Virunga National Park
Democratic Republic of the Congo · Nord-Kivu · 1800 m
Description
Virunga is the oldest national park in Africa, founded in 1925, and runs three hundred kilometres along the Rwandan and Ugandan border from the Rwenzori glaciers to the volcanoes above Lake Kivu. UNESCO listed it in 1979. Its range of altitude gives it more bird and mammal species than any other protected area on the continent. Mountain gorillas live on the forested slopes of Mikeno, and Nyiragongo holds the largest lava lake on earth in its crater, reached by a two-day climb with a night in huts on the rim. The Rwindi plains carry hippo, elephant and buffalo.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 6 days (optimal 4 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: January – February or June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Nyiragongo lava lake and the crater rim huts
- Mountain gorilla trekking on Mikeno
- UNESCO-listed park, the oldest in Africa
- Climb to the Nyiragongo summit
- Rwindi plains game drives
- Senkwekwe orphan gorilla centre at Rumangabo
- Chimpanzee habituation in the Tongo forest
- Rwenzori Mountains and their glaciers
- Hippo pools on the Rutshuru river
- Nyamuragira, the most active volcano in Africa
- Birdwatching across the altitude bands
- Lake Edward and its fishing villages