Home » 5 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey and Volcano Hiking Safari
*price p.p. incl. guide, safari-jeep, hotel and park entrance fees, excl. international flight (Based on 6 persons)
Note: We have discounts for kids 12 years old or younger.
5 Days
Private or Group
Safari
At Friendly Gorillas, we recommend the Batwa experience for you who want more than wildlife and scenery. It adds culture, local storytelling, and a stronger connection to the people living around the park.
5 Days
Lodge Safaris, Private Safaris, Fly In Safari
Mountain gorilla trekking, mountain climbing,chimpanzee tracking,volcano hiking, bird watching
Private 4×4 Safari Vehicle
This is a primate and adventure itinerary starting and ending in Kigali. It gives you a compact but rich route through the Virunga highlands, with mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, volcano scenery, and cultural experiences around Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The 5 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey and Volcano Hiking Safari is a unique Uganda This tour works well because it focuses on one powerful region instead of rushing across many parks. You spend more time around Kisoro and Mgahinga, which gives them better comfort, less route pressure, and a deeper connection to Uganda’s southwestern highlands. They also enjoy two rare primate experiences and a guided volcano hike within one short safari.
BUDGET Accommodation
2 Persons
4 Persons
6+ Persons
STANDARD Accommodation
2 Persons
4 Persons
6+ Persons
LUXURY Accommodation
2 Persons
4 Persons
6 Persons
* Indicative costs per person, excluding international airline tickets
Gorilla trekking permit
Golden monkey tracking permit
Volcano hiking fees, if included in the package
Private safari vehicle and fuel
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Airport or hotel pickup in Kigali
Airport or hotel drop-off in Kigali
Accommodation during the safari
Meals as agreed in the confirmed itinerary
Park entrance fees where applicable
Border-crossing assistance
Bottled drinking water during travel
Gorilla trekking arrangement and briefing support
Golden monkey tracking arrangement and briefing support
Volcano hiking arrangement and briefing support
All planned transfers between Kigali, Mgahinga or Bwindi, Kisoro, and return
Government taxes included in the package
International flights
Uganda visa fees
Rwanda visa fees
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Tips and gratuities
Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
Laundry services
Porter fees during gorilla trekking unless included
Porter fees during volcano hiking unless included
Extra accommodation before or after the safari
Any activity not listed in the confirmed itinerary
Your gu:ide from Friendly Gorillas welcomes you at Kigali International Airport or picks you up from your hotel in Kigali. After a short briefing, you begin the journey toward Uganda’s southwestern highlands.
If your arrival time allows, you may add a brief Kigali city experience before leaving Rwanda. This may include the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local craft shops, or a selected viewpoint depending on timing.
You then drive through Rwanda’s rolling hills toward the Uganda border. After completing immigration formalities, continue to Kisoro, the main gateway to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The route gives you beautiful views of farms, hills, villages, and the Virunga volcanoes. This first day sets the tone for a safari focused on scenery, primates, and highland adventure.
Arrive at your lodge, check in, have dinner, and rest before the first activity.
After breakfast, your guide transfers you to the Mgahinga park headquarters for golden monkey tracking briefing.
The ranger guides explain the tracking rules, forest conditions, and how you should behave around golden monkeys. After the briefing, you enter the forest and bamboo zones with your guide.
Golden monkeys are active, quick, and beautiful to watch. They move through bamboo, feed in groups, jump between branches, and create lively viewing moments. This makes the experience different from gorilla trekking, which tends to feel slower and more emotional.
This day gives you a lighter first primate experience before the more intense gorilla trek. It also helps them appreciate why Mgahinga is special, since Uganda’s rare golden monkey experience is tied strongly to this park.
After tracking, return to the lodge for lunch and rest.
In the afternoon, you may relax at the lodge, enjoy Kisoro views, or add a short local community visit depending on timing.
Gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga or Nearby Bwindi
sector. Wake up early, have breakfast, and transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing. This is the main wildlife highlight of the safari.
The ranger guides explain the trekking rules, forest safety, gorilla behavior, and how you should act once they meet the gorilla family. After briefing, you enter the forest with ranger guides and trackers.
The trek length changes depending on where the gorilla family moved overnight. You should expect natural forest conditions, changing weather, and some physical effort.
When you finally locate the gorillas, you spend up to one hour with them. You may watch a silverback resting, mothers feeding, young gorillas playing, or the group moving through the forest.
This experience gives the trip its emotional center. Golden monkeys bring movement and energy, but gorillas bring calm, presence, and a close connection to one of Africa’s rarest wildlife encounters.
After the trek, return to the park offices and receive your gorilla trekking certificate. Your guide transfers you back to the lodge for lunch and rest.
If the permit is allocated in nearby Bwindi rather than Mgahinga, the lodge and routing may adjust slightly. At Friendly Gorillas, we handle this during planning so you stay close to their confirmed trekking
After breakfast, return to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for a guided volcano hiking experience. The final volcano choice should depend on you fitness, weather, park advice, and the confirmed hiking plan.
Mount Gahinga works well for you who want a scenic but more manageable volcano hike. Mount Sabyinyo or Mount Muhabura may suit stronger hikers who want a more demanding adventure. The guide and ranger team help choose the safest and most practical option.
