Welcome to Gishwati Mukura National Park in Rwanda! Find where to stay, the tourist activitieswhen to visit this park and how to get there, tour operators and so much more.

Gishwati-Mukura National park is the 4th and Rwanda’s newest National Park; famously known for its diverse plant species; over 60 species of trees like the bamboo and wood and a big number of Rwanda safari wildlife species; around 84 bird species. It is located in Ngororero and Rutsiro districts in the country’s Western province; covering an area of about 3,558 hectares. This park would have run extinct since during the 1994 genocide whereby most people left the country others went to the borders of the country; hence some ended up occupying the Gishwati and Mukura areas; they carried out farming, deforestation and illegal mining. Gishwati and Mukura are forests. In September 2015 a law was passed to have a joint National Park, hence the Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park

In February 2016 the park was gazetted with the aim that it will be one of the parks contributing to the tourism industry of Rwanda hence formed to protect and keep animals from getting extinct and wondering off. The park is home to different animals and primate species have been spotted by conservationists such as Chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, golden monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys.

The park can be accessed by road or by air and while on road public or private cars can be used, though it is advisable you book through a tour operator. Also the park can be visited on a joint safari  from Uganda after visiting the world’s Endangered Mountain Gorillas, you can travel fro Uganda by road, have a sleep over in Kigali and drive from Kigali to the park in the morning.


The park has a small number of accommodation facilities to spend a night at. And some of them can be the same used while on a visit to Nyungwe forest but the most recommended one on a visit to Gishwati-Mukura is the Gishwati lodge and also there are campsites for budget travelers.

Gishwati Lodge

Gishwati lodge is comprised of 6 rustic forest lodges and the visitor gets both an adventurous and luxurious essence. While staying there you will have an opportunity to enjoy a quick access to the chimpanzees and golden monkeys.

Other Parks To Visit in Rwanda include Nyungwe Forest National Park which is famous for primates, Volcanoes National Park where gorilla tracking in Rwanda is done and Akagera National Park for wildlife animals.