Volcanoes National Park Rwanda

Volcanoes National Park located North West of the capital Kigali 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 Muhavura which supports some of Africa’s top rainforests which is home to the Endangered Mountain gorillas.

Tracking endangered African Mountain gorillas through the tucked jungle is a highlight of your safari to the volcanoes national park, the park is home to over 200 species of colourful forest birds and exclusively rare golden monkeys that occupy the bamboo zones of the forest.

Within the boundaries of Volcanoes National Park is 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.

Hiking the dormant Volcanoes, canoeing in Lake Bulera and Ruhondo, Mountain biking with Africa rising stars and village experiences are some of the highlights of your visit to volcanoes national park.

Volcanoes National Park is a national park located in north-western Rwanda. It covers 160 km2 (62 sq. mi) of rainforest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga, and Sabyinyo.

Volcanoes national park is situated in the far northwest of Rwanda; the park protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range – home of the endangered mountain gorilla and a rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp, and heath. This is one of the few areas in Africa where you can come face to face with the mountain gorillas, the national park borders Uganda’s Mgahinga gorilla national park, and the Democratic Republic of Congo forming the Great Virunga Massif.

Volcanoes National Park is about 105 kilometres (65 miles) away from the Country’s city and Airport (Kigali), it can be accessed by use of private cars organized by Wilderness Explorers Africa, 4×4 safari cars are recommended as during the gorilla trek you might use some back roads to get to the starting point for the gorilla tracking experience, the park headquarters are not accessible by public means as all the public transportation vehicles stop in the main big town of Musanze (Ruhengeri) travellers may have to hire a car to get to the Kinigi gorilla tracking area.

Though there are no airstrips near the volcanoes national park, travellers wanting to fly can charter a helicopter operated by Akagera Aviation and these helicopters will land Right at the heart of the safari lodge.