What is the best time to visit Rwanda? Rwanda safari vacations are accessible at any time of year, with the optimal period depending on your specific interests and tolerance for wet weather. The majority of visitors to Rwanda come for gorilla trekking, which is offered all year. However, the rainy environment of the Virunga Mountains, gorillas’ habitat, may make walking difficult, especially during the Wet season (March, April, October and November).
The driest months (June to August) are ideal for Rwanda gorilla trekking, and they are also ideal for hiking in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Most primates in Nyungwe can be found all year, although chimps are easier to monitor during the Wet because they prefer to migrate deeper into the forest when food gets scarce.
Having said that, if you have appropriate waterproof clothing and don’t mind getting caught in the rain on occasion, the Wet season months have advantages in that they are less busy and lodges frequently offer reduced prices. Permits for gorillas are also simpler to get during the Wet season, What is the best time to visit Rwanda?.
Mountain gorilla tracking is one of Africa’s top wildlife adventures, and Volcanoes National Park may be the greatest spot to do so. There are more habituated soldiers here than in the other places where this activity is available. Each unit has its own area as well as its own family structure. If your budget allows, you may try arranging two gorilla expeditions on separate days.
A group of habituated golden monkeys, native to the Albertine Rift, may also be followed in addition to mountain gorillas. Buffalo, elephant, bush pig, giant forest hog, and various antelope species are among the creatures that live in the park but are rarely seen.
Trekking for gorillas is possible all year. Sightings are virtually always possible at any moment. Because the pathways become slick in heavy rain, tracking gorillas is simpler during the dry season, which runs from June to August, and to a lesser extent in December and January, when it rains less. To ensure you get a permit for gorilla trekking during the dry season, you should book well in advance.
What to do during your visit to Rwanda?
March marks the start of the extended rainy season, which lasts through April and May. However, the end of May is frequently dry, and hence barren of travelers fleeing the “great rains.”
The lengthy dry season, from June to mid-September, is the most popular time to visit. Showers are still possible at this period. In September, Musanze hosts a particularly special event called Kwita Izina, which is a gorilla naming ceremony and celebration of mountain gorilla new-borns.
The Kigali International Peace Marathon, held in May, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Whether you are participating or simply watching. There are three races: a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 10km peace run.
Tutsi Genocide Memorial Day is April 7, a public holiday that is naturally sombre. If you want to go gorilla trekking, the ground has dried up again in December following the brief rains in October and November. So, if you’re searching for unique Christmas vacation ideas, you couldn’t do much better than going gorilla watching in Rwanda.
The Rwanda Cycling Federation organizes the Tour du Rwanda, a beautiful countrywide event. However, the dates are subject to change, so keep an eye on their website. It is currently set for February/March, however it was initially slated for November and has also taken place in August. It’s a decent one, but a bit of a moving feast. Rwanda celebrates Independence Day on July 1 every year, commemorating the day in 1962 when Rwanda was liberated from Belgian colonial authority, What is the best time to visit Rwanda?.
Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda.
For a fee of 1500 USD, you can be able to see Mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park. Rwanda has 12 gorilla trekking families available. Gorilla trekking begins with a briefing from ranger guides at the park headquarters, where you will meet the rest of the folks planning to embark on a gorilla trek. Following this adventure, you will be assigned to a new gorilla family to hike with and a ranger guide to lead you. Some families live close the briefing place, while others must drive a short distance before beginning the trip, What is the best time to visit Rwanda?.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda.
Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda takes place at Nyungwe national park in the country’s south. Cyamudongo and Uwinka are the two sites in Nyungwe where you may go chimp trekking. Your guide will direct you to the starting point of your journey and will provide you with a briefing before you begin. Chimpanzee trekking begins early in the morning, with tourists requested to be at the briefing site in Uwinka at 5:00 a.m. to begin walking. After discovering the chimps with the assistance of your ranger guide, you are permitted to spend one hour with them.
Wildlife Viewing in Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is a more traditional African savannah reserve where you can view all five of the Big Five. The most prevalent animals are buffaloes and elephants, although leopards are becoming more common on night drives, and lions and black rhinos, who were reintroduced in 2015 and 2017, are also becoming more visible. Maasai giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, warthog, olive baboon, vervet monkey, hippo, impala, Defassa waterbuck, bushbuck, common duiker, eland, topi, Bohor reedbuck, oribis, roan antelope, klipspringer, and the secretive semi-aquatic Sitatunga are among the other animals.
On night drives, spotted hyenas, genets, civets, white-tailed mongooses, bush babies, elephant-shrews, and numerous owl and nightjar species are frequently sighted. Akagera is home to over 480 bird species, with a focus on raptors, Waterbirds, and savannah and woodland species.
