Top things to do in Volcanoes national park Rwanda
Top things to do in Volcanoes national park Rwanda; Volcanoes national park also known as Parc National Des Volcanoes in French is located in north western part of Rwanda in Musanze village bordering with Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda and Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Volcanoes national park covers a total area of 160 square kilometers and its famously known for harboring the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and it’s also a home of the five of the eight Virunga mountains namely Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhavura and Mount Sabyinyo. Volcanoes national park is a must visit destination in Rwanda in that it offers top safari activities that you can engage in during the safari which include,
Top things to do in Volcanoes national park Rwanda
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity in Volcanoes national park that attracts big numbers of tourists and it involves moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated mountain gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide in search of the habituated mountain gorillas which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, view different plants, bird species among others and once the gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, groom young ones, take photos and record videos.
Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking is the second best activity in Volcanoes national park and it starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules, regulations and expectations just like gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest following trails of leftover bamboo shoots and leaves. Golden monkey trekking in Volcanoes national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on their location. Once the golden monkeys are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment where you will be able to watch them feed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record the beautiful moments to show people back home.
Mountain climbing
Volcanoes national park is a home of five Virunga volcanoes and hiking is done on four of the volcanoes apart from Mount Sabyinyo due to its sharp ridges. During mountain climbing, you will hike Mount Karisimbi which is 4,507 meters above the sea level and takes about 2 days hike, Mount Bisoke which is 3,711 meters above the sea level and also the most popular hiking trails in the park that takes about 6 hours round trip, Mount Muhavura which is 4,127 meters above the sea level and takes about 6 to 8 hours round trip and Mount Gahinga which is 3,474 meters above the sea level and also the shortest mountain in Volcanoes national park.
Bird watching
Volcanoes national park is a home of over 200 recorded bird species including Albertine rift endemics, forest birds and migratory bird species. during bird watching in Volcanoes national park, you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide and follow birding trails where you will be able to spot different bird species like handsome francolin, Rwenzori batis, archers round-robin, collared sunbird, brown woodland warbler, dusky crimson-wing, red-faced woodland warbler, Rwenzori apalis, brown-necked parrot, grauers swamp warbler, strange weaver, Rwenzori nightjar, lagden’s bush-shrike, Palm nut vulture, lesser honeyguide, narina trogon, crested barbet, white-collared oliveback, grey headed bush shrike, black cuckoo-shrike, kivu ground thrush, scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird among others.
Cultural tours
Cultural tour is an exciting activity in Volcanoes national park where you will be able to interact with the local people in the neighboring villages. During the cultural tour, you will be able to visit the Iby’lwacu cultural village where you will be able to learn about their culture, way of living, taste their traditional meals, learn how beer is made from bananas, participate in traditional activities like grinding millet and sorghum, enjoy their traditional performances inform of music, dance and drama among others.
Best time to visit Volcanoes national park
Volcanoes national park can be visited all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during the dry season there is little or less rainfall in park therefore hiking and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy.
Where to stay in Volcanoes national park
Volcanoes national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your safari including Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, One and Only Gorillas Nest Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Garden Place Hotel, Gorilla Solution Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, Virunga Lodge, Gorillas Volcanoes Hotel, Le Bamboo Gorilla Village, Kinigi Guesthouse, La Palme Hotel, Villa Gorilla, Bisate Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Tiloreza Volcanoes Ecolodge, Amakoro Songa Lodge, Fravan Eco Resort, My Hill Eco Lodge among others.
How to get to Volcanoes national park Rwanda
Volcanoes national park is located in north western part of Rwanda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kigali to the park headquarters which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive.
For more information about the top things to do in Volcanoes national park, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book an affordable Rwanda safari package.
