Tag: Volcanoes NP /Rwanda/
area: 160 km2/62 mi2
Located in northern Rwanda just a couple of hours away from Kigali, Volcanoes National Park is the most approachable mountain gorilla park in the Gorilla Highlands region. It shares three volcanoes with Uganda’s Mgahinga — Muhabura (4,127 m/13,540 ft), Gahinga (3,474 m/11,398 ft) and Sabyinyo (3,669 m/11,959 ft) — and two with Congo’s Virunga National Park — Karisimbi (4,507 m/14,787 ft) and Bisoke (3,711 m/12,175 ft).
In addition to 12 habituated mountain gorilla groups, the park offers golden monkey tracking and many hiking opportunities. The two-day climb of Mt Karisimbi, the tallest peak of the Virunga volcanoes, is the most challenging while the day-trip to the lake atop Bisoke the most popular option.
For our main Gorilla National Parks page with travel advice please click here.
Our Stories:
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Where Can I Learn the Most About Gorilla Conservation?
If gorilla tracking is more than a selfie opportunity to you, add the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to your itinerary. Even from Uganda, it’s worth a day trip — located about an hour from the Cyanika border post in Kinigi, Rwanda. This 12-acre (5-hectare) facility is home to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Yes, that Fossey…
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Primates in the Mist: Climbing Mount Bisoke in the Rainy Season
The Virungas are currently in the rainy season, and hiking the volcanoes feels completely different compared to the drier months. Two brave team members decided to take on the challenge of climbing Mt Bisoke (3,711 m/ 12,175 ft): our Greek volunteer, Sifis, and Rwandan office manager, Sasha. At the park headquarters we were paired with…
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Virungas vs Bwindi: Where to Track Gorillas in 2025?
If you’re not a huge fan of crowds, wrestling through dense bushes or sweaty hikes, you may find that the Virunga volcanoes offer a more enjoyable gorilla tracking experience than the better-known Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is Uganda’s go-to spot for seeing gorillas, but the Virungas — linking DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda —…