Home » 4 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking and Mount Sabyinyo 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.
4 Days
Private or Group
Safari
At Friendly Gorillas, we recommend this tour for fit travelers, hikers, photographers, adventure-focused couples, and guests who want gorilla trekking plus a physical challenge. It is not suitable for guests with limited mobility, travelers who dislike steep hikes, or visitors who only want relaxed wildlife viewing from a safari vehicle.
4 Days
Lodge Safaris, Private Safaris, Fly In Safari
Private 4×4 Safari Vehicle
The 4 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking and Mount Sabyinyo Hiking Safari is a short but adventurous Uganda safari for travelers who want mountain gorillas and a serious Virunga hiking experience in one trip. It starts and ends in Kigali, making it a practical route for guests who want faster access to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
This itinerary focuses on Uganda’s southwestern highlands rather than rushing across many parks. Guests trek mountain gorillas, hike Mount Sabyinyo, enjoy Virunga volcano views, and experience the beauty of Kisoro’s highland scenery. It is a strong option for travelers who want a more active safari than the usual gorilla-only package.
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
Your guide 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 drive toward southwestern Uganda.
If your arrival time allows, you may include a short Kigali city experience before leaving Rwanda. This can include the Kigali Genocide Memorial, craft shops, local markets, or a selected viewpoint depending on timing.
You then drive through Rwanda’s rolling hills toward the Uganda border. After immigration formalities, continue to Kisoro, the main gateway to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
This route gives you a scenic and practical start. Kigali is closer to Mgahinga than Kampala or Entebbe, so you spend less time reaching the gorilla and hiking region.
Arrive at your lodge, check in, have dinner, and rest before the first major activity.
Accommodation options in Mgahinga area:
Wake up early, have breakfast, and transfer to the park headquarters for gorilla trekking briefing. This is one of the two main highlights of the safari.
The ranger guides explain the trekking rules, forest safety, gorilla behavior, and how you should behave once they meet the gorilla family. After the briefing, you enter the forest with ranger guides and trackers.
The trek length depends on where the gorilla family moved overnight. Mgahinga’s scenery includes forest, bamboo, and volcanic slopes, which gives the experience a strong highland feel.
When you find the gorillas, you spend up to one hour with them. You may watch a silverback resting, mothers feeding, young gorillas playing, or the family moving through the forest. This hour gives the trip its emotional value. Mount Sabyinyo adds adventure, but the gorilla encounter gives you the rare wildlife moment many people travel to Uganda for.
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 Mgahinga gorilla permit is unavailable, the trek may be arranged in nearby Bwindi, with lodge and route adjustments made before travel.
Accommodation options in Mgahinga area:
Alternative Bwindi accommodation, if the permit is confirmed in Bwindi:
Budget: Rafiki Gorilla Lodge or Ride 4 a Woman
Standard: Buhoma Gorilla Camp or Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Mahogany Springs or similar luxury lodge
After an early breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for your Mount Sabyinyo hiking briefing. This is the main adventure day of the safari.
Your ranger guide explains the trail conditions, safety rules, pacing, and what to expect during the hike. Mount Sabyinyo is a serious climb, so you should start prepared and listen carefully to the guide.
The trail can include steep sections, forest paths, ridges, and ladder-assisted areas. The hike rewards effort with powerful views of the Virunga landscape. On clear days, you can enjoy views across Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo.
This activity gives the itinerary a different kind of value from gorilla trekking. You do not only watch wildlife. You test themselves, enjoy mountain scenery, and experience the volcanic character of Mgahinga.
After completing the hike, return to your lodge for rest, dinner, and overnight stay.
At Friendly Gorillas, we recommend keeping this evening simple. Guests usually appreciate rest after the hike, rather than adding another activity.
Accommodation options in Mgahinga area:
After breakfast, begin the return journey to Kigali. The drive takes you through Kisoro’s highland scenery, the Uganda Rwanda border, and Rwanda’s rolling hills.
This final day should be planned carefully around flight timing. We recommend an afternoon or evening departure from Kigali, or an extra night in Kigali if your 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 4 Days Mgahinga Gorilla Trekking and Mount Sabyinyo 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.
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.
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
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
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!!!
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

