Parc National des Volcans Vacations 2024/2025

Overview

Take a trip to Parc National des Volcans on your Rwanda Vacation

On a Rwanda safari, Parc National des Volcans, the first national park in Africa, is located in northwestern Rwanda bordering Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is home to five of eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains.

The area was first gazetted in 1925 to protect gorillas from poachers and the borders were extended in 1929. After the Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence in 1960, the park was split in two, and shared with Rwanda.

By 1967, the park became the base for American naturalist Dian Fossey who came to research mountain gorillas. Fossey exposed the problems that gorillas were facing to the world and has been credited with saving them from extinction. Despite being murdered in 1985, Fossey’s memory and legacy have been celebrated around the world.

Today, Parc National des Volcans remains, on travel to Rwanda, a haven for gorillas as there are five gorilla families found in the region. Other mammals that are found in the park include the golden monkey, buffalos and bushbuck as well as 178 recorded bird species. While a limited amount of permits are issued daily for gorilla treks, Parc National des Volcans remains one of the country's most popular tourist destinations on a Rwanda safari.

At a Glance

Languages

English, French, Kinyarwanda, Swahili

Currency

Rwandan Franc (RWF)

Mountain gorilla

A family of mountain gorillas in the forests ma...

A female mountain gorilla in the tropical fores...

A sleeping gorilla

A silver back gorilla hiding in the bush

Travel Stories

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