Volcanoes National Park covers the Rwandan slopes of the Virunga Massif, a chain of eight volcanoes shared between Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gazetted in 1925, it is among the oldest national parks in Africa.
The park is the site of Dian Fossey’s Karisoke research station, established in 1967 between Karisimbi and Bisoke, and the research and anti-poaching work begun there is a large part of why mountain gorillas exist at all today.
Trekking here is generally shorter and less steep than in Bwindi, and the drive from Kigali is around two to three hours, which makes Rwanda the more straightforward option for visitors with limited time. Golden monkey tracking and the hike to Dian Fossey’s grave are the two obvious additions.