National Parks in Rwanda

Rwanda is home to four National Parks and five of the Virunga ranges that is Mount Sabinyo, mount Karasimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Muhabura and mount Gahinga with the highest of this magnificent mountains being Karasimbi with an elevation of 4,507 meters above sea level.

Rwanda referred to sometimes as the land of a thousand hills is a landlocked country in central Africa covering an area of about 26,338 kilometers squared. The country boarders Congo to the west, Burundi in the south, Uganda in the north and Tanzania in the East.

List of National Parks

The western part of Rwanda forms part of the great rift valley known as albertine rift valley, its also home to some of the unique national parks in Africa that can be seen below.

1 – Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park is Rwanda’s top tourist destination in the country covering an area of 162 kilometers squared bordering Uganda and Congo, the park is part of the Virunga conservation area and its where you can find five of the eight Virunga volcanoes.

During Belgian rule in Rwanda, the Volcanoes national park was combined together with Virunga national park in Congo which formed the Albert national park. This was established in April 1929 making it Africa’s oldest national park. Volcanoes national park is characterized by bamboo zone, rainforests, volcanoes, serene lakes, some grasslands, and valleys. The park is also home to 178 species of birds 27 of which are endemic to the Albertine region.
Gorilla trekking is the most common and done activity at Volcanoes national park. There are a number of gorilla families habituated in the park for tourism purposes. The cost of trekking gorillas is $1500 per person. There are also golden monkey trails where you can track the striking golden monkeys in Volcanoes national park.
Tourists can choose hiking as a complementary activity when visiting Volcanoes national park. You can climb any of the five Volcanoes except mount Sabinyo that can also be climbers from the Ugandan side. Porters are always available to be hired at a cheaper price to help you with luggage. Some of the volcanoes can be conquered within a day while others will require two days. Although all of them provide striking views from the top, you can see the rest of the volcanoes. Lake Kivu, the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo and so much more. Some of these volcanoes have got beautiful craters at the summit.

2 -Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park lies in eastern Rwanda, hugging the border with Tanzania. It’s characterized by woodland, swamps, low mountains and savannah. The varied terrain shelters wildlife including zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and hundreds of bird species, such as the rare shoebill stork. In the southern part of the park, vast Lake Ihema is home to hippos and crocodiles.

3 – Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe National Park lies in southwest Rwanda, partly abutting the Burundi border. It’s a vast area of mountain rainforest, home to many species of chimpanzees, plus owl-faced and colobus monkeys. The Canopy Walkway, part of the Igishigishigi Trail, is a high suspension bridge with views over the valley and surrounding forests. A trail runs to the Kamiranzovu Marsh, with its birdlife, orchids and waterfall.

4 – Gishwati Forest National Park

Gishwati Forest Reserve is a protected reserve in the north-western part of Rwanda, not far from Lake Kivu. The reserve’s forests were largely intact in 1978, and substantial forest cover still remained in 1986.