Kahuzi-Biéga National Park seasonal visit planner for South Kivu Province

A UNESCO World Heritage site protecting Congo's exceptional biodiversity and eastern lowland gorilla habitat

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park stands as one of Africa's most significant protected areas, both for its ecological richness and its conservation challenges. Located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo near the Rwandan border and Lake Kivu, the park encompasses a remarkable diversity of landscapes within its 6,000 square kilometer boundary. The eastern sector rises into the Mitumba Mountains along the Albertine Rift, while the western lowland sector contains dense tropical rainforest that forms part of the Northeastern Congolian lowland forests ecoregion. A narrow seven-kilometer corridor connects these two distinct zones. The park's two namesake volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biéga, dominate the eastern skyline and contribute to the spectacular variety of habitats found within the protected area. Since its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 under Criterion (x) for its unique rainforest habitat and mammalian diversity, the park has faced mounting pressures from regional instability, population displacement concerns, and illegal resource extraction. Despite these challenges, Kahuzi-Biéga remains critical for global biodiversity conservation, particularly for the survival of eastern lowland gorillas whose population has tragically declined from approximately 600 individuals in the pre-1990s period to fewer than 200 today.