Eight volcanoes, half the world's mountain gorillas
Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains are a chain of eight volcanoes in east-central Africa, on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest is Karisimbi at 4,507 m, and two of them, Nyiragongo and…
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About Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains are a chain of eight volcanoes in east-central Africa, on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest is Karisimbi at 4,507 m, and two of them, Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, are still active. The bamboo and hagenia forest on the lower slopes is home to about 600 mountain gorillas, a little over half of all the mountain gorillas left in the world. Most people come for one hour with a habituated gorilla family, usually from the Rwandan side in Volcanoes National Park, about two and a half hours by road from Kigali. Golden monkey treks, the crater lake hike on Bisoke and the walk to Dian Fossey's grave fill the days around the gorilla trek.
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Where are the Virunga Mountains?
The range sits where Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo meet, north of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan town of Musanze. Each country protects its share as a national park:
- Rwanda: Volcanoes National Park, with five of the volcanoes. This is where most gorilla treks start.
- Uganda: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, on the slopes of Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo.
- DR Congo: Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest national park (founded in 1925) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both active volcanoes are on this side.
The trailheads are well above 2,000 m, so expect cold mornings, mud and steep paths, even in the dry months.
The eight Virunga volcanoes
The range has eight volcanoes, and Karisimbi is the highest at 4,507 m.
| Volcano | Height | Country | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karisimbi | 4,507 m | Rwanda and DR Congo | The highest. A two-day hike from Rwanda, with a night on the mountain. |
| Mikeno | 4,437 m | DR Congo | Steep and rarely climbed. |
| Muhabura | 4,127 m | Rwanda and Uganda | A long day hike with a small crater lake at the top. |
| Bisoke | 3,711 m | Rwanda and DR Congo | The most popular day hike, up to a crater lake. |
| Sabyinyo | 3,669 m | Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo | The three borders meet on its summit. |
| Gahinga | 3,474 m | Rwanda and Uganda | Climbed from Mgahinga on the Ugandan side. |
| Nyiragongo | 3,470 m | DR Congo | Active, with one of the largest lava lakes on Earth. It last erupted in May 2021. |
| Nyamuragira | 3,058 m | DR Congo | Active, and one of the most active volcanoes in Africa. |
Heights are the usual published figures. Sources differ by a few metres.
Gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains
Each habituated gorilla family takes one group of up to eight visitors a day, for one hour. Rangers place you with a family that suits your fitness, so the walk can be 30 minutes or most of the day. You must be 15 or older to trek.
Permits are sold per person for each trek. In Rwanda one costs US$1,500; Uganda's Mgahinga permits cost less but are fewer. The dry months, June to September and December to February, are the easiest for walking and the first to sell out, so book the permit as soon as your dates are firm.
Our shortest trip is the 3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari, from US$3,350. The 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking and Lake Kivu Safari adds time on the lake, from US$3,620, and the 5 Days Volcanoes National Park Gorilla Trekking Safari leaves room for a golden monkey trek or the Bisoke hike, from US$4,160.
Questions
Virunga Mountains questions
In east-central Africa, on the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo, just north of Lake Kivu. Rwanda's part is Volcanoes National Park, Uganda's is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Congo's is Virunga National Park.
The highest peak is Karisimbi at 4,507 m. Mikeno (4,437 m) and Muhabura (4,127 m) come next, and the lowest of the eight is Nyamuragira at 3,058 m.
Two are. Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, both in the DR Congo, are active, and Nyiragongo last erupted in May 2021. The volcanoes on the Rwandan and Ugandan side are not active.
The last full census, in 2015 and 2016, counted 604 mountain gorillas in the Virungas. That is a little over half of the world's mountain gorillas. Almost all the rest live in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Rwanda is the usual choice. Volcanoes National Park has the most habituated families and is about two and a half hours by road from Kigali airport. Uganda's Mgahinga is cheaper but has fewer permits.
Virunga National Park in the DR Congo has closed to visitors for long periods because of conflict in North Kivu. Check current travel advice before planning it. Our Virunga trips run from Rwanda.
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