Comparing Volcanoes national park Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo: Virunga and volcanoes are all tourism destinations for primate trekking tours, from gorilla trekking to chimpanzee trekking and golden monkey trekking tours.

Volcanoes national park is located strategically in the north western part of Rwanda in Ruhengeri district, with its headquarters situated in Kinigi. The park is the oldest park in Rwanda being established in 1925. Volcanoes national park covers a total area of 160 sq. km and it’s in this park that you find 5 out of 8 volcanoes in Virunga Mountains and these include mountain karisimbi, mountain sabinyo, mountain gahinga, mountain bisoke and mountain mubahura.

What activities can be done in volcanoes national park Rwanda.

Volcanoes national park gives visitors a number of different activities among which include hiking Mountain Bisoke and Mountain Karisimbi, hike to Dian Fossey grave site, gorilla trekking, visit to musanze caves, golden monkeys trekking and iby’lwacu community. Volcanoes national park is a magnificent gorilla trekking destination and it’s the only national park in Rwanda where visitors can see endangered mountain gorillas.

Gorilla trekking in volcanoes national park starts at the park’s headquarters in kinigi where briefing takes place. Travelers intending to see mountain gorillas in volcanoes national park in Rwanda must buy a gorilla trekking permit which goes for USD 1500 per person.  Gorilla trekking activities in volcanoes national park begin at 7am in the morning every day meaning visitors who are going to participate in gorilla trekking activities in Rwanda should keep time.

If you plan to participate in gorilla trekking or hiking in volcanoes national park, it’s important that you pack some items among which include sunscreen cream, insect repellent, hiking boots, hut or cap, long trousers, long sleeved shirts, light raincoat, gorilla trekking permit, packed lunch or snacks, mineral water and a long trouser.

Where to stay in volcanoes national park

There are many places of accommodation facilities that a tourist can opt to stay at when on a gorilla trekking safari in volcanoes national park in Rwanda. These include sbinyo silverback lodge, Virunga lodge, le bamboo gorilla lodge, gorilla volcanoes lodge, kinigi guesthouse and mountain gorilla view.

How to access volcanoes national park

Starting from Kigali airport it’s about two and a half hours drive up to volcanoes national park which is a distance of about 116 sq. km

Virunga national park

Travelers can combine a visit to volcanoes national park with a short tour to Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Since gorilla trekking is expensive costing USD 1500, many visitors prefer doing some activities in volcanoes national park and do gorilla trekking in Virunga national park democratic republic of Congo which goes for only USD 400.

Virunga national park was first gazette as Albert national park in 1925. It was named after king Albert 1 of Belgium and it was gazetted as a national park to protect its unique bio diversity of both flora and fauna more especially the endangered mountain gorillas which were at that time being killed by poachers during civil war cross fires and also for meet.

In 1969 alert national park was later renamed as Virunga national park after the country had gain its independence from the Belgian colonial government in 1960. Virunga national park is located in the eastern side of Democratic Republic of Congo and is located within the Albertine rift valley region. Virunga national park covers an area of 8,090 sq. km

Virunga national park is a home to a big number of wildlife species among which include the hippos, African bush elephant, topi, common warthogs, bay duiker, red river hog, yellow backed duiker, blue duiker, okapi, leopard, giant pangolin, harnessed bushbuck, bongo and Uganda kob.among others.

Activities that can be done at Virunga national park.

Virunga national park in democratic republic of Congo offers visitors a big number of tourism activities such as chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation, bird watching, gorilla trekking, visiting senkwekwe orphanage center, nature walk and hiking mountain nyiragongo among many others.

Where to stay in Virunga national park

Visitors who visit Virunga national park have a quite number of accommodation facilities they can stay longer in the national park and these include nyiragongo summit shelters, lulimbi tented camp, mikeno lodge and bukima tented camp among others

How to reach Virunga national park from volcanoes national park.

All tours to Virunga national park in democratic republic of Congo commence in Kigali city Rwanda. Travelers can access Virunga national park by road after visiting volcanoes national park in Rwanda. Driving from volcanoes national park Rwanda to Virunga national park in the democratic republic of Congo takes you about 1 to 2 hours. Visitors will connect to Virunga national park from volcanoes national park via Gisenyi- Goma border