This day adds real value because you experience Mgahinga beyond gorillas and golden monkeys. They enjoy highland views, forest zones, volcano scenery, and a stronger sense of the Virunga landscape.
After the hike, return to the lodge for rest.
If time and energy allow, you may add a Batwa cultural experience. This gives the itinerary a human and historical side by introducing you to communities connected to the forest region.
At Friendly Gorillas, we recommend the Batwa experience for you who want more than wildlife and scenery. It adds culture, local storytelling, and a stronger connection to the people living around the park.
This final transfer should be planned around flight timing. We recommend an afternoon or evening After breakfast, begin the return journey to Kigali. The drive takes you through Kisoro’s highlands, departure from Kigali, or an extra night in Kigali if the you’s flight schedule is tight.
Depending on timing, you may add a short Kigali stop for lunch, craft shopping, or a brief city visit before airport drop-off.
Your guide drops you at Kigali International Airport or your Kigali hotel.
This marks the end of your 5 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking, Golden Monkey and Volcano Hiking Safari with Friendly Gorillas Safaris
Cancel up to 60 days before departure.
Only guides with 10+ years of Guiding experience.
All prices are final. No suprises at all.
We're always available throughout and after the trip.
Excellent organization considering that Tony managed to plan the entire tour, permits for gorillas and chimpanzees included, just one day before departure. This is not taken for granted since the tour operator we had contacted months earlier canceled our trip 3 days before departure!
Our driver Tony, who also served as our guide, was always caring and attentive to our needs. Uganda is a country full of natural wonders, and being able to enjoy it peacefully with the right quality-price ratio allows for a full experience of all the activities
It was a solo yet memory filled experience right from my first inquiry to the last day of the trip. Everything was smooth. My tour guide Eddie was beyond friendly and had an eagles eye for even the smallest animals.
The most memorable moment was my first sight of the mighty Gorillas in Bwindi.
I highly appreciate and recommend friendly Gorillas safari
We had such a great time on our 2 day / 1 night Safari tour to Akegara National Park in Rwanda. Jado was our AMAZING tour guide who made sure we were cared for and had everything we needed during our time!
Prior to the trip, I had seamless communication with the Safari group who helped figure out exactly what Safari tour I wanted (1 day or more). They sent an example schedule as well as several lodging options. We ultimately chose the “budget” option which was the Rhino Lodge — it did not feel budget at all! It was GORGEOUS and the food was amazing. We even asked if we could adjust the schedule and they were more than happy to accommodate.
We had a fabulous time traveling to the park with Jado, getting settled and eating at the Rhino Lodge, participating in a half day safari that also included a water tour where we saw Rhinos, Crocodiles, Buffalos… and lots of birds! As soon as we drove into the park we saw an elephant and as we were leaving we saw Baboons. We slept and ate well and then the adventure began early the next day, where we had a full day of Safari through the park. We were able to see more Buffalos, impala, Baboons, Giraffes, rhinos, zebras, warthogs and even a rogue hippo wandering around on land. We unfortunately did not see any big cats (leopards or lions) but Jado certainly tried his best to find them.
Once we paid the initial fee prior to the tour, everything was included. This was an amazing trip, we felt very safe, and I would absolutely book again with this company. Thank you guys so much for being so great and easy!!!
we had the most amazing time in Uganda accompanied by our very Friendly tour guide Elias.
The support team that handled tour preparations were very kind and responded to every question we had in time. Bliss even went an extra mile to give us a video call during some of the sessions.
We were very lucky to see the rare tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector or Queen Elizabeth while exiting for Bwindi.
I highly recommend this company because they met all our expectations and even delivered more than we imagined.
From the planning stages to the first meet and greet, Anthony, Brenda and their team went above and beyond to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime! Friendly Gorilla Safaris gave us everything we asked for while keeping in mind our mid-range budget.
They are excellent with communication, professional, patient, and were able to answer all our questions. Our itinerary was amazing with river rafting, game drives, chimp trek and of course the gorilla trek. Accommodations were great, food delicious and Eddie our driver/guide was fantastic! Highly recommend this company.
Cannot recommend this company enough!!! Anthony and Brenda are fantastic and worked with us to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime. All expectations were not only met, but greatly exceeded! From our exhilarating itinerary to the memorable accommodations, every part of the experience was extraordinary.
All the activities including river rafting, game drives, gorilla/chimp/rhino treks and boat rides were spectacular, with stunning views and incredible wildlife sightings, and the food was fantastic throughout. Accommodations were wonderfully planned, and each place we stayed offered something different, but all were so lovely. The warmth and hospitality from everyone we met in Uganda is indescribable. What truly made this trip special, though, was our guide, Eddie. He was knowledgeable, professional, passionate, joyful, and also so attentive to our group’s needs.
We could not have asked for a better driver/guide – he went above and beyond to ensure we had a life-changing adventure every step of the way while simultaneously feeling like a member of the family. It was clear he genuinely cared about making sure we had the BEST time possible. This was more than a vacation – it was an adventure I’ll never forget, and I’m still majorly struggling with post-Uganda depression! Thank you Anthony, Brenda and Eddie for the most unforgettable experience ever. We miss you all!
Low season
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr, may
Peak season
Jun, July, Aug, Sept, Dec

