Volcanoes National Park – Gorilla Trekking Experience in Rwanda

Volcanoes national park is located in North East of Rwanda covering an area of 160kilometres. The park was first gazetted in 1925 as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke, and Mikeno. The main reason was to protect the mountain gorillas from poachers. It borders Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) and Mgahinga Gorilla national park in Uganda.

The national park encompasses five of the eight volcanoes which include Muhabura, Gahinga, Bisoke, Karisimbi, and Sabyinyo.  Also mainly known as the home of the mountain gorillas and the golden monkey, it was also a base for the American primatologist, Dian Fossey who dedicated most of her life to conserving and creating a safe environment for the gorillas. Volcanoes national park was also considered to be the first national park o be created in Africa and in 1929, park borders were extended further.

History of Volcanoes National Park

The park later became a research base for the American primatologist Dian Fossey who arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke research center and is credited for saving the mountain gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the International community. She was however murdered by unknown gunmen at her home in 1985. Her life was later portrayed in the film Gorillas in the mist’

In 1992, Volcanoes national park became a battlefield due to the Rwanda civil war, and all tourism activities were stopped until 1999 when the park was declared safe to visit and under control, though there have been threats and attacks from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in the recent years there have been controlled by the Rwanda army.  As of 2022, according to the Rwanda Development Board(RDB), the Rwanda government has however embarked on plans to expand Volcanoes national park with the goal to ensure a better and safe habitat for the mountain gorillas.

This project is expected to cost approximately 260 billion which is around $255million. This project also aims at improving the livelihoods of communities living around the national park.  Volcanoes national park is famously known as a gorilla tracking destination through a range of other activities that can be done which include the following.

A visit to the caves

This is usually done at Musanze caves as an experienced guide takes you through the history of Rwanda. Musanze caves are found in the Musanze district in Ruhengeri and as the tourists enter the caves, you notice that there are a lot of bats hanging on the walls and different plants which have grown on the walls as well making it a beautiful scenery for photography.

Volcano hike

Mt Bisoke hike (3711m, 1217ft)

This is located on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and is a dormant volcano. Mt Bisoke is located closer to the center of the Virungas and offers beautiful scenery, with also good chances of spotting the mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. This hike takes about 6hours is 4hours climbing and 2hours coming down.

Mount Karisimbi hike (4,507m, 17,787ft)

Mount Karisimbi is one of the top tourist attractions in Musanze and is the 5^th highest in Africa, requiring a lot of physical fitness for one to enjoy this great adventure. This hike involves passing through thick forests and the summit rewards the hikers with beautiful views of white snowcapped Rwenzori mountains, Volcanoes national park, and all the volcanoes within the Virunga area.

Dian Fossey Tomb visit

This is also an important and great visit to Volcanoes national park. Dian Fossey was a great primatologist who dedicated most of her life to protecting the mountain gorillas but her life was cut short by unknown gunmen that claimed her life in 1985. She was however laid to rest in the Volcanoes. Today, most tourists to the mountain visit her grave and Karisoke Research center which is located between mount Karisimbi and mount Bisoke.

Golden Monkey Trekking

There are two habituated golden monkey troops in Volcanoes national park and the larger troop is in Sabyinyo volcano worth 80-100 members and this is the most visited. Golden monkeys live in bamboo forests at the base of Volcano mountains. They feed on bamboo shoots as well as bamboo leaves.

This activity attracts more visitors to Volcanoes national park and this adventure offers an epic encounter with these golden monkeys as their coats and golden fur add a unique look hence offering an excellent view for photography. Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda costs $100 for international tourists and people fit to do this trekking adventure should be from 12 years and above.

Mountain Gorilla Tracking

This is one of the most activities that bring tourists to this park. Volcanoes national park has 10 habituated gorilla families so the tourist is able to track any of these groups. The group is therefore supposed to spend one hour with the gorillas and a gorilla permit in Rwanda costs $1500 and all the permits are issued by Rwanda Development Board(RDB).

Best Time to Visit Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes national park can be visited throughout the year depending on the tour schedule. However, it is always advisable to travel during drier months that is from June to mid-September and from December to February. During this time of the year, the trails are passable which makes it an easier and more enjoyable adventure.

Accommodation

Volcanoes national park has a variety of accommodation facilities for one to choose from on their visit to the park and these include; Mountain gorillas nest lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Faraja Hotel, Best view hotel, Sabyinyo silverback lodge, and Da Vinci gorilla lodge among others.

How to Get to Volcanoes National Park?

Volcanoes national park headquarters are located in Kinigi. The park can be easily accessed from Kigali on a 2hours drive to Musanze district in the Northern province of Rwanda.

Tourists traveling from Entebbe in Uganda to Volcanoes national park, take approximately 11 hours to drive through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kisoro routes before crossing the border at Cyanika. From the Cyanika border, it is a 30minutes drive to the park.