Flying from Entebbe to Bwindi NP and Mgahinga National Park.

Is it possible to fly from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park are the most sought-after safari destinations in the country. They host half of the world’s remaining population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas, offering travelers the chance to meet the gentle, brown-eyed species in their natural habitats. The primates live within the forest without being captured, together with other species, for example, the L’hoest monkeys, mammals like mountain duikers, and bird species. These feed on the forest plants like mimlopsis, fruits, tree branches, and roots. They live in groups of up to 20 members led by a male silverback.

Is it possible to fly from Entebbe International Airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park? Yes, it is possible to fly to both destinations; it is the fastest way of getting to the conservation areas, which creates more time to participate in other tourism activities like the Batwa community visit, walks through the forest, guided nature walks and hikes, golden monkey tracking, as well as birding in the forests.

Flying to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Bwindi is divided into four sectors (Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Ruhija), from south to north. Each of the areashas habituated gorilla families for guest visits,tracked by a group of 8 people per gorilla group for purposes of conservation. The Park at large covers an area of approximately 321 square kilometers, situated between 1,160m and 2,607m above sea level. The area was first gazetted in 1991 as a national park and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 as a way of protecting the critically endangered species and over 200 species of birds that call this home.

There are scheduled and charter flight options to Bwindi depending on the sector that you have gorilla permits purchased for; domestic flight handlers arrange transfers to and from the destination, for example, Aerolink Uganda and Pearl Sky Uganda. Visitors of Buhoma and Ruhija fly into the Kihihi Airstrip north of Bwindi, while those of Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors fly into the Kisoro Airstrip to the south of the park. From here, guests are transferred to their respective facilities. Flight duration takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

Mgahinga National Park stands as the country’s smallest conservation area, straddling the southern border of Uganda and Rwanda. It protects mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and some of the volcanic mountains that make up the Great Virunga Volcanic Region. Flights to the destination land at the Kisoro Airstrip, and a 2-3-hour drive to the park gate.

Besides flying to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, guests have the option to drive to both conservation areas. It takes approximately 9 hours to drive from Entebbe, passing through Uganda’s angelic countryside filled with growing bananas, tea, and coffee plantations. From Rwanda, it takes approximately 6 hours to drive from the Kigali International Airport.

Things to do in Bwindi and Mgahinga mainly is Gorilla trekking experience, which takes place beginning at 7 am with a briefing from the park rangers. It takes 7-8 hours to search for the gorilla families, and an hour is allowed while with them. Gorillas are tracked in groups of 8 people to minimize the footprint in the ecosystem and the comfort of the primates. They are known for their striking features, from deep brown eyes to the large, gentle fur bodies.

Besides gorillas, while in the park areas, guests can encounter golden monkeys, bird species, including endemics of the Albertine, Mountain climbing like the Sabinyo and Gahinga, hiking and guided nature walks, and meeting the Batwa local communities, sometimes the Bakonjo, who will express the trueness of the African encounter.