Top 5 Activities Done in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, also known as Parc National de Volcans, or “PVN,” is home to the top five activities. The park, which is located in Musanze village in Rwanda’s northern district, is the most popular tourist destination.
One of Africa’s oldest national parks, Volcanoes National Park was established in 1925 primarily to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Buffaloes, duikers, forest hogs, spotted hyenas, bush pigs, primates such great mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, chimpanzees, birds, and volcanic mountains are among the various wildlife species that can be found in the park.
Gorilla trekking
The park’s most popular activity is gorilla trekking, which allows guests to venture into the forest in pursuit of the habituated gorilla groups “18.” Twelve gorilla families are available for trekking, while the other families are set aside for research. Early in the morning, gorilla trekking begins with a training on expectations, rules, and regulations at the park headquarters.
Following the briefing, a park guide who is familiar with the gorilla trekking trail heads will assign a gorilla family to hike. The unpredictable experience of trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda Volcanoes National Park begins at 8:00 am and lasts anything from 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements.
After the gorillas have been identified, you will spend an hour with them in their natural environment, learning about their routines, mannerisms, taking special pictures, and documenting the moments. Trekking with gorillas is a worthwhile experience. However, each individual must pay USD 1,500 for a Rwanda gorilla trekking permit. The Rwanda Developed Board or reputable tour operators like All In Africa Safaris sell gorilla trekking permits.
Golden monkey trekking
Tracking golden monkeys is the park’s second most popular pastime. There are two habituated golden monkey groups at Volcanoes National Park that are available for daily tracking. The tracking of golden monkeys begins in the morning with a training on the dos and don’ts of golden tracking at the park headquarters.
After that, a park ranger assigns you to a trekking party and leads you to the woodland routes you need to follow for tracking. The duration of this event ranges from thirty minutes to four hours. Once the golden monkeys have been located, you will be permitted to spend an hour in their natural habitat to observe their behavior and way of life. You will also be able to capture pictures of them swinging from one tree branch to another, which is an experience that will never be forgotten.
Volcano hiking
Five of the eight Virunga mountains in Volcanoes National Park are suitable for volcano climbing, but the remaining eight are located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Gahinga, Mount Sabyinyo, and Mount Muhavura are among those five mountains.
Mount Karisimbi is the highest of the Virunga volcanoes, rising 4,507 meters above sea level, thus anyone who wants to hike it needs to be physically fit. It takes two days to trek to the summit; on the first day, you will spend the night at an elevation of 3,700 meters, and on the second day, you will continue hiking.
If you reach it to the peak, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Muhabura volcanoes, Nyamuragira volcano, Mount Nyiragongo, and a vast forest, among other things. The hike offers fantastic views of birds, primates, greenery, and many other things.
Hiking Mount Bisoke is 3711 meters above sea level and is situated near the Democratic Republic of the Congo border. Reaching the summit, which offers breathtaking views of a crater lake, takes roughly six hours.
Hiking Mount Muhavura: Rwanda Volcanoes National Park and Uganda Mgahinga Gorilla National Park share this mountain. The elevation of this mountain is 4127 meters above sea level. You will be astounded by the breathtaking views of the surroundings while hiking. It takes roughly six to eight hours to get there, and once you get there, you may enjoy breathtaking views of the crater lake.
The elevation of Mount Gahinga, which is accessible by hiking, is 3474 meters above sea level. Gainful views of a marshy caldera await you at the summit, and climbing will reward you with views of primates, plants, and many bird species.
Mount Sabinyo is a volcanic peak that can be walked from Volcanoes National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The elevation of this mountain is 3645 meters above sea level. You will be standing simultaneously between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda if you choose to hike to the summit.
Hike Dian Fossey
Hiking through the forest with amazing views of little monkeys and visiting the grave of primatologist Dian Fossey, who was killed in 1985 while conducting study on endangered mountain gorillas, are two amazing activities at Volcanoes National Park. The three-hour climb offers breathtaking views of primates, animals, birds, greenery, and much more. An incredible opportunity to learn about Dian Fossey is provided by hiking to the research center.
Cultural encounters
During your visit to Volcanoes National Park, you will have the opportunity to visit and engage with the locals through a community walk. In addition, you will visit the king’s home, go to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, learn about the way of life of the locals, see traditional dances, taste traditional foods, sample locally brewed banana beer, be entertained by traditional music, dance, and drama, and learn how to make crafts like baskets, mats, and more.
When to go to the National Park of Volcanoes
Although Volcanoes National Park is open all year round, the best time to visit is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. In contrast to the rainy season, when the routes are slick, the national park experiences less rainfall during the dry season, which improves road conditions and makes gorilla trekking trails more accessible.
Accessing National Park Volcanoes
Road transportation and plane travel are the two ways to get to Volcanoes National Park. If you decide to fly, it takes roughly two hours to go from Kigali International Airport to the park.
Plan your trip to Rwanda, a country with thousands of hills, and take advantage of the amazing Volcanoes National Park safari.
