Volcanoes National Park is a forested area in the Virunga Mountains that border Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Park is Rwanda’s most visited tourism park with the most preferred tourist attraction, situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, protecting the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range. Volcanoes National Park is home of the endangered mountain gorillas and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland. This rich living forest is also a home to the golden monkeys.
Tracking golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is also a remarkable tourist activity.
While a visit to the mountain gorillas is often at the top on visitors’ list, the dramatic landscape also offers thrilling hiking and visits to the fascinating golden monkeys. Virunga being one of only two locations in the world where you can track a habituated family group of mountain gorillas. You can as well track mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest National Park, it is believed that this holds the highest population of Gorillas in the world.
Volcanoes National Park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga Massif: Karisimbi – the highest at 4,507m, Bisoke with its verdant Crater Lake, Sabinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura.
Tourists can also pay homage to the legendary scientist and gorilla advocate Dian Fossey with a hike to her tomb or a visit to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund that continues her legacy of research and advocacy for gorillas to this day.
A baby gorilla being held by its mother in Volcanoes National Park, part of the experience on your mountain gorilla tracking tour in Rwanda.
Around the park, guests can visit the local communities including the Iby iwachu cultural visit. This ‘cultural village’ puts the spotlight back onto the people. Visitors get to experience Rwandan village life by grinding seeds, firing bows and arrows, taking part in a traditional intore dance and even partaking in the marriage of a king to his queen.
Go deep into the earth with Musanze’s caves around Volcanoes National Park one of the area’s newest attractions. Within the boundaries of Volcanoes National Park are Buhanga Eco-Park, an ancient forest holding Rwanda’s most intriguing folklore and Musanze Caves, formed 62 million years ago after the last estimated volcanic eruption.
Around Volcanoes National Park, is the most premium high end accommodation properties that are ready to host in style including the newest Singita Kwitonda Lodge perched at the edge and on a pristine 178-acre stretch of land right on the edge of Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. One & Only Gorillas Nest Lodge, Sabinyo Governors Camp, Bisate Lodge, located in the natural amphitheatre of an eroded volcanic cone, with dramatic views of the peaks of the Bisoke and Karisimbi volcanoes. Other properties include:- The bishops House, Five Volcanoes, The Manors, Virunga Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Da Vinci Lodge and Le’Bambou Gorilla Lodge.
Accessibility to Volcanoes National Park can be by road from Kigali in 2.5hrs on a smooth surface road to the park headquarters. Flying to Musanze airstrip from Kigali by helicopter is also possible by Akagera Aviation in just 20mins, scheduled helicopter flights are also on from Kigali International Airports to Musanze.
Rwanda is a remarkable destination where visitors can do Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forests National Park and enjoy a wildlife safari in Akagera National Park, here tourist do encounter Rhinos, Elephants, Buffaloes, Lion, Leopard, Giraffes, Impalas, Hippos and countless beautiful birds.