Getting to Volcanoes National Park : Volcanoes National Park also known as Parc National des in French and Pariki y’Igihugu y’Ibirunga in Kinyarwanda is the most famous national park in Rwanda, the park lies in Southwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. These 3 parks are all gorilla destinations and they form The Virunga Conservation Area.
Volcanoes National Park is one of the 4 gorilla destinations where you can track mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, the covers an area of 160 square kilometers covered in rainforests and bamboo.
Volcanoes National Park comprises of 5 out of 8 Virunga Volcanoes that are Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. These massifs are covered by thick forests which are home to the endangered mountain gorillas, there are over 400 gorilla individuals making Volcanoes national park and Rwanda the best place in Africa for gorilla trekking safari.
Rwanda – the land of a thousand hills is visited by many tourists as their top number one destination primarily because of the country’s unique attractions including the rare and endangered mountain gorillas living in the dense forests of Volcanoes National Park. Mountain gorillas are greatest tourist attraction of Rwanda.
In addition to mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is home to the rare and endemic Golden Monkeys, five (5) inactive extinct Volcanoes that are part of the Virunga ranges, abundant birdlife, mammals as well as flora which make it a great tourist destination in Rwanda as well as Africa.
As a tourist interested in visiting Rwanda for an incredible face to face encounter in the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural setting, one of the major things to know is how to get to Volcanoes National Park.
There are different ways/means often used to access Volcanoes National Park for a Rwanda Mountain gorilla trekking safari experience.
The most common modes of transport used to get to Volcanoes National Park are by road transport and air transport.
By Road
Getting to Volcanoes National Park by road is the cheapest and most convenient means of transport, if you have arranged your gorilla safari with a tour operator, a private safari vehicle and an experienced guide is usually included in your Rwanda gorilla safari package.
The vehicle and an experienced driver-guide will drive you from Kigali City – the capital of Rwanda to Volcanoes National Park located in Musanze, the journey to Musaze, Volcanoes national park is fascinating as it passes through the undulating hills and beautiful landscapes providing tourists with magnificent and stunning views of the country side.
The travel time from Kigali City to Volcanoes National Park is approximately 2 hours and sometimes an additional 30 minutes depending on the stopovers. At Focus East Africa Tours, we use highly customized private vehicles of various categories including extended 4×4 wheel safari vehicles, jeeps, Land cruisers and Rav 4 vehicles.
Using public Transportation
Also, by road you can choose to use public bus services to get to Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda is one of the African countries known for having clean and well-maintained roads with a great public transportation.
There are daily bus/coaster services that move from Kigali City to Musanze at different time intervals, you can easily find these buses from Nyabugogo bus station. Usually, some visitors opt for car hire that can be provided by tour operators or any car hire service providers
By Air
Helicopter flight to Volcanoes National Park is the quickest way to get to Volcanoes National Park for a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari, there are scheduled helicopter flights from Kigali International Airport to Musanze.
These helicopter flights to Musanze Airstrip are daily and are operated by the Akagera Aviation, the flight only takes 30 minutes and provides tourists with the most unique and scenic transfer experience above the thousands hills of Rwanda.
Where to stay in Volcanoes National Park
Accommodations in Volcanoes National Park range from budget, midrange and luxury offering great ambiance and professional service. These accommodations include
- Bisate Lodge
- Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
- Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel
- Jack Hannah’s Cottages
- Kinigi Guest House
- La Palme Hotel Rwanda
- Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
- Mountain Gorilla View Lodge Rwanda
- Mountain Gorillas Nest
- Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge
- Virunga Lodge Rwanda
- Volcano Manor
When to Visit Volcanoes National Park
Gorilla trekking is the main Rwanda safari activity offered in Volcanoes National Park, when planning a safari to visit the park for gorilla trekking and other safari activities is what is the best time to visit this amazing park.
Volcanoes National Park can be visited all year round, however the best time of the year to visit this amazing park is during the dry season running from Mid- September and December to February.
