to consider for an overnight stay in Mgahinga include Mutanda Lake Resort, Mount Gahinga Lodge, Countryside Guesthouse Kisoro, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Travelers’ Rest Hotel, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Amajambere Iwacu Camp and more.