DESTINATION GUIDE // RWANDA
Volcanoes National Park
Where Dian Fossey worked. Mountain gorillas on the slopes of five volcanoes, two hours from Kigali.
160 km2
PARK AREA
5
VOLCANOES
$1,500
GORILLA PERMIT
12
GORILLA FAMILIES
105 km
FROM KIGALI
THE PARK
About Volcanoes National Park
Volcanoes National Park covers 160 square kilometres of the Rwandan side of the Virunga Massif, a chain of eight extinct and dormant volcanoes straddling the border with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Five of them stand in Rwanda: Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. The forest climbs from bamboo at around 2,400 metres through hagenia woodland to afro-alpine moorland near the peaks.
This is where Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in 1967 and where the modern conservation story of the mountain gorilla began. It worked. Mountain gorillas are the only great ape whose numbers are rising, and the global population has passed a thousand animals across the Virungas and Bwindi.
Rwanda has built a deliberately high value, low volume model here. Permits are expensive and limited, groups are small, and a large share of revenue is returned to the communities around the park. The result is that a trek feels quiet and unhurried rather than crowded.
GORILLA TREKKING
How The Trek Actually Works
You report to Kinigi park headquarters at 7am for briefing and allocation. Trekkers are sorted into groups of eight, and the guides match each group to a gorilla family based on fitness and preference. From there you drive to the trailhead, then walk.
Trekking time varies enormously. Some families are reached in forty minutes, others take four or five hours each way. The terrain is steep, muddy and often at altitude, which is what most people underestimate. Once you find the family you have one hour with them at a required distance of seven metres.
Twelve habituated families are open to visitors, among them Susa, Amahoro, Sabyinyo, Agashya and Kwitonda. Porters are available at the trailhead for around 10 to 20 US dollars and are worth hiring, both for your knees and because it puts money directly into local hands.
PERMITS AND FEES
What You Pay And When
A gorilla permit costs 1,500 US dollars per person for international visitors. That single fee covers park entry, guides, trackers and the hour with the gorillas. Rwandan and East African Community citizens and African residents pay substantially less.
There is a discounted rate of 1,050 dollars for visitors who also spend time in Akagera or Nyungwe, which is one reason a combined Rwanda itinerary often costs less than people expect.
A golden monkey permit is 100 US dollars. The hike to Dian Fossey’s tomb, the Bisoke crater climb and the Karisimbi two day ascent are each priced separately.
Permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board and should be secured three to six months ahead for the June to September and December to February peaks. We hold and pay for permits on your behalf as part of the booking.
OTHER PRIMATES
Golden Monkeys And What Else Lives Here
Golden monkeys. Endemic to the Virungas and endangered, these bright chestnut and gold guenons live in the bamboo belt in troops that can exceed eighty animals. They are fast, noisy and far easier to photograph than gorillas because the bamboo is more open than the hagenia forest.
Other mammals. Forest buffalo, bushbuck, black fronted duiker, spotted hyena and, very rarely, forest elephant. None of these are what people come for, and sightings are incidental.
Birds. Around 200 species, seventeen of them Albertine Rift endemics. Rwenzori turaco, handsome francolin, Rwenzori double collared sunbird and the strange, ground dwelling Grauer’s swamp warbler in the Bisoke marshes.
THINGS TO DO
Hikes, Peaks And The Fossey Trail
The Dian Fossey tomb hike. Around three hours return to the site of the Karisoke Research Center, where Fossey and her favourite gorilla Digit are buried. More moving than dramatic, and the best context for the whole story.
Mount Bisoke. A steep six hour return climb to a crater lake at 3,711 metres. Muddy in any season and genuinely hard work.
Mount Karisimbi. The highest of the Virungas at 4,507 metres, done as a two day climb with a night at 3,700 metres. For experienced hikers only.
Musanze caves. Two kilometres of lava tube formed by ancient eruptions, an easy addition on an arrival or departure day.
Community experiences. The Gorilla Guardians village at Kinigi and the Gorilla Guardians cultural performances give the human side of the conservation story.
WHEN TO GO
Choosing Your Trekking Season
June to mid September, the long dry season. The most reliable trails and the busiest permits. Book six months ahead.
Mid December to February, the short dry season. Equally good and often slightly quieter. A good alternative if June to September is full.
March to May, the long rains. The forest is at its greenest and the mud is at its worst. Fewer trekkers and easier permits, but expect wet, slippery climbing.
October and November, the short rains. Afternoon showers, manageable trails and good value.
Gorillas are tracked year round and sightings are effectively guaranteed in every season. Weather changes the difficulty of the walk, not the outcome.
GETTING THERE
Kigali To The Virungas
By road. Around 105 km from Kigali to Musanze, two to two and a half hours on good tarmac, then twenty to forty minutes on graded road up to Kinigi headquarters. The drive itself is one of the more beautiful in East Africa, terraced hillsides the whole way.
