Volcanoes National Park| Image Travel

Gorilla Treking:This is the most famous and sought-after activity in the park. It offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to trek through the dense rainforest to spend an hour with a habituated family of mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The experience is both physically demanding and incredibly rewarding, allowing you to observe these magnificent creatures up close and learn about their behaviors.
Golden Monkey Tracking:In addition to gorillas, the park is home to a population of endangered golden monkeys. Trekking to see these playful and vibrant primates is a popular activity. The golden monkeys are a subspecies of the blue monkey and are endemic to the Albertine Rift.
Hiking the Virunga Volcanoes: The park is named after the chain of dormant volcanoes that make up the Virunga Massif. Five of the eight volcanoes are within the park's boundaries.

Dian Fosey Grave: Visitors can take a hike to the former Karisoke Research Center, the site where the renowned primatologist Dian Fossey conducted her groundbreaking work on mountain gorillas. The hike leads to her grave, which is located alongside the graves of gorillas she studied and protected. This trek provides a moving tribute to her legacy and an insight into the history of gorilla conservation.
Cultural Encounters:For a deeper understanding of the local culture, you can visit the Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village (also known as Gorilla Guardians Village). This community-run project offers a chance to experience Rwandan culture firsthand through traditional music, dance, storytelling, and an exploration of ancient ways of life.
Twin Lakes & Musanze Caves:Near the park, you can visit the scenic Twin Lakes, Ruhondo and Burera, for boat cruises and beautiful views. The Musanze Caves, formed from volcanic eruptions, also offer a fascinating glimpse into the area's geological and historical past.

Volcanoes National Park Wildlife Experience

Tracking mountain gorillas is one of Africa’s top wildlife experiences, and Volcanoes National Park is perhaps the best place for it. There are 20 habituated troops here, 12 of which are used for visitors (the others are habituated for research purposes). Each troop has its own home range and family structure. Budget-permitting, you can consider booking two gorilla treks on two different days. In addition to mountain gorillas, troops of habituated golden monkeys, endemic to the Albertine Rift, can also be tracked. They are among the most beautiful of African monkeys and their gentle nature makes them even more attractive. The monkeys have become totally relaxed around humans, which means you can observe them interacting, feeding and going about their daily routines.

Best time to visit
The Volcanoes National Park

Visiting Rwanda for gorilla tracking can be done all year round. The best time to travel to Rwanda is during the drier seasons, periods between December to early March and June to September. December to March is a long dry season for Rwanda, with temperatures going up to 29 degrees Celsius for some days while the months of March – Mid May, July to September, on the other hand, are regarded as the rainy in the country.

How to get there

Volcanoes National Park is located in a small village called Musanze previously well-known as Ruhengeri, which is very accessible by public transport from Gisenyi or Kigali or from the airport. The drive to Volcanoes national park is 2 hrs and hence one can do gorilla tracking on the same day and drive back to Kigali after the trek. You will be required to arrive at the headquarters of ORTPN in Kinigi, at the park entrance, by 7:00 am, therefore, if you hope to trek gorillas for one day, you have to wake up very early for your journey so that you are on time. However, there isn’t any public transport from Musanze to the headquarters of the park at Kinigi.

Volcanoes National Park Birdlife

With about 200 species recorded (including 17 Albertine Rift endemics), Volcanoes National Park offers great bird watching. However, most of the park’s special birds can also be seen in Nyungwe National Park, which is set up better for birding. Local specialties are the vulnerable Grauer’s swamp warbler and the scarlet-tufted sunbird, which can be found on the summit of Mt Bisoke.

Volcanoes National Park

Background Info: Volcanoes National Park

Destination Highlights - Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park Wildlife Experience

Best time to visit
The Volcanoes National Park

How to get there

Volcanoes National Park Birdlife

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