The Best National Parks in Rwanda

Last updated July 14th, 2023.

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Rwanda marks the transition between the vast rainforests of central Africa and the plains of typical safari country in the east. So while one of Africa’s smallest nations, there’s a veritable Noah’s Ark of species to look out for in the best national parks in Rwanda.

No introduction to the country can avoid the country’s horrifying past. The genocide of the 1990s saw the murder of 400,000 – 800,000 people and also severely impacted the nation’s wildlife. Thankfully, the country has made huge advances since. Today, Rwanda is one of the cleanest and safest of Africa’s 54 nation states. With this is mind, let’s explore Rwanda’s best national parks…

1. Volcanoes National Park

In the country’s extreme northwest, Volcanoes is probably the country’s most famous national park. It’s the reason most people decide on a holiday in Rwanda.

Its dramatic landscape of dormant volcanic peaks shifts between misty forested slopes, dense swamp and evocative crater lakes.

But its main attraction is the chance to stand within a few feet of one of our closest living relatives – the mountain gorilla.

Volcanoes National Park is, in fact, one of the best places in Africa to encounter these gentle giants. The park is thought to be home to up to a third of the world population.

And should that not be enough, there’s also a chance to catch sight of rare golden monkeys and around 200 individual species of bird.

2. Akagera National Park

Run in collaboration with the conservation charity African Parks, Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s response to Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth and Tanzania’s Serengeti national parks.

It predominantly comprises open savannah speckled with indigenous woodland. Lakes provide a vital water source for many of the park’s residents.

While Akagera can’t match the bigger parks in neighbouring countries on size, it does give them a run for their money when it comes to the safari experience.

With the reintroduction of lions (hunted to extinction in the aftermath of the genocide), Akagera provides the possibility of the Big Five experience on a day tour from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. Of course, I’d suggest you spend longer in Akagera if you can.

In addition, the park has a population of 18 highly-endangered eastern black rhino. They can be admired on self-drive safaris without the crowds of better-known parks.

3. Nyungwe National Park

This Rwandan national park takes us back into the forests of the country’s west. It is located in the far southwest of the country, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Burundi to the south.

Nyungwe was created to protect what is thought to be one of the oldest areas of rainforest anywhere in Africa.

And while gorilla may be conspicuous by their absence, there’s plenty of primate activity on offer. There’s resident chimp populations and 12 other primate species known to inhabit the park.

Primate tracking has to be at the top of the list when it comes to things to do. It can be easily combined with some 15 signposted hiking trails ranging in length from an hour to half a day.

The Igishigishigi Trail also incorporates one of Africa’s only canopy walkways of gently-bouncing bridges, so don’t forget your walking shoes.

4. Gishwati Mukura National Park

Known in French as the Forêt de Gishwati, this national park sits among the glorious rolling hills that rise up out of Lake Kivu.

Easily combinable with a trip to nearby Volcanoes National Park, Gishwati aims to preserve two separate areas of forest. Together they form a vital habitat for chimps and a variety of other primates and monkeys.

Those with a better eye than me have also counted 232 species of bird – a third of Rwanda’s total – demonstrating the healthy nature of the park ecosystem.

Only formally created in 2015, Gishwati remains a work in progress, but one you should be eager to support.

What are the best national parks in Rwanda?

Its small stature is certainly no problem for Rwanda. When it comes to visiting the best national parks in the country, it’s a positive advantage. I can think of nowhere else where you can see wild gorillas one day, the Big Five the next, and chimps the day after. And that’s what makes Rwanda so special.