This 4 Day Gorilla Tracking and Volcano Hiking Tour Uganda is a great opportunity to combine an unforgettable encounter with Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with an exciting hike to the top of one of the Virunga Volcanoes.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located right at the border to Rwanda and part of the Virunga National Park situated between Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda. The small Mgahinga park is home to one big habituated gorilla family that is known to have three silverbacks as well as infants, which makes the gorilla tracking experience an absolutely fascinating experience.
To make your tour to southern Uganda a real adventure, we combine the gorilla tracking with a hike up to one of the Virunga Volcanoes located on the Ugandan side. The Virunga Volcanoes consist of eight volcanoes, all situated across the border of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Uganda, you can find Mt. Muhavura, Mt. Gahinga, and Mt. Sabinyo.
Mt. Muhavura (4,127 m) is the highest volcano of the Virunga Volcano Range. The cone-shaped volcano rises above its two brothers (Mt. Sabyinyo and Mt. Gahinga) and provides some of the best views of the country, including the Virunga Volcanoes, Lake Edward, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and the peaks of the Rwenzoris. On top of the volcano, we will find a 40 meters wide clear crater lake.
Mt. Gahinga (3,474m) is the lowest of the three Virunga volcanoes on the Ugandan side and is the one after the national park is named. On top, there is a swamp-filled crater covered with giant lobelia, scenario, and other plants – indeed, a beautiful sight. The environment of Mt. Gahinga is quite different compared to the other volcanoes in the park. It’s also the easiest to climb since it does not include as many ladders to scale as e.g. Mt. Sabyinyo.
Mt. Sabyinyo is also called: the old man’s teeth because of its untypical volcano shape which includes three peaks. Its special character is the location right at the border between Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. The hike is a real adventure, as trekkers have to climb the wooden ladder as they venture further up and reach all three peaks. Wooden stairs lead you to the first peak (3,380m), where we can look down to Rwanda. As you continue climbing to the second peak (3,540m), you will be walking on a sharp ridge with breathtaking drops into the gorges in Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC, before finally reaching the third and highest peak (3,669m). Once we reached the top, on a clear day, we can admire the views of all three countries and step into Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC and back without any visa required. Note: this volcano is the most challenging to climb and good physical condition is required.