Timing. Because briefing is at 7am, almost everyone sleeps in Musanze or at a lodge near Kinigi the night before. Driving from Kigali on the morning of a trek means leaving before 4am and is not something we recommend.
By air. Helicopter transfers from Kigali take about twenty five minutes and are available at premium cost.
We handle everything door to door from Kigali International Airport, with the same driver guide throughout.
WHERE TO STAY
Lodges Around The Volcanoes
Singita Kwitonda Lodge. Eight suites on the park boundary with private plunge pools and a reforestation nursery. The most expensive address in Rwanda.
Bisate Lodge. Six spherical villas built into an eroded volcanic cone, run by Wilderness. Distinctive and consistently well reviewed.
One&Only Gorilla’s Nest. Twenty one rooms among eucalyptus at the foot of Sabyinyo, the largest of the luxury options.
Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. Community owned through the SACOLA trust, which returns profits to villages around the park. Comfortable, mid to upper range and the most direct way to put your money into the local economy.
Mid range and budget. Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Le Bambou and a number of guesthouses in Musanze town, twenty five minutes from the gate.
WHAT TO KNOW
Fitness, Kit And The Rules
Altitude and fitness. Treks start at around 2,500 metres and climb. You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be able to walk uphill for several hours on uneven ground. Tell us honestly about fitness and we will ask for an easier family.
Kit. Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, gaiters, long trousers, long sleeves, gardening gloves for the nettles and stinging plants, a rain jacket and a small daypack. Most lodges lend gaiters and walking sticks.
Rules. Minimum age is fifteen. Seven metre distance from the gorillas. Masks are required. No flash photography. Anyone with a cold or flu will be turned away, since gorillas catch human respiratory illnesses easily.
Health. Musanze sits high enough that malaria risk is low, though prophylaxis is still sensible if you are combining with Akagera. Yellow fever certificates are required if arriving from an endemic country.
Plastics. Rwanda bans single use plastic bags and they are confiscated at the airport.
TOURS WITH US
Safaris With Sola Safari Travels
Our shortest Rwanda trip is three days: arrive Kigali, transfer to Musanze, trek, return. Most travellers add a second permit day for golden monkeys or the Fossey hike, and many combine the Virungas with Nyungwe or Akagera to unlock the discounted permit rate.
We secure permits the moment you confirm, since they sell out first in peak season, and we cover the full trip in a private 4×4 with a driver guide who knows the Kinigi routine. One point of contact from your first message to the airport transfer home.
SAFARI PACKAGES
Safaris That Include Volcanoes
Gorilla trekking sits at the centre of every Rwanda itinerary. These trips build around it. All departures are private.
3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS
3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trek
The shortest gorilla trip in Africa. Kigali to the Virunga slopes in under three hours.
From $2,020 per person
6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS
6 Days Gorillas and Chimpanzees Uganda
Gorillas in Bwindi and chimpanzees in Kibale, with Queen Elizabeth in between.
From $2,200 per person
10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS
10 Days Ultimate East Africa
Amboseli, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater at an unhurried pace.
From $2,360 per person
KEY QUESTIONS
Volcanoes Safari, Key Questions
1,500 US dollars per person for international visitors, covering park entry, guides, trackers and one hour with a gorilla family. It drops to 1,050 dollars if you also visit Akagera or Nyungwe on the same trip. Rwandan, East African and African resident rates are considerably lower.
Harder than most people expect. You are walking uphill at 2,500 metres and above, often through mud and dense vegetation, for anywhere between forty minutes and five hours each way. Guides match families to fitness levels, so tell us candidly what you can manage and hire a porter.
In practice, yes. Trackers locate the families before you set out, and Rwanda has an effectively perfect record. What varies is how long the walk takes, not whether you find them.
Rwanda is faster and easier to reach, two and a half hours from Kigali on tarmac, but permits are 1,500 dollars. Uganda is 800 dollars but the drive from Entebbe to Bwindi is eight to nine hours or a light aircraft. Rwanda suits short trips, Uganda suits longer ones.
Three to six months ahead for June to September and December to February. Permits for those windows genuinely sell out. Green season permits can sometimes be found a few weeks out.
Yes, fifteen. This is enforced at briefing and there are no exceptions.
EXPLORE MORE
Pair Volcanoes With Other Destinations
Rwanda is small enough to cross in a day, so the Virungas pair easily with the forests in the west and the savannah in the east.
Gishwati-Mukura National Park
Restored forest, chimps and golden monkeys off the tourist track.
Your Volcanoes Safari Starts Here
Tell us your dates and group size. We will reply within 24 hours with a tailor made proposal and a clear price.
TAILOR MADE SAFARI
Want to Know More? Talk to Us
Create an unforgettable memory with a customised Kenya or Tanzania safari. Tell us how you like to travel and our safari experts will shape the route around you, with no obligation.
Phone: +254 736 992 608
Email: info@solasafaritravels.com
