Getting to Volcanoes National Park is very easy has one can find their way to Rwanda known as the land of a thousand hills and find the nearest route. The process of getting to Volcanoes national park is very easy depending on the country where you’re coming from. One can be coming from Congo or Uganda and entering to Rwanda. The best way is to pass Musanze route or fly to Kigali international airport. Flying from Entebbe International Airport to Kigali takes about 1hr: 10mins but driving from Entebbe passing via Mbarara- Kibale and connecting to Musanze route to the park, then from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park can only take 2 to 3 hours by road and you will be amazed with marvelous opportunities to Spot a lot of features on the way to the park like genocide memorial center and the national museum.
Volcanoes national park is the oldest national park in the whole African continent, the park is also known as Parc National Des Volcanos in a French ward and Pariki Y’igihugu in Kinyarwanda language. The park was gazetted as a national park in 1925 purposely to protect and conserve the endangered Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park is located in the northwestern part of the country in Musanze earlier known as Ruhengeri. The park smallest national park covering 160 sq km of rainforest and comprises of five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains such as Sabyinyo, Gahinga, Muhabura, Bisoke and Karisimbi. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Uganda.
The park is the home of the two largest remaining population of Mountain Gorillas of over 11 habituated gorilla families such as, Karisimbi, Amahora, Susa A, Umubano, Kirwa, Kwitonda, Bwenge, Ugenda Titua Agashya, Sabyinyo groups and gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking arte the popular activities carried out other activities to do in Volcanoes national park includes Dian Fossey graveyard hike, Mount Bisoke hike and Mount Karisimbi hike. These magnificent creatures thrive in their natural habitat within the Rwanda Park of the Virunga Mountains, a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes that also extend in to Uganda and the Democratic republic of Congo.
The perk also boast with beautiful vegetation types, for example, montane forest, bamboo and grassland at an altitude of about 2400 to 2500 above the see level forests animal species for example buffaloes, bush backs, forest elephants, giant forest hogs, golden Monkeys, bush pigs, spotted hyenas, black-fronted duiker among others and birds like Rwenzori Turaco, Red-faced woodland, handsome francolin among others.
There are different ways of getting in Volcanoes National Park that is by road transport or while using air transport.
Getting to Volcanoes national park by road
Road transport is the cheapest and the most convenient to use while getting in Volcanoes national park ,while using your private transport means to the park , Achieve Global safaris will arrange a private car that will drive you from Kigali international airport to Volcanoes national park, the journey from the Kigali to volcanoes in Musanze is so interesting and enjoyable , it passes through amazing hills and attractive landscape that rewards you and offers a beautify views of the country side.
When a visitor lands in the country, particularly in Kigali International Airport, a visitor can have the possibility of driving to the park with roughly 2-3 hour drive or use Private means of accessing the park involves booking with a recognized tour company like Achieve Global Safaris to smoothly plan your gorilla trekking experience including transport and other amenities or hiking a vehicle form Kigali airport while public means of transport involves taking a bus or any other means of transport probably taxis from Kigali to Musanze town. . Most of the visitors travelling to the park normally use 4×4 wheel safari vehicle by the assistance of the driver- guide.
Also by road you can choose to use the public bus services as another means to get in to the Volcanoes National Park. Rwanda is one of the African countries with clean and well-maintained roads with a great diverse public transport means, there are daily buses that move from Kigali to Musanze at different scheduled times, you can easily find this buses from Nyabugogo Bus Park. Some tourists occasionally opt for car hire that can be provided by tour operators or any company. At Achieve Global Safaris, we can provide services roe self-drive car hire.
Getting to Volcanoes National Park by air
This is the quickest way on how to get to Volcanoes National Park from Kigali is by using air. There are scheduled domestic flights or Helicopter flights from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park in Musanze airstrip are daily and they are operated by Akagera Aviation. The flights only take about 30 minutes, but it gives visitors the most unique and scenic experience.
Note that all activities in the starts early in the morning and all travelers are requested to travel to the Park Headquarters for briefing by 7am; hence tourists who spend overnights in Kigali have to start driving by 5am. Volcanoes national park is famously known for its foot walk gorilla trekking. The park is the top visited destination in Rwanda because it houses a variety of fascinating wildlife species such as uncommon mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and other wildlife species
Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park
A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document that is issued by Rwanda Development Board to any visitor above the age of 15 year allowing him or her to visit a habituated gorilla family and spend one hour with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park costs 1,500US dollars per person for foreign nonresidents. Foreign resident are charged 500US dollars per person, 200US$ per person for Rwandan citizens and East African citizens. You are advised to book a permit a month before the trekking date.
Accommodation in Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park has a wide range of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your gorilla trekking safari such as Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Gorilla Volcanoes Lodge, Mountain Gorilla Next Lodge, Davinci Gorilla Lodge, Bisate Lodge, Muhabura Hotel, Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Garr Hotel, Le Palma Hotel among others.
