Popular Tourist Attractions in Kisoro

Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda

Kisoro town in Kisoro district is situated in the southern part of western Uganda and borders the democratic republic of Congo and Rwanda to the southwest respectively. It again borders the districts of Kabale in the East and Kanungu in the north.

Kisoro as a border district has an estimated population of about 220,000 people whereby the major town is heavily populated with roughly 10,700 people.

Kisoro district masks an area of 729 -7 kilometers squared with land, vegetation and Kisoro is so hilly and a major highland is mount Muhabura that is 4127m above sea level. That’s about 3-88 and 2-95 % of the district area is covered by open water and wetlands, respectively and roughly 0.96% of the area is occupied by the forest reserves.

Popular tourist attractions in Kisoro

Wildlife and primate viewing

Away from the mountain gorillas, Kisoro also has other wildlife animals found in this national park which include forest elephants, buffaloes, endangered golden monkeys, and bushbucks among others which makes game viewing another major activity in the park.

Nature walks

The forest walks are carried out within the forested region of the national park and note that nature walks are done within and outside the communities.

Scenery viewing

The fascinating views of the rift valley and the magnificent crater lakes offer immense scenic views and this makes scenery viewing one of the key tourist activities. Other fabulous sceneries include the Mwemwe’s Abbis in Kitende parish.

Crater lakes

Kisoro district is blessed with a number of crater lakes and the most popular is the emerald green lake Mutanda located 14 km in the north of Kisoro town. This lake offers the most excellent experience of sunsets and downers cruises. It is best for fishing, canoeing not forgetting recreational activities.

Market visits and community visits

The community visits are arranged such that the visitors can get to learn and explore more about Kisoro and its people (the Batwa and Bafumbira).

Market visits are on specific days of the week and it is occasionally a breathtaking memorable experience.

Volcano climbing

For physically fit hikers, Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Kisoro offers the three extinct volcanoes for the best climbing and hiking experience. These three mountain volcanoes are mount Muhavura, Mount Sabinyo at 366 m, and mount Gahinga all offering memorable experiences.

Bird watching

Mgahinga gorilla national park is sanctified with erratic bird fauna, with over75 bird species which have been recorded within the park. Including several endemic to the eastern Congo Montane region, and core bird watchers have got a chance to adventure the park.

The activity is done along the end are of the park, a stroll along the buffalo wall advancing to Congo takes you through a wetland area that is rich in various bird species. The avi-tourism is a quickly growing activity in the area.

Cave exploration

The Garama caves are part of the major attractions that shouldn’t be left out while visiting Mgahinga national park. These caves used to be the home of the Batwa people who stayed in the place for a long up to when they were recently relocated.

Crafts and souvenirs industry

The rich culture of the Batwa and Bafumbira people includes a special and diverse variety of souvenirs and crafts baskets and is beautifully woven to the detail. This unique product could up bring community tourism to Kisoro. These artists of the craft industry have utilized the extensive papyrus swamp that stretches from Kisoro to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale.

Hotels and lodges

Kisoro has a variety of perfect tourist hotels. They include; safari lodge, Gahinga Rest camp, Sky blue motel, volcanoes hotel, and Mgahinga safari lodge and during the 2001 study of tourism establishments, Kisoro had a capacity of around 453 beds.

The hotel and lodge sectors in the district employed 143 workers by then.

Cave exploration and antiquities

These are already under exploration in the district. The lava tubes that were left after volcanic activities were added to the scenic attraction of the caves and the leading caves include sokio in Soko parish, Mwambike close to Mutorere Secondary School, and Ruhenju in Gigozi parish, the caves were used for security purposes during the tribal war of the time.

Cultural performances

The rich and unique culture of the Batwa and Bafumbira enhance the showcasing of the colorful cultural dances and performances and practices which would leave the visitors yearning for more. The performances are done on request by the visitors.

Get in touch with Safari vacations and travel services if you would like to book any of the popular tourist attractions in Kisoro and we can assist you in booking and arranging all the services.

For travelers planning to hike the peak, we advise you to be sure of your fitness for the hike and be well equipped though close to all hikers suffer from altitude sickness so as you hike you will need to toughen. The high winds, cold temperatures, and movements through the ice make the entire experience challenging but rewarding.