Rwanda National Parks

Brief profile: 

• Covers 330 km² 
• Where Dian Fossey carried out her work 
• Park includes five of the eight Volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains 

Highlights: 

• Mountain gorilla trekking 
• Golden monkey trekking 
• Hiking 
• Cultural experience 
• Breath-taking scenery 
• Bird watching 

Volcanoes National Park (“Parc National des Volcans” in French) is part of the big Virunga conservation area and is found in north-western Rwanda. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

The park is in essence a rainforest and it covers an area of 130 square kilometres. It is best known for being home to the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). In 1967 zoologist Dian Fossey made it her base and she started the Karisoke research centre. It was through her efforts and profound research findings that gorilla poaching decreased and was made illegal.

The Karisimbi mountain is the tallest mountain in the park  and its altitude ranges between 2400m and 4507m. The park includes five of the eight Volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains namely: Karisimbi (4507m), Bisoke (3711m), Muhabura (4127m), Gahinga (3474m) and Sabyinyo (3634m). Although the park is well-known for its mountain gorillas, it is also home to mammals like golden monkeys, black-fronted duikers, buffaloes, spotted hyenas and bushbucks. It has 178 recorded bird species with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori mountains.

Brief profile: 

• Covering over 1000 km² 
• Probably the best preserved rainforest in the mountains throughout Central Africa 
• 275 Bird species, 25 of which are endemic to Rwanda 

Highlights: 

• The park contains 13 different primate species (25% of Africa's total) 
• Birding 
• Chimpanzee’s – with 500 living in the park 
• Angolan Colobus Monkeys with “super groups” of over 350 individuals in a group 
• Sky walk 

Set in southwest Rwanda, Nyungwe is one of Africa’s oldest forests. It is a rainforest in its purest sense with regular rainfalls of up to 2000 mm per annum. Absolutely teeming with wildlife, the national park is a great destination to include in a safari, especially if you like primates. It is known as one of the richest areas in Africa when it comes to the amount of endemic species and stunning biodiversity that it offers. Whilst not guaranteed, it is not uncommon to spot troops of more than 300 Angolan colobus monkeys swinging through the trees!

It is estimated that the forest has about 500 chimpanzees. Other primates include the L'Hoest’s monkeys, silver monkeys, golden monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, several species of bushbabies, grey-cheeked mangabeys and red-tailed monkeys.

There is an equally rich variety of flora in the forest, with over 100 orchid species and more than 200 types of trees. The area has the greatest concentration and variety of birdlife in Rwanda, with nearly 300 species recorded. This includes iridescent sunbirds, giant hornbills, the extravagant blue turaco and many other species endemic to the Albertine rift.

Brief profile: 

• Covering 1,122 km2
• Complex system of lakes and linking papyrus swamps makes up over a third of the park
• Central Africa's largest protected wetland

Highlights: 

• Big Five safari destination
• Boat trips on Lake Ihema offer a fabulous introduction to the park’s aquatic fauna
• Incredible birding with nearly 500 bird species in the park, including the elusive shoebill

Hugging Rwanda’s eastern border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park covers about 1120km² and is one of Africa’s oldest national parks. The north of Akagera is mostly fairly low-lying grasslands and savannah plains. To the west are rolling hills and valleys more typical of Rwandan countryside while to the east, the Akagera River feeds into a series of lakes, marshes and papyrus swamps that constitute central and eastern Africa’s largest protected wetlands. Safaris within Akagera National Park offer visitors the opportunity to see a broad range of wildlife including herds of elephants and buffalo, leopards and lions. The plains are teeming with over a dozen species of antelope (including impala, oribi, bushbuck and the large Cape eland) as well as zebras and giraffes. The waterways are dominated by hippos and crocodiles. It is a bird-lovers paradise as many rare species like the endangered papyrus gonolek, the shoebill stork and the majestic fish eagle are attracted to the unique marshland. You might even be treated to seeing large flocks of water birds, the endangered papyrus gonolek and the shoebill stork.