Mount Bisoke Hike

Mount Bisoke is the most popular volcano climb in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, and the payoff is one of the most striking sights in the Virungas, a perfectly formed crater lake sitting at the summit at 3,711 metres.

The hike begins at Kinigi park headquarters with an early briefing before the drive to the trailhead. From there, the climb takes roughly three to four hours up and two to three hours down, for a total of around six hours. The trail is steep and relentlessly muddy, cutting through bamboo, hagenia forest, and giant lobelia country, and the volcanic soil quickly turns slippery. Most hikers describe it as challenging rather than technical; no climbing skill is needed, but good fitness helps.

Along the way, there is a genuine chance of encountering wildlife: golden monkeys in the bamboo, buffalo, forest elephant signs, and occasionally even gorillas crossing the