Best time to Visit volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes national park Rwanda can be visited anytime of the year whether during the rainy season or during the wet season. There is not weather that can stop anyone from visiting the park to trek gorillas, or even hike volcanoes or do a nature walk in the forest. However most people or travelers prefer to go gorilla trekking or visit volcanoes during the drier months of the year than during the wet months of the year. This is because most people travel to volcanoes for gorilla trekking and the trails are wet and slippery making it difficult to move through the forest. Also game viewing is not that easy and so you may not be able to see a number of the wildlife as you would during the dry season.
June to Mid-September and December to February
This is a very dry period and this time of the year is the best for anyone to visit Rwanda and most importantly volcanoes park for a gorilla tour. It is the best time for trekking since it will be a bit dry within these rain-forest where the gorillas and chimpanzees stay however, you should carry a rain coat and boots because it may rain anytime. Please remember that these are tropical rain-forests and it can rain anytime.
Also during the dry season, hiking is a lot easier which works in the favor of those that intend to hike while in Rwanda. Game viewing is very easy in these months as the animals often converge by the water sources to quench their thirst since water is very scarce in some parts of the park. This means that you definitely know where to find the animals during the game drives.
June to Mid-September is the long dry season whereas December to February is the short dry season. Please note that due to the fact that Rwanda lies closer to the equator and it is hilly we do receive some showers of rain even during these months
March to May and October to November.
In March to May this is the long wet season where by we receive a lot of rain/ precipitation whereas October and November this is a short wet season. Please note that unlike in Europe, Rwanda received showers or rain just for a couple of hours and then it shines the rest of the year. Therefore it doesn’t prohibit any activities from taking place. During the short rains, primates trekking can be done but may also be a bit strenuous… On the other hand, this is the best time for the bird watchers because around this time, most of the smaller plants and trees are flowering thus attracting lots of birds. You can therefore book a birding safari and it begins towards the end of the rainy season. The photographers can use this time as well to take the best pictures because there are lots of flowers that are flourishing, vegetation is all green and the skies are blue thus offering a great background for you photographs.
Since most people prefer traveling during June to September, we recommend that you organize/book your trip months prior because Volcanoes park has a daily limit on the number of people