Volcanoes National Park

High in Rwanda's far north-west, Volcanoes National Park protects the Rwandan slopes of the Virunga Massif — a chain of dormant volcanoes rising to 4,507 metres at Karisimbi, with Bisoke's crater lake, and the peaks of Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura alongside it. Bamboo, evergreen forest, heath and swamp stack up the mountainsides, and in the bamboo live the last mountain gorillas.

Why visit

Gorilla trekking is the reason most people come, and it deserves its reputation: an hour with a habituated family after a hike of anywhere between forty minutes and four hours. But the park rewards a second and third day. Golden monkeys are tracked from the same headquarters and are an easier, shorter outing that suits families. Hikers can climb Bisoke in a day or Karisimbi over two, and the walk to Dian Fossey's former research camp between Karisimbi and Bisoke is as moving as it is scenic. Around the park, Buhanga Eco-Park carries the folklore of Rwanda's kings and the Musanze Caves run for kilometres under old lava flows.

Getting there and getting around

Kigali to Musanze is about two and a half hours on the RN4, a good tarmac road through some of the country's prettiest hills. Kinigi, the park headquarters, is a short drive beyond Musanze; the last stretch to each trailhead is murram and can be rough after rain, which is why we recommend a Prado or Land Cruiser rather than a small car. Every activity starts with a 7am briefing, so plan to sleep in Musanze or Kinigi the night before — we deliver the car to your lodge, or your driver-guide collects you at the door.

Practical notes

Bring sturdy walking shoes, long trousers, gardening gloves for the nettles and a light waterproof; gaiters are useful in the rains. Permits are limited per day and sell out in the dry seasons, so fix your dates early. We buy permits the same day your deposit arrives and put the permit, the lodge and the vehicle on one written quote.

We would take the Land Cruiser Prado.