Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga occupies the Ugandan slopes of three of the Virunga volcanoes, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, and at around thirty-four square kilometres it is the country's smallest national park. Its speciality is the golden monkey, a bright orange-flanked guenon restricted to this bamboo belt, habituated here and tracked on a permit that costs a fraction of the gorilla equivalent, with far higher odds of a lively encounter as troops crash through the bamboo. There is a habituated gorilla group as well, though it ranges across the border and is not always present. The Batwa Trail, led by guides from the community displaced when the park was created, covers forest skills, plants and the Garama cave.

What you actually see

• Golden monkey tracking - habituated troops in the bamboo, energetic and photogenic.
• The Batwa Trail - a guided walk with community guides ending at Garama cave.
• Volcano climbs - full-day ascents of Sabyinyo, Gahinga or Muhabura.
• Sabyinyo's three-country summit - the ridge where three borders meet.

When to go

June to August and December to February are drier and much better for the steep, slippery trails. The volcano climbs are hard in any weather and brutal in the wet.

Honest expectations

The gorilla group here crosses the border and is frequently unavailable, so anyone whose priority is gorillas should book Bwindi instead. Volcano climbs are long, steep and muddy, and take a full day with a guide. The Batwa Trail is a community initiative addressing displacement, and its framing can feel uncomfortable to some visitors; it is worth understanding the history before going.

Nearby

Bwindi is a few hours northeast; the Rwandan and Congolese borders are minutes away.