Musanze Caves

Musanze Caves : The Musanze caves are a hidden treasure of the Volcanoes national park of Rwanda. The Volcanoes national park Rwanda is famously known as the home of a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas of the world. The Musanze caves are found in the Ruhengeri district which is the base of the park. The Musanze cave is part of the Volcanoes national park and is located on the Innes University grounds.

The Musanze cave is one of the 52 caves in the Northern Province of Rwanda and is a result of the volcanicity in the area from the Mount Bisoke and the Mount Sabyinyo. The cave is believed to have been formed way back dating up to 60 million years and is part of the Albertine rift valley. This cave is located in the great western arm of the East African rift valley that is famous for its size and geographical state in the entire world.

The Musanze cave has a ten kilometer wide entry point with a number of passages in the cave and the Musanze cave can be visited while in the area or the Volcanoes national park Rwanda if you have some time to spare. You can opt to visit the Musanze caves after mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda or even after visiting the golden monkeys or hiking one of the volcanoes in the area.

The Musanze cave offers visitors a chance to get lost in nature and enjoy the green in the area and offer great backdrops for your photos. As a number of caves, you will get to spot different types of bats that you may identify and take photos and get lost in the several points of the cave. The experience is thrilling and ideal for guests interested in visiting such places on a safari.

The local people living around the Musanze caves have a special affiliation with these caves as some used them as a hiding place during the wars like the Rwanda genocide. The caves have a built stair like floor that helps the tourists make their way through the caves. There are guides at the park reception that will share a briefing with you ahead of your activity.

This site is also famous among geographers and the geologists that are keen to understand the formation of this cave among the other caves in the region. The Musanze caves has about 31 other entrance points and this cave was officially opened as a tourism sit in 2013 and has welcomed big numbers of visitors since then. The main entrance is a huge opening the size of a cathedral and there is a bat colony that will be the first welcome upon entry.

The Musanze caves are managed by the Rwanda Development Board and manned by the Rwanda defense forces to ensure safety of the guests as well as protection of the caves as they may act as hiding spots for rebels.

A visit to the Musanze caves can be topped up with a visit to the Buhanga Ecopark that visitors of all ages are accepted to access. The Buhanga Eco park has a cave as well that was a previous coronation ground for the Kings of ancient Rwanda. These two sites are great choices for a Rwanda cultural tour and top it up with a visit to the twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo that are just in the area.

The Musanze caves are open to visits throughout the year and this activity takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete. A drive from Kigali city to the Musanze caves is a 90 minute drive. You can spend a night near the caves in one of the great accommodation options depending on your budget.

You can check out the Muhabura hotel or Fatima hotel for the budget traveler or opt for the Le Bambou Gorilla lodge or the Da Vinci lodge for midrange travelers and Virunga lodge or Gorillas Nest Lodge for the luxury traveler looking for an exquisite stay in the Volcanoes national park.

It is very important to find out the security status of your destination but most importantly the weather of the preferred date of visit. The Volcanoes national park has two seasons that is the wet season and the dry season. The Musanze cave is best visited in the dry season but being in a rain forest, a rain downpour is expected any day of your visit despite the season so ensure to be well prepared with great hiking shoes, warm clothes, rain jackets and any other things you may need on a Gorilla safari.

Have you always been interested in visiting cave, do not pass up the opportunity when in Volcanoes national park Rwanda, and let us arrange this visit for you. Our team of knowledgeable tour consultants look forward to hearing from you.