Kigali Golden Monkey Trekking Mgahinga Gorilla Park 1 Day Tour

Our 1-day Golden Monkey trekking tour from Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Uganda, is a fast-paced, 16-hour adventure that starts around 0400 Hours. The trip involves a 4-hour drive to the park, a 3–4 hour guided trek through bamboo forests to see endangered monkeys, and a return to Kigali by evening.

The trek takes place in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in southwestern Uganda, accessed via a 3-4 hour drive from Kigali, Rwanda, and is led by expert rangers. You’ll hike through montane bamboo forests to find one of the large habituated troops (often 30–100 individuals).

The highlights of the tour are observing the rare, golden-orange-tailed primates, experiencing the Virunga Volcanoes scenery, and potential sightings of other wildlife. The trip includes round-trip transportation from Kigali, the golden monkey trekking permit, guide services, and lunch. 

This tour is generally considered easier and shorter than gorilla trekking, as golden monkeys tend to stay in lower-altitude bamboo zones. 

1-Day Itinerary

0400 Hours: Pick up from your hotel in Kigali, Rwanda.
0400 Hours – 0800 Hours: Drive through the Cyanika border to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda
0800 Hours – 0830 Hours: Registration and briefing at the park headquarters.
0830 Hours – 1230 Hours: Guided golden monkey trekking (approximately 2–4 hours) and 1 hour of viewing
1300 Hours – 1400 Hours: Lunch (often packed)
1400 Hours – 1600 Hours: Transfer back to Kigali for drop-off

1-Day Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Details

Location: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda)
Duration: 1 Day (approx.imately 16 hours total)
Experience: Tracking in the bamboo forests, allowing one hour of observation once located
Inclusions: Often includes private 4×4 transport, guide, park entrance fees, and the golden monkey trekking permit.
Requirements: A valid passport and a valid East African Tourist Visa or Ugandan Visa.

This trip is highly efficient for those with limited time, as it combines a scenic drive through the “Land of a Thousand Hills” with a unique primate experience, offering a chance to see monkeys found only in this part of the Virunga volcanoes.

Essential Costs & Requirements

Permit Price: A standard golden monkey trekking permit costs $60 USD for foreign non-residents
Park Entrance: Additional park entrance fees of $40 USD may apply, depending on the tour package
Age Limit: The minimum age for golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga is 12 years
Visas: An East African Tourist Visa ($100) is highly recommended, as it allows multiple entries between Rwanda and Uganda

✓ Guide: Professional English-speaking driver/guide
✓Activity: Briefing and guided golden monkey tracking
✓ Transport: Private 4×4 safari vehicle for the full-day trip
✓ Park Fees: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park entrance fees
✓ Permit: Golden monkey trekking permit ($100 USD for foreign non-residents)
✓ Logistics: Bottled drinking water and sometimes a packed lunch or en-route meals

Key Requirements & Logistics:

✓ Age Limit: Minimum age for trekking is 12 years
✓ Fitness: Moderate, though it is less strenuous than gorilla trekking
✓ Travel: Requires a 4×4 vehicle for the 3-4 hour journey from Kigali to Ntebeko Gate
✓ Support: Hiring a local guide or porter to assist with navigation and bags is recommended
✓ Briefing: The trek begins with a mandatory briefing at 8:00 AM at the Ntebeko visitor center
✓ Permit: You must secure a Golden Monkey trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority beforehand
✓ Packing List: Long-sleeved shirts, trousers, waterproof hiking boots, rain jacket/poncho, insect repellent, and a camera

Kigali Golden Monkey Trekking Mgahinga Gorilla Park 1 Day Tour: Leave Kigali city behind as you embark on a full-day safari to Mgahinga Gorilla Park – the closest Golden Monkey Trekking site in Uganda from Kigali – to Rwanda.

Mgahinga Gorilla Park is in the Southwest Corner of Uganda on the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Park is Uganda’s smallest park, yet the best place for Golden Monkey Trekking. It is the only park in Uganda where you can Trek Golden Monkeys, and there are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 of them.

Golden monkeys live in large groups, with a range of 60-80 members per group. One feature of this park is that, unlike other parks in Rwanda, there are no crowds. Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla Park from Kigali is a 3 to 4-hour drive (including border crossing time).

Guests track golden monkeys and stay with them for 4 hours, depending on where they nested the previous night and how far it is from the starting point. The session of Golden Monkey Tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park begins with a briefing from the park rangers early morning at the park headquarters at 0700 Hours.

Trekkers are assigned to different groups for tracking, which starts around 8:00 am. The golden monkeys are easier to spot, considering that they tend to stay in bamboo sections of the forest not far from the base, because they enjoy eating the young bamboo shoots and always move in large numbers.

A maximum of 8 guests can track a golden monkey family per day. Bookings for Golden Monkey Tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be done through African Spice Safaris.

0400 Hours: This morning, we pick up our breakfast and lunch boxes from our hotel in Kigali and depart by road for Ruhengeri – a 2-hour drive. After crossing the Cyanika border (border processes can take up to 30 minutes), we proceed to Kisoro, Uganda, another 20-minute drive.

Proceed to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, located in South West Uganda, about 10 km south of Kisoro town. The maximum time from Kigali to Kisoro is about 4 hours.

0800 Hours: Golden monkey tracking briefing (on the dos and don’ts of tracking the golden monkeys) starts at the Park headquarters. It’s a good idea to take a daypack, a snack such as dried fruit, a large bottle of water, and binoculars for birdwatching.

After the briefing, we begin the trek up into the forest along the Gahinga Trail. Hiking through the forests to sight the golden monkeys is not so strenuous as gorilla trekking because golden monkeys live in lower areas, so tourists do not trek for more than 3 hours.

When we encounter the golden monkey family, we spend about an hour with them (taking photographs and observing their behavior). There is no minimum number of tourists per group, and the age limit is 12 years.

After the Golden monkey tracking, we will return to Kigali, Rwanda via the Cyanika border, then connect to Ruhengeri and finally to Kigali, arriving in the evening. Drop off at your hotel or at Kigali International Airport.

Kigali Golden Monkey Trekking Mgahinga Gorilla Park 1-Day Tour includes

✓ Lunch
✓ Park entry fees
✓ One Golden monkey trekking Permit
✓ Services of our professional driver-guide
✓ You may also want to take a snack for extra energy
✓ Round-trip transport from Kigali – Mgahinga – Kigali (including Tour Vehicle, Driver Guide, Fuel)
✓ A bottle of water while on safari. Take plenty of water with you for the trek – your guide will provide extra for you – as it’s easy to become dehydrated

Notes

What to Bring for Golden Monkey Tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

* Lunch Box
* Insect repellent
* Waterproof hiking boots
* Drinking water and snacks
* Long-sleeved shirts, trousers
* A porter to provide extra support
* Hiking boots, Safari Hat, and rain jacket
* Hire a walking stick from the briefing point where the hike begins to support you during hiking in slippery places

Kigali Golden Monkey Trekking Mgahinga Gorilla Park 1-Day Tour includes

* Porter fees
* International Airfare
* Cost of obtaining a passport and visas
* Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
* If you wish, your lodge will provide a packed breakfast to take with you – ask the day before
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
* Personal expenses such as traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls, beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary

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WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
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Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com