If videography or photography is your thing, then no better way to capture live pictures or videos of massive mountain gorillas while in the wild than filming. For filmmakers, film producers, or those interested in taking live videos or documentaries of the world’s largest apes- mountain gorillas, filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is amazingly a lifetime opportunity that is available for you this 2022.

Filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a unique adventure that lets nature lovers have the best pictures or live videos of Uganda’s unique wildlife. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is an exceptional place in Uganda, best famous as a place where silver meets gold. Sitting on only 33.7sq.kms of land area, Mgahinga National Park is Uganda’s smallest park and also has only a single habituated gorilla group ‘Nyakagezi gorilla family.’

Being a home to a section of about 1063 endangered mountain gorillas, filming in Mgahinga NP lets you to take live videos or pictures of these large apes while in their natural habitat. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is an exceptional gorilla safari destination, offering amazingly filming experiences without visitors worrying about crowds.

What to film in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park?

• Mountain gorillas filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is not only visited for gorilla trekking or gorilla tracking safaris but also for filming experiences. Visitors with plans to visit Mgahinga for filming while on Uganda safari have Nyakagezi gorilla family group to explore or experience. To be part of the mountain gorilla filming in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, all interested travelers, film crew companies, TV/production companies, and journalists are required to pay money.

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is an organ in Uganda that issues out gorilla trekking permits at USD700. This is a charge for foreign non-residents, then foreign residents pay US$600 and citizens in East Africa Shs. 250,000. If you are interested in marketing filming then be ready to pay US$4000 exclusive of gorilla permits and in Mgahinga NP, Nyakagezi gorilla family is the only group to be visited for gorilla filming.

• Golden monkey filming

In Uganda, golden monkey filming is conducted only in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park- also best referred to as the only place where silver meets gold. The park has already habituated golden monkey troops to be filmed. Other than gorilla and golden monkey filming, there is also Batwa filming and Virunga volcano filming.

What are the requirements for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park filming?

A complete filming project in Mgahinga National Park requires filmmakers to have valid filming permits that can be obtained from UWA; media cards to be secured from Uganda Media Council and also for you to clear your filming gear for entry with the Uganda Revenue Authority customs office at the point of entry into Uganda- this can be at Entebbe Airport or land border.

Media cards can be secured for your filming tours in Mgahinga NP at US$175 valid for 30 days of film crew stay, US$325 for persons planning to spend 2 years and 225 Dollars for 6 months of stay.

When is the best time to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for filming?

Filming golden monkeys or gorillas in Mgahinga NP is possible at any time of the year or month. But, filmmakers can visit the park during dry season when there is no or low rainfall and that is from June to September and December to February. It is also possible to arrange filming trips to Mgahinga even during the wet or rainy months of the year that is from March to May/October to November.

Top Lodges to Stay while on filming safari in Mgahinga National Park

The top lodges to choose for your overnight stay in Mgahinga National Park while on filming holiday includes Mount Gahinga Lodge, Lake Mulele Safari Lodge, and Lake Chahafi Safari Lodge among others. In the nearby Kisoro Town, the places to stay include Virunga Hotel, Muhabura Motel, Kisoro Tourist Hotel, Kisoro Travelers Lodge, Mucha Hotel, and more.

Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for filming safaris

Access to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is possible by road and air. By road travel, you can begin your journey from Kampala through Mbarara to Kisoro (8-9 hours’ drive) or from Kigali to Mgahinga National Park via Chanika or Katuna border about 4 hours’ drive. By air travel, fly starting from Entebbe Airport or go to Kajjansi airfield and then connect by flight to Kisoro Airstrip.