Gishwati-Mukura National Park in Rwanda is the country's fourth and newest national park, a bio-diverse protected area sitting on the ridge that divides the Congo and Nile water catchment basins. Gishwati-Mukura is a spectacular protected area and its landscape is characterized by misty montane rainforests, steep forested hills and bamboo thickets. In addition to the natural rainforest, Gishwati-Mukura also features patches of indigenous hardwood, eucalyptus stands and scenic waterfalls where a variety of its floral and faunal species survive.

Gishwati-Mukura National Park offers refuge to a diversity of globally threatened species including the Eastern chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), the golden monkey, and L'Hoest's monkey, alongside an impressive list of Albertine Rift endemic birds.

Gishwati-Mukura is a spectacular park, located in Western Rwanda across the districts of Rutsiro and Ngororero. It is strategically lying in an area where visitors can enjoy excellent views of the rolling tea plantations of the western highlands, and on a clear day, you can view the breathtaking shores of Lake Kivu in the distance. Besides faunal and floral species, Gishwati-Mukura boasts of its growing network of well-maintained walking and hiking trails that lead to scenic waterfalls and other beautiful viewpoints inside the forest.

Gazetted in 2015 and officially opened to the public on 1st December 2020, Gishwati-Mukura is currently sitting on a small land area of about 34 sq. km, comprising the larger Gishwati Forest and the smaller Mukura Forest plus a buffer zone of around 9.6 sq. km. It shelters over 60 species of trees including indigenous hardwoods and bamboo, several mammal species inclusive of about 7 primate species, and 232 species of birds in Gishwati and 163 in Mukura, many of them Albertine Rift endemics.

Faunal species in Gishwati-Mukura

Wildlife/Animals in Gishwati-Mukura National Park

A growing population of mammals freely roams the diverse habitats in Gishwati-Mukura National Park. These comprise about 35 Eastern chimpanzees in Gishwati Forest, golden monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and black-and-white colobus monkeys.

Other mammals in the park include black-fronted duikers, bushbucks, red river hogs, tree hyraxes, serval cats, side-striped jackals, mongooses, civets and southern tree hyraxes. The chimpanzees of Gishwati are still in the process of habituation, and unlike the fully habituated communities in Nyungwe, sightings are not guaranteed and visitors should not expect to approach the apes as closely.

Birds

Over 232 species of birds have been recorded in Gishwati Forest and 163 in Mukura Forest, including endemic species, forest species, and others. The birds for you to expect to identify in Gishwati-Mukura National Park include the Rwenzori turaco, great blue turaco, Rwenzori batis, mountain yellow warbler, white-headed wood-hoopoe, regal sunbird, purple-breasted sunbird, dusky crimson-wing, and strange weaver.

Gishwati-Mukura also protects birds such as the African green broadbill, Grauer's swamp warbler, stripe-breasted tit, red-throated alethe, martial eagle, crowned eagle, bateleur, pallid harrier, dwarf honeyguide, Lagden's bush shrike, Shelley's crimson-wing, and the white-headed vulture.

Additional birds to identify on bird-watching excursions in Gishwati-Mukura include the white-backed vulture, hooded vulture, handsome francolin, archer's robin chat, and various Albertine Rift endemics, to mention but a few.

What to do in Gishwati-Mukura National Park

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee tracking/trekking is one of the headline primate experiences Gishwati-Mukura is known to offer primate enthusiasts. Treks to explore chimps in Gishwati-Mukura are conducted in Gishwati Forest, which is the only forest currently open for tourism activities. Around 35 chimpanzees survive in the Gishwati Forest alone and normal day treks begin early in the morning after a briefing at the park office, due to the nature of these primates' habitat.

Gishwati-Mukura is found at an altitude of between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level. The kind of elevation and the steep, often muddy terrain in Gishwati requires a good level of fitness for you to have a complete round trek. You can only be allowed to engage in a chimpanzee trek in Gishwati-Mukura if you have a valid permit booked through the Rwanda Development Board. Note that the chimpanzees here are still being habituated, so sightings are not guaranteed and close approaches are not always possible. Talk to your local safari operator to book your chimpanzee permit and arrange the rest of your holiday.

Essentials to have on a chimp trek in Gishwati-Mukura include a valid chimp permit, long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, a daypack, a good camera, waterproof hiking boots, gaiters, a safari hat, insect repellent, a pair of binoculars, a rain jacket, gardening gloves for grabbing branches, and sunscreen.

