Volcanoes Rwanda and Virunga national park safari

Volcanoes Rwanda and Virunga national park safari

Volcanoes Rwanda and Virunga national park safari: Volcanoes National Park and Virunga National Park are both top tourism destinations for primate trekking tours, from gorilla trekking to golden monkey and chimpanzee trekking tours.

Volcanoes National Park is found in Rwanda in the north-western part of the country. The national park is strategically situated in Ruhengeri district, with the park headquarters located in Kinigi. The park is one of the oldest national parks on the African continent following its establishment in 1925. It covers an area of 160 square kilometers and is surrounded by five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, which include; Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Muhabura, and Gahinga.

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda is part of the Virunga Conservation Area and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo to its west and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda to its east.

What Activities can one do in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda?

Volcanoes national park in Rwanda offers its visitors a number of activities which include; a hike to Dian Fossey Grave Site, Hiking mountains Bisoke and Karisimbi, Gorilla Trekking, Golden monkey trekking, Iby’ Iwacu community visit, and a visit to Musanze Caves. The national park is a luxury gorilla trekking destination and it happens to be the only national park in Rwanda where visitors have a chance to see mountain gorillas in the wild.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park commence at the park’s headquarters in Kinigi. Visitors interested in seeing mountain gorillas in Rwanda must purchase a gorilla trekking permit which costs USD 1500 per person. All gorilla trekking activities in the park begin at 7am every day, so it is important for visitors to always keep time when on a gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda.

In case you plan on doing gorilla trekking or hiking in Volcanoes National Park, it is important that you pack some essential items such as; a good pair of hiking boots, insect repellent and sunscreen cream, a hut or cap, long trousers and long sleeved shirts, your gorilla trekking permit, a light raincoat, mineral water, snacks or packed lunch and your camera.

Where to stay/ accommodation in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

There are quite a number of accommodation facilities that a tourist can opt to stay at when on a gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park. These include; Bisate Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Sabyinyo silverback Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Kinigi guesthouse, Mountain Gorilla View and Gorilla Volcanoes Lodge.

Travelling to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali.

All safaris in Rwanda commence at Kigali International Airport, which is about a 2½ hours’ drive to Volcanoes National Park, covering a distance of 116 kilometers.

Virunga National Park.

Visitors can combine a visit to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda with a short tour to Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since gorilla trekking is quite expensive in Rwanda, most visitors prefer to do other activities in Volcanoes national park and then do gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park in Congo, which costs only USD 400 dollars.

Virunga National Park in Congo was first established as a national park in 1925, as the Albert National Park. It was named after King Albert I of Belgium. Virunga was gazetted as a national park, in order to protect its diverse and unique bio-diversity of both plant and wildlife species; especially the mountain gorillas which were being killed by poachers for their bush meat and during civil war cross fires.

Later in 1969, the Albert National Park was then renamed as Virunga National Park following the country’s gain to independence from the Belgian colonial government in 1960. Tourists can also identify the park by its French translation, ‘Parc National des Virunga.’

Congo’s Virunga national park is located in the eastern region of the country, and is situated within the Albertine Rift Valley. The national park is elevated at an altitude of 680 meters in the Semiliki River valley, and 5,109 meters in the Rwenzori Mountains. The park also extends into Uganda and Rwanda, covering an area of 8,090 km².

Virunga National Park in Congo is home to a large number of wildlife species which include; hippos, the African Bush Elephant, African buffaloes, Okapi, waterbucks, topi, common warthogs, Uganda Kob, bay duiker, red river hog, bongo, harnessed bushbuck, African Leopard, giant pangolin, yellow- backed duiker and blue duiker to mention but a few. All these unique wildlife species are attractions drawing quite a number of tourists to the national park.

 Activities Visitors can do in Virunga National Park.

Virunga national park in Congo offers visitors a wide range of tourist activities such as gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and habituation, bird watching, nature walks, visiting Senkwekwe Orphanage Centre, and hiking Mount Nyiragongo among others.

Where to Stay/ Accommodation in Virunga National Park.

Travellers who are visiting Virunga national park and plan on staying longer in the national park can find accommodation in the following facilities; Mikeno Lodge, Bukima Tented Camp, Tchegera Island Tented Camp, Nyiragongo Summit Shelters, and Lulimbi Tented Camp to mention but a few.

How to Access Virunga National Park from Volcanoes National Park.

All our tours to Virunga National Park in Congo start in Kigali, Rwanda. Visitors can access the national park by road after a visit to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. It takes about 1½ to 2 hours of driving from Volcanoes national park in Rwanda to Virunga National Park in Congo. Visitors will have to connect to Virunga national park via the Gisenyi-Goma border, which is called ‘Le Grand Barrier.’

A tour to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda combined with a visit to Virunga National Park in Congo, makes the perfect vacation holiday that any visitor could ask for. This tour combination is just ideal for any visitor who wishes to see various primate species, and those interested in such a trip should contact a reliable tour company such as Explore Rwanda Safaris which organizes the best primate safaris to both Rwanda and Congo.