Virunga Mountains are some of the amazing attractions for hiking that tourists love to visit so as to have an amazing tourism experience in Uganda. Virunga Mountains are found in 3 countries, that is DR Congo and they are spotted in Virunga National Park where most mountain gorillas are found alongside world’s larget Lava Lake which is found at the top of Mount Nyiragongo.  For Rwanda, tourists spot the Virunga Mountains in the Volacanoes national park and they will have to spot mount sabyinyo, mount Karisimbi, mount Muhabura, Mount Bisoke and Mount Gahinga. For Uganda you will spot Virunga mountains in Mgahinga National park and you will be able to spot 3 of the 8 Virunga mountains and the include Mount Gahinga, Mount sabyinyo and Mount Muhabura which are shared with Rwanda.

Hiking in Virunga Mountains of Uganda is an amazing activity that is rewarding. This activity is rewarding with a number of activities that can be done through hiking the various Virunga Mountains within the park and they include the following;

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking can be done when you are hiking to the Virunga mountains in Mgahinga National park. You will have to first hike these mountains so as to get access to Hirwa gorilla family and Nyakagezi gorilla family which are located in the Volcanoes national park. Gorilla trekking gives a tourist a chance to understand more about the mountain gorilla’s lifestyle as they are in their natural state such as the feeding patterns of these species, what do they feed on? They usually feed on bamboo stems and bamboo shoots. You will also watch how these gorillas co-exist in group or with one another especially in their behavior. You will see how they feed their young ones and how they survive with the surrounding environment.

Golden monkey trekking                                  

Golden monkey trekking is another hiking activity which a tourist can participate in while hiking the Virunga Mountains of Uganda. Golden monkeys are also endangered primate species as it is with mountain gorillas and they are endemic to the albertine rift which is in National parks like Mgahinga, Volcanoes and Virunga national parks. The interesting thing with golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga National Park is mainly the activity being cheaper than gorilla trekking hence being affordable than gorilla trekking. While carrying out golden monkey trekking activity, you may get a chance to visit the habituated gorilla 2 troops which are in the park and this will give you more insight about the species behaviors. Golden monkey trekking will enable travelers to know the feeding habits of these species and how they live in the surrounding environment such as primate species will be spotted in bamboo trees where you will see golden monkeys alongside mountain gorillas. You will see the white and black colobus monkeys and many more rewarding experiences.

Birding

While hiking the Virunga Mountains of Uganda, you will have an opportunity to carryout birding and you will have opportunities to watch a number of migratory bird species and Albertine endemic bird species in Mgahinga National Park.  So that you have the best time and experience while birding, you are advised to carry on a binocular so as you can watch more birds closely and this will enable you to identify them. Some of these bird species include the long-tailed cisticola, blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, coqui Francolin,bubbling cisticola, Miombo wren warbler, Chubb’s cisticola and other bird species.

Colobus tracking.

As it is with gorilla and golden monkey trekking, tourists are also allowed to participate in colobus tracking when they are hiking the Virunga Mountains. You will enjoy your wonderful primate experience in the park and you will be able to get an opportunity to know how playful these primates are and what they feed on, how do they build their nests for naptime and many more rewarding experiences.

Photography and video filming.

This is also such an amazing activity done by tourists while they are hiking to the Virunga mountains in Uganda. While tourists encounter wildlife, they decide to take photos and also film the in Videos so as to always remember the great moments they had with these wildlife species and to have a memorable Uganda Safari while hiking Virunga Mountains.