Golden monkey and primate tracking

Beyond chimpanzees, Gishwati-Mukura is one of the few places in Rwanda where you can also track golden monkeys, a species previously found mostly in Volcanoes National Park. On a primate-tracking experience, expect to encounter golden monkeys leaping through the bamboo, large groups of L'Hoest's monkeys (around 13 groups and over 150 individuals are believed to inhabit the park), blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and olive baboons.

Bird watching

Gishwati-Mukura is a rising bird-watching site in Rwanda due to its abundant bird species and its position along the Albertine Rift. On a bird watching tour, expect to explore the diversity of birds including the Rwenzori turaco, mountain yellow warbler, Rwenzori batis, regal sunbird, purple-breasted sunbird, dusky crimson-wing, strange weaver, dwarf honeyguide, Lagden's bush shrike, and Shelley's crimson-wing. Birding walks need to be pre-arranged with the park office, which can supply a checklist and recommended trail map.

Nature & hiking walks

Gishwati-Mukura National Park features a small but rewarding network of hiking and nature walking trails inside Gishwati Forest. These lead visitors through scenic landscapes with a chance to spot a diversity of birds, primates, butterflies, chameleons and other species. The hikes are conducted with the presence of an experienced park ranger guide.

Top experiences to enjoy include the guided forest hike that takes in one of Gishwati's many beautiful waterfalls, perfect for a refreshing rainforest break. There are also shorter nature interpretation walks ideal for visitors who are not up to a full chimpanzee trek. Mukura Forest currently has no developed trails or visitor infrastructure and is not yet open for tourism, although plans are in place to extend hiking trails into Mukura and eventually link both forests with Nyungwe through a rainforest corridor.

Additional walking options in Gishwati include guided birding walks, butterfly and reptile-spotting walks, and short interpretive trails near the park office.

Waterfall hike

A waterfall hike in Gishwati-Mukura National Park is one of the most rewarding nature experiences in the forest. The hike weaves through dense rainforest before arriving at a tumbling waterfall hidden inside Gishwati. The walk involves exploring the diversity of primates, birds, and the scenic forest canopy, and can be combined with chimp or golden monkey tracking depending on your fitness and the time available.

Community/cultural safaris

Cultural/community visits are perfect additions to chimp treks or birding expeditions in Gishwati-Mukura National Park. This is the best way to have a close interaction with locals, exploring their practices, traditions, cultures and a lot more. Activities include visits to local tea plantations and tea-processing factories, beekeeping demonstrations with cooperatives on the forest edge, traditional dance performances, handicraft workshops, and tree-planting experiences with the Forest of Hope Association that contributes directly to ongoing reforestation.

The best time to go to tour Gishwati-Mukura

Gishwati-Mukura is best to visit during the dry season months; June to mid-September and December to February. These months experience favorable weather conditions, drier trails and easier hiking that make them the best for trekking Gishwati chimpanzees or engaging in golden monkey tracking. The park can however be visited throughout the year, and the rainy months from October to May are also rewarding for primate sightings because food is more readily available and the chimpanzees do not move as far in search of it, although the trails become very slippery.

Where to stay on Gishwati-Mukura National Park holiday

Places to consider for your overnight stay include Forest of Hope Guest House (the community-run lodge right at the forest edge), Gishwati Lodge (a luxury eco-lodge with six chalets accommodating fewer than 15 guests at a time), and a range of hotels along Lake Kivu and in Rubavu, all within a 30 to 60-minute drive of the park gate. These include Kivu Paradis Resort, Nirvana Heights Resort & Spa, Inzu Lodge, Rushel Kivu Lodge, Kivu Peace View Hotel and Palm Beach Resort. On an actual holiday, you have a chance to spend a night in quality budget, midrange, and luxury accommodation.

Getting to Gishwati-Mukura

Kigali to Gishwati-Mukura covers a distance of about 130 km and depending on the stopovers en route, the entire journey can take about 3 to 4 hours by road, passing through scenic tea plantations and rolling hills of the western highlands. The other available option is taking a chartered flight using Akagera Aviation services from Kigali. The park is also easily combined with a visit to Volcanoes National Park in the north (about a 30 to 60-minute drive from Rubavu) and Nyungwe National Park further south, making it an ideal stop on a Rwanda primate-trekking circuit.