Rusizi National Park, National park in northwestern Burundi

Rusizi National Park is a protected area in northwestern Burundi that runs along the Rusizi River, combining wetlands, palm stands, and open grasslands. The river marks the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the park sits within the broader Albert Rift ecosystem.

Rusizi National Park was created in 1980 in Bubanza Province, about 15 km north of Bujumbura, and covers 5,932 hectares beside the Rusizi River. On 5 June 2002 it was designated a Ramsar site, recognising its wetlands.

Local fishers work the Rusizi using traditional methods passed down through generations, and their boats are a common sight along the riverbanks. Visitors who take a boat trip through the park often find themselves sharing the water with these fishers going about their daily routines.

The park is easy to reach from Bujumbura and offers both boat trips on the river and walking routes through the vegetation. The dry season tends to be the better time to visit, as animals are easier to spot when the vegetation thins out.

Gustave, a Nile crocodile, is said to have killed around 300 people in this area, a claim repeated by guides and fishers. The park lies 15 km north of Bujumbura, next to the Rusizi River, and also holds hippopotamuses and sitatungas.