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Bisoke
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 /Visa and uploading an expired ID/ Visa. Please be advised that verification of tourist documents is done at park entry gates. Tourists who made erroneous, incomplete or false applications WILL be denied entry to the park regardless of whether they paid and acquired a system-generated permit.
In case of any doubt about your application and supporting documents please send your supporting documents to RDB Tourism Reservation Office on email reservation@rwandatourism.com.
Rwanda Development Board accepts no liability for erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent applications
Tourist Permit Fee
| Visitor Category | Adult | Student / Child |
|---|---|---|
| Foreigner | $ 75 | - |
| Foreign resident in Rwanda | $ 60 | $ 45 |
| Rwandan citizen | RWF 4000 | RWF 2000 |
| East African citizen | $ 55 | $ 45 |
| East African Foreign resident | $ 65 | $ 45 |
Requirements
Reporting times at Visitor Information/registration Centres at Park entry is 07h00 in the morning.
Foreign Residents in Rwanda and East African countries need to have a minimum of four consecutive months' residency status/work permit in their passport or diplomatic card to qualify for the Rwandan/East African Foreign resident status.
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 the 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 as Rwandan as long as Immigration and Emigration Director General confirms it.
Restrictions
The minimum age for Bisoke Mountain hike is 15 years.
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 mandatory forms, uploading requisite support documents and paying the applicable fees.
Applications are made with full details of the client (names and passport 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 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 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 the 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.
No swimming is allowed in the 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 nettles plants that are found along the trail.
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 rain forest inhabited by the endangered mountain gorillas that were the subject of the movie "Gorillas in the Mist" about Dian Fossey.