Volcanoes national park Rwanda is located in the far northwest of Rwanda. This national park is a home to the largest number of mountain gorillas in the virunga conservation area. Volcanoes national park covers approximately 160 square kilometer area in the northern part of Rwanda. This national park is famous for mountain gorillas though it is also a home to various mammals like the golden monkey, African buffalo, black-fronted duiker and many more. It is also a habitat to over 200 bird species that is to say the Rwenzori Turaco, red-faced woodland warbbler and many more as well as harboring the golden monkeys.
Attractions in volcanoes national park in Rwanda
- Mountain gorillas
Volcanoes national park is a habitat to over 12 gorilla families making it one of the best spots for gorilla trekking. Mountain gorillas are the core attraction in volcanoes national park though it also harbors a variety of other wildlife. Visitors can witness these mountain gorillas while hiking through the bamboo forests and steep mountain slopes.
- Golden monkeys
Golden monkeys are one of the uncommon primate species found in volcanoes national park in Rwanda. These monkeys can be seen alk year through at the park but the best time is during the dry season which is considered as the peak season. When a visitor decides to go for a golden monkey tracking, it will takes him or her 4 to 5 hours depending on the location of the golden monkeys because they locomote to look for food.
- Dian Fossey Tomb
The Dian fossey tomb is a place in volcanoes national park in Rwanda where the American primatologist and conservationist Dian Fossey was laid to rest after her death. Being that this tomb is within the park, many visitors who come to visit volcanoes national park opt to hike to the Dian fossey tomb to see where she was laid.
- Iby’iwacu cultural village
Iby’iwacu cultural village is one of the major tourist attractions in Rwanda. It is located next to Volcanoes National Park in kinigi in the district of Musanze. Tourist visit this place to have an encounter with the local people which exposes them to the traditions and history of the people in Rwanda.
- Mount Bisoke
Mount Bisoke is among the tourist attractions at Volcanoes national park that enables visitors to have a glimpse on the crater lakes, fog filled summit, and the vegetation around it that also harbors a variety of wildlife species. During a hike to this mountain, it takes 6 hours plus 2 hours of going back to the starting point.
- Mount Karisimbi
Mount Karisimbi is a dormant volcano located in volcanoes national park in Rwanda and is the highest of all the Virunga volcanoes. It is a habitat of gorilla and there if visitors hike to mount Karisimbi, there high chances of seeing these primates. The hike to mount Karisimbi takes two days where visitors camp after 3700m on the first day and proceed with the hike on the second day and return back to the starting point.
- Birds
Volcanoes national park in Rwanda is a home to a variety of bird species totaling to approximately 200 species for example the rwenzori turaco, francolin, collared apalis, weird weavers, archer’s ground robin and many more. Tourists who come to visit this park get a chance to see these different kinds of birds in their natural habitats or around the various sections of the park.
- Lake Ruhondo and Burera
These are two twin lakes situated at the base of muhabura volcano in Rwanda. These lakes are one of the attractions in Rwanda that a tourist wouldn’t opt to miss while on a trip to Volcanoes National Park. Activities like nature walks, boat cruise and birding can be done while at these twin lakes.
Activities in volcanoes national park in Rwanda
- Mountain gorilla trekking
Volcanoes national park is a destination in Rwanda where gorilla trekking can be done since it a home to over 18 habituated gorilla families. This therefore makes it one of the best spots for gorilla trekking. A maximum number of 8 people is allowed to track a particular gorilla family and this activity is done by hiking through the dense bamboo forests and steep mountain slopes where one can easily spot the mountain gorillas.
- Golden monkey tracking.
Volcanoes national park is among the national parks where one can have an encounter with the golden monkeys. While carrying out gorilla tracking in volcanoes national park, it takes approximately 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of these golden monkey because they locomote in search of food.
- Bird watching
There a variety of bird species one can spot at volcanoes national park that is to say African green broadbill, black cuckoo, kivu ground thrush, lagden’s bush shrike, rwenzori turaco and many more. Volcanoes national park is a home to over 200 bird species making it a perfect spot for bird watching which is carried out alk year round.
- Hiking Bisoke and Karisimbi mountains
Hiking mountain Karisimbi and mountain bisoke is more convinient during the dry season. It approximately takes 6 hours to hike mountain bisoke which is 3711m plus 2 hours of going back down to the starting point. While it takes two days to hike Mountain Karisimbi, on day one, visitors hike for 3700m above sea level and camp and then proceed on day two to the summit and return on the same day.
- Hike to Dian Fossey Tomb
One of the activities done in volcanoes national park is the hike to Dian Fossey Tomb which approximately takes 3 to 4 hours. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist known for her extensive study of the mountain gorillas. Her tomb is next to the grave of her favorite gorilla that she named Digit that was killed by poachers.
- Visit to Musanze caves
The musanze caves were a place in the ancient days where the banyarwanda used to crown their kings. Musanze caves can be visited any time of the year which takes approximately 2 and a half hours to explore these 2km caves.
- Touring the twin lakes of burera and ruhondo
Lake Burera and lake Ruhundo are twin lakes situated in Rwanda at the base of muhabura Volcano. These lakes were formed as a result of volcanic activity.
- Visit to Iby’iwacu cultural village
Iby’iwacu cultural village is just close to Volcanoes National Park where the visitors who visit park go ahead to also visit this cultural village which enables them to witness Rwanda’s culture and traditions.
Accommodation facilities in volcanoes national park in Rwanda
Some of the accommodation facilities visitors can opt for while at volcanoes national park include :
- Bisate lodge
Bisate lodge is at the entrance of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. It is one of the luxurious lodges that visitors opt for while at volcanoes national park because of the rewarding experiences and comfort it gives.
- Sabyinyo silverback lodge
This is a luxury accommodation located at the foothills of virunga ranges. The location of this lodge gives visitors an opportunity to have a glimpse of the beautiful landscapes and wildlife species at volcanoes national park.
- Five Volcanoes Boutique lodge
Five Volcanoes Boutique lodge is a luxury accommodation located at the base of Volcanoes National Park in musanze.
- Go Lux lodge
Go lux lodge is located at the entrance of Volcanoes National Park in the north western Rwanda
- Virunga lodge
This is a luxury accommodation located in the heart of Virunga mountains in Rwanda where one can sight the virunga mountains and the twin lakes of burera and ruhondo.
- Sambora kinigi lodge
Sambora kinigi lodge is situated in kinigi right outside volcanies national park. It is a midrange lodge with tropical garden that enhance it beauty therefore attrating visitors towards it.
