Volcanoes National Park Safari: located in the northwestern part of Rwanda in Musanze district Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s oldest and smallest national park covering an area of approximately 160 square kilometers of rainforest and covering five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains.
Some of the volcanoes it covers include; Mount Karisimbi, mount Bisoke, mount Gahinga, mount Sabyinyo and Mount Muhabura. The national park is home to endangered primates like mountain gorillas and golden monkeys.
It is also home to over 200 bird species including Rwenzori Turaco to the Grey-Chested Kakamega including Albertine rift endemics hence a famous birders paradise in the country.
The national park is also home to different vegetation zones forming habitats for these birds as well as mammal species such as buffalos, hyenas, and bushbucks among others.
Attractive activities in Volcanoes National Park
Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking is one of the most famous safari activities carried out in the national park as of the fact that the national park is home to these excellent-looking species, and while carrying out this safari activity visitors can as well behold other animals such as; black fronted Duiker, Buffalos, spotted hyenas, and the Bushbucks and other primates’ species like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys as well as vegetation and different bird species.
Gorilla trekking
The national park is known to be home to the endangered mountain gorilla and hence making gorilla trekking a fascinating safari activity to carry out in the national park as sightseers get o marvel at these species as they get to move through the forest and this can be combined with other safari activities such as birding, nature walks and others. This activity costs UD$ 1,500 per person
Bird watching
Home to over 200 bird species including 29 species that are endemic ranks the national park is an excellent birding spot in the country hence bird lovers consider it to be a birders’ paradise and this is because they get to sight numerous birds such as; Rwenzori batis, Handsome francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Archer’s ground robin, Grauer’s rush warbler, Collared Apalis, Red-faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori double collared sunbird among others.
The best time of the day to visit Volcanoes National Park
The dry seasons in the park go from June to mid-September and again from December to February and this is the best time to visit Volcanoes National Park for those who want to trek gorillas and also do canopy walks because the trails are dry, not slippery, and are easily accessible.
Getting to Volcanoes National Park
Visitors planning to the national park can travel there with a two-hour drive from Kigali’s capital city and covers a number of districts for instance Musanze, Burera, Rubavu and Nyabihu.
Accommodation safaris in Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park has a wide range of accommodation options ranging from budget level, mid-range and luxury level, the park also offers affordable accommodation rates to travelers while offering a tranquil view of the park’s beautiful landscape such as Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Virunga Lodge, One and Only Gorilla Nest Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Bisate Lodge among others
