Tourists are advised against making erroneous, incomplete, or false applications. Such cases may include, among others, applying for the wrong product, uploading a false ID or visa, and uploading an expired ID or visa. Please be advised that verification of tourist documents is done at park entry gates. Tourists who submitted incorrect, incomplete, or false applications WILL BE REFUSED ENTRY TO THE PARK, regardless of whether they paid for and received a system-generated permit.

 

In case of any doubt about your application and supporting documents, please send your inquiry to the Devine African Safaris  Reservation Office at info@gorillasafariscompany.com

 

Rwanda Development Board accepts no liability for erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent applications

 

Tourist Permit Fee

 

 

Guidelines for hiking Mount Bisoke in Rwanda

 

Requirements

Reporting times at the visitor information and registration centers at the park entrance are 07h00.

To qualify for Rwandan or East African Foreign Resident status, foreign residents in Rwanda and East African countries must have a minimum of four consecutive months of residency status or work permit in their passport or diplomatic card.

A diplomat who has a residence visa can be allowed to use the applicable resident rates for his spouse and legally accepted children even if the spouse and legally accepted children do not have resident visas (reside outside of Rwanda).

 

Reporting East African residents need to provide EAC ID cards or passports.

A tourist with one Rwandan parent and a tourist with a Rwandan spouse will be considered Rwandan as long as the Immigration and Emigration Director General confirms it.

 

Restrictions

The minimum age for the Bisoke Mountain hike is 15 years old.

A maximum of sixteen (16) people are permitted per group of hikers.

Processing Time

A tourist permit will be automatically issued by this system upon completion of the application process.

 

Application Process

The application process is as simple as picking an available slot in the product of your choice, filling out mandatory forms, uploading the requisite support documents, and paying the applicable fees.

Applications are made with full details of the client (names, passport number, email, and phone number) at the time of payment.

Bookings and reservations are done on a "first come, first served" basis.

 

Rwandan nationals are expected to pay the full amount at the time of booking.

 

Hiking Mountain Bisoke can be an experience of a lifetime, but it can also be one of the most challenging things a person can undertake, especially if they are physically unfit.

 

The hiking is 6 to 7 hours, including 2 hours of descent, but that is for inexperienced hikers. Experienced hikers can take less than 4 hours to hike and come back down to the base.

 

The journey from the offices to the park is about one hour, and it is advisable to book a 4x4 vehicle to take you up to the parking base.

 

At the park headquarters, hikers can hire gumboots, raincoats, and gloves since the terrain can be messy.

You will need to meet your guide and group at the park reception. They will then guide you and your vehicle to the parking area to begin the hike.

 

Swimming is not permitted in Crater Lake. It is non-technical but can be muddy and slippery, especially on the steeper sections. Long pants are suggested due to the stinging nettle plants that are found along the trail.

 

About Mount Bisoke hiking 

Mt. Bisoke is an extinct volcano in the Virunga mountain range in east Africa. It stands at 3,711 meters, with a crater lake at the summit that can be reached only on a guided hike by ORTPN, the Rwanda tourism office. The hike leads through a rain forest inhabited by the endangered mountain gorillas that were the subject of the movie "Gorillas in the Mist" about Dian Fossey.