Cyanika Border Rwanda-Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris
Cyanika Border Rwanda-Uganda: The Cyanika Border between Rwanda and Uganda is most used crossing point that is used by visitors doing gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park when coming from Kigali in Rwanda. Gorilla trekking Uganda from Kigali in Rwanda is the best option for gorilla trekking safaris especially for tourists who find gorilla trekking in Rwanda very expensive.
Cyanika border is around an hour’s drive from Volcanoes National Park and 30 minutes from Mgahinga National Park. Cyanika community, sometimes known as “Kyanika,” is located on the Ugandan side, approximately 10 kilometers from Kisoro town, a popular tourist destination in Uganda. The Cyanika border is one among the simplest to cross without much difficulty; however you will need a passport, visa, and yellow fever card to do so. This border is significant to both countries since it links two prominent tourist destinations.
Rwanda closed its borders to Ugandans and Ugandan products in February 2019, including at the Cyanika/Kyanika border crossing. As a consequence, Uganda’s annual commerce worth around US$180 million and Rwanda’s yearly trade worth approximately US$10 million came to a standstill. Attempts by the presidents of Angola, Joo Lourenço, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, to settle the standoff had failed as of February 2020.
Tourist Attractions near the Cyanika Border.
Volcanoes National Park
Also known as the ‘Parc National des Volcans’ in French, Volcanoes national park is strategically situated in Ruhengeri, Rwanda’s north-western province. The national park is home to several bird and plant species. It is also one of the few remaining homes for the world’s endangered Mountain Gorillas, the others being Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.
If you are not doing gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park, you can always cross the Cyanika border into Uganda and do gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla national park or preferably in Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
Because a gorilla trekking permit in Rwanda costs $1500 per person which most budget and midrange travellers find quite expensive, gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali is quite affordable since a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda costs $700 per person for foreign non-residents and $600 for foreign residents in Uganda.
The national park also offers tourists on Rwanda Safaris a wide range of alternative activities such as; golden monkey trekking, Iby’iwacu cultural community tour, explore Musanze caves, bird watching, Hike to Dian Fossey Grave site, hiking Bisoke and Karisimbi mountains.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Crossing the Cyanika border from Rwanda into Uganda will get you to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in approximately one hour if you are travelling from Volcanoes national park in Ruhengeri. Visitors travelling to Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Uganda from Kigali city in Rwanda will take approximately 3 hours and 34 minutes. The Cyanika border offers visitors the best option for gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda from Kigali.
Mgahinga gorilla national park has only one gorilla family which can be tracked by tourists in a group of a maximum of eight people. Gorilla trekking safaris in Mgahinga gorilla national park are best combined with the Batwa trail experience which will give you an opportunity to meet the Batwa (pygmies), learn more about their culture and how they solely depended on the forests for survival.
Lake Mutanda
Tourists accessing Uganda through the Cyanika Border Rwanda-Uganda can also explore Lake Mutanda in Kisoro district. Lake Mutanda is located in Kisoro District in southern Uganda, some 20 kilometers north of Kisoro, where the district offices are located. This place is roughly 454 kilometers by road southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city.
It is located at an elevation of 1,800 meters in the foothills of the Virunga Mountain Range. Mount Muhabura, Mount Sabinyo, and Mount Gahinga, three volcanoes in the range that are partly situated in Uganda may be seen from Lake Mutanda. The lake contains a number of islets. The Rutshuru River drains the lake, which flows northward to Lake Edward.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda can also be accessed through the Cyanika border. Gorilla trekking safaris in Bwindi impenetrable national park are the top selling gorilla trekking Uganda. The southern sector of the national park is easily accessible from either Kigali city or Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. The journey to Bwindi national park in Uganda from Kigali using the Cyanika border takes approximately 5 hours driving. This is absolutely convenient for tourists in Rwanda looking to do gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park can always be combined with other activities like bird watching, Batwa community tour, guided nature walks and even activities in other national parks such as chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park, wildlife viewing in Murchison Falls national park, lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth national park, Nile Delta boat cruise in Murchison falls national park or a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Explore Rwanda Tours offers the best gorilla tours in Uganda from Rwanda. For more information on our offers for Uganda gorilla trekking safaris from Rwanda, contact us on info@gorillatrekkingugandafromkigali.com
