The Bishop’s House is a small, colonial-style boutique retreat in the Musanze district of northern Rwanda, and it makes a comfortable and characterful base for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. The house sits within easy reach of the park headquarters at Kinigi, so early-morning briefings before a trek are a short and stress-free drive away. Note that the $1,500 gorilla permit is charged separately by the Rwanda Development Board and is not part of any accommodation rate.
Formerly known as the Villanova Boutique Hotel and reopened under its current name in late 2017, The Bishop’s House trades on an intimate, home-from-home feel rather than the scale of a large resort. With just nine en-suite rooms, gracious communal spaces and manicured gardens, it is the sort of place that suits travellers who want elegance and quiet rather than crowds. This guide walks through the house and its rooms, how service works, dining, the trekking and activities on the doorstep, where it sits and how to reach it, and what to expect on rates and timing.
The House and Bedrooms
The Bishop’s House is styled much like a colonial manor, and the mood inside is deliberately opulent in an old-world way: rich fabrics, antique furniture, large paintings on the walls and softly lit sitting rooms that invite you to linger with a book after a day on the volcanoes. There are nine en-suite bedrooms in total, arranged as six Superior rooms (one of them a twin), two Deluxe suites and a single Executive suite, giving couples, friends and families a range of sizes to choose from. Each room is finished to feel homely as well as smart, with DSTV, Wi-Fi, a mini-bar and tea and coffee facilities. The overall impression is of a private house that happens to take guests, rather than a hotel.
Exclusive-Use and Service
Service at The Bishop’s House is one of its defining features. The house is looked after by a friendly, professional team, and guests are cared for with 24-hour room service, a laundry service and the kind of attentive, personal hospitality that a small property can offer but a larger lodge often cannot. Because the house is compact, it lends itself naturally to exclusive-use bookings, where a single family or group reserves all nine rooms and enjoys the staff, the gardens and the communal rooms entirely to themselves. Even on a room-by-room basis, the low guest numbers mean the atmosphere stays calm and unhurried, which matters after the physical effort of a trek.
Dining
Meals are a highlight and are included in the stay. A multi-course lunch is served in the early afternoon and a longer multi-course dinner in the evening, both prepared in a considered, sit-down style rather than a buffet. Dining is generously inclusive: alongside the food, guests can enjoy a selection of soft drinks, local beers and house wines as part of the rate, so there is no need to keep an eye on a bar tab. Eating together in the elegant dining room, or out in the gardens when the weather is kind, is part of what gives the house its convivial, house-party character.
Gorilla Trekking and Activities
The reason most guests come to this corner of Rwanda is the mountain gorillas, and The Bishop’s House is well placed for them. Treks set off from the park headquarters at Kinigi after an early briefing, and rangers allocate visitors among the habituated gorilla families according to fitness and preference. Beyond the gorillas, the house is a springboard for a full week of activity: golden monkey tracking, the poignant hike to Dian Fossey’s grave and former research camp, longer volcano climbs, day trips to the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, cave tours and cultural visits to nearby villages. The team can help arrange and time these around your permit day so nothing feels rushed.
Where It Is and How to Get There
The Bishop’s House lies in the Musanze district of Rwanda’s Northern Province, the natural gateway town for Volcanoes National Park. It is roughly a 25-minute drive of about 17 kilometres from the park itself, and around half an hour from the Kinigi headquarters where treks begin - close enough that the pre-dawn start on trekking day is manageable. From Kigali, the drive north takes in the order of two to three hours on good, scenic tarmac roads, making the house an easy first or last stop on a wider Rwanda itinerary. Most guests arrive by road transfer arranged through their tour operator.
Rates and Best Time to Stay
The Bishop’s House positions itself as luxurious accommodation without the very highest lodge prices of the region, and rates are typically quoted on request, particularly where a group wishes to book the property on an exclusive-use basis. Because rates and inclusions change from season to season, it is best to confirm current pricing directly at the time of booking rather than rely on published figures. Rwanda’s drier months - broadly June to September and December to February - are the most popular for trekking, when forest trails are firmer underfoot, and rooms in and around the park fill quickly. Given how few rooms The Bishop’s House has, booking well ahead is strongly advised, especially if you hope to secure the whole house. If you are still weighing your options, our guide on how to choose the right gorilla trekking lodge is a useful place to start.
Where is The Bishop’s House located?
It is in the Musanze district of northern Rwanda, the gateway to Volcanoes National Park. The house is about a 25-minute drive (roughly 17 kilometres) from the park and around half an hour from the Kinigi park headquarters, with Kigali some two to three hours away by road.
How many rooms does it have?
There are nine en-suite bedrooms: six Superior rooms (one a twin), two Deluxe suites and one Executive suite. The small scale makes it well suited to exclusive-use bookings by families or groups.
Is the gorilla permit included in the rate?
No. The $1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit is issued and charged separately by the Rwanda Development Board and is not part of any accommodation rate. It should be budgeted and booked in addition to your stay.
What is included in a stay?
Stays are generously inclusive, with multi-course lunches and dinners, a selection of soft drinks, local beers and house wines, 24-hour room service, laundry and Wi-Fi. Confirm the exact inclusions with the property when you book, as these can vary.
What activities can I do from the house?
Beyond gorilla trekking, guests can track golden monkeys, hike to Dian Fossey’s grave, climb the volcanoes, visit the lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, tour caves and take cultural excursions to nearby villages, all within easy reach of the house.
