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Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park spans on an area of 160 square kilometers (100 square miles) in the far north-west of Rwanda. The Park is part of the great Virunga Volcano Conservation region covering Virunga National Park in Congo and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. It started as a small region around Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke volcanoes meant to protect the mountain gorillas facing threat of extinction as a result of poaching. The thick forested mountain ranges comprise of six extinct and three active volcanoes each characterised by steep slopes that are blanketed in thick green, tropical rainforest.

However, gorilla tracking in Rwanda is a highly regulated affair, given their endangered status. And permits are both very expensive, ($1,500 per person per track), and hard to come by. So we recommend booking as far in advance as possible (i.e. from several months to 2 years ahead). Each day, only one group of walkers is allowed to track each group of gorillas. And they try to match the fitness levels of the walkers to the rough proximity of each group. But this is not an exact science, so your gorilla tracking experience may be anything from 2 to 7 hours. Once you find them, you are allowed to spend one magical hour in their company.

Best Time to Visit

Visiting Rwanda for gorilla tracking can be done all year round. ..

Wildlife

Volcanoes National Park is home of 340 rare and endangered mountain

Rwanda Travel Tips

Best known for its wealth of primates, Rwanda is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and some wonderful hiking spots.

View all Travel Tips

Best Time to Visit Rwanda

The best time visit Rwanda is from mid-May to mid-October, this is the long dry

Rwanda Geography

Rwanda is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. The country is

Rwanda People and Culture

The National Language in Rwanda is ‘Kinyarwanda’ spoken by most people.

Rwanda Health

Health conditions in Rwanda, once poor, have improved in the 21st century owing to

Rwanda Visa

A valid passport with visa is mandatory when travelling to Rwanda. The bilateral agreements

Rwanda Currency

The Rwandan Franc (Rfr) is the principal currency, although US dollars are widely accepted

Rwanda Weather and Climate

Even though Rwanda is located only two degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda’s

Rwanda Safari FAQS

The official languages of Rwanda are French, Kinyarwanda, English and Swahili. English is spoken

Rwanda Food

In Rwanda, agriculture is a crucial sector and is the backbone of the economy. 90% of the

Rwanda Tipping Guide

: Although service charges are generally included in the bill, tipping is common in

Rwanda Travel Insurance

Rwanda the smallest country in the African mainland, has left its tragic history

Rwanda Safety

The mountain gorillas are one of Rwanda's main tourism draw cards and the government

Rwanda Safari Packing List

In general, pack lightly. Leave room for gifts and souvenirs. Softsided luggage packs

Rwanda Safari Cost

Rwanda is among the few African countries that implement a low volume yet with

Highly recommended! Joseph created a fantastic, customized tour for my family. He listened to our many criteria and put together a wonderful package. He was always available and very responsive. Since we were on a safari that utilized flights within Kenya, there was no opportunity to enjoy Joseph's company (as others have commented). However, he made it a point to come to the airport at the start of our adventure and make sure we were all set. This was a small gesture that epitomized his character (I don't think this would have happened with a large tour provider). March 2023

This was our first safari and such an unforgettable experience. Communication with Joseph, the tour operator, was quick and easy. The proposed itinerary he provided was informative and we were able to easily modify it before finalizing everything. We enjoyed all the places we stayed at and there was something unique about each one. The game drives were just wow (super sawa sawa!). The tour guides/drivers (John in Kenya and Rajam in Tanzania) put in a lot of effort in finding the animals at the top of our list (leopard, rhino, calves, as well as a cheetah hunt and the most awesome selfie with an elephant). Each game drive was unique. There were so many encounters that left us awestruck—we’re still ooh ahhh-ing over our pictures and processing everything we experienced. Joseph was with us for the whole trip; he was quite knowledgeable about birds, which was a bonus. He also assisted with logistics (providing documents quickly for visas needed prior to arrival, getting us through border crossings, and arranging dinner reservations at a restaurant we wanted to go to prior to taking us to the airport). This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had and we have White Plains Safaris to thank for that. They are reliable, prompt, friendly, and well worth the money. February 2023

Our experience with White Plains Safaris and Joseph was amazing! The service was impeccable since the very beginning: during the reservation process, Joseph was extremely helpful, flexible and very honest. After booking, he supported us in any way he could, including paying for our Visas as we had some issues doing that online by ourselves! He was also very helpful in creating the itinerary, which proved to be amazing as it offered great game drives and diversity of landscape. Things kept being perfect throughout our trip; the accommodations he had reserved were very nice and always positioned perfectly, to avoid extra driving. During the game drives he was very accommodating and always asking for our feedback to make sure we had the best time. He brought us in amazing spots thanks to his unstoppable Land Cruiser and we got to see many animals including 3 leopards from very close! We also enjoyed his company very much and he was always able to answer our questions and providing interesting insights on the animals, the parks and Kenya in general. We always felt safe and well taken care of, so I would (and will) strongly recommend Joseph and White Plains to anyone looking for a good time in Kenya and Tanzania. January 2023

White Plains Safari provided me with an incredible experience, they were really easy people to get to know and it felt like I had made another friend at the end of my trip. Their service was excellent, they were really outgoing and did their ultimate best to show us everything they could, even if it meant going out of their way in order to do so, they were very reliable and I personally had no concerns regarding their reliability. In terms of the tour itself, I would one hundred percent recommend my trip to Kenya to anyone, especially with White Plains Safaris. White Plains Safaris helped make my trip an experience I will never forget. May 2022

Milan Nanavati, USA
Esperanza Florendo, USA
Matteo Fogli, Germany
Shaun, Great Britain

Volcanoes National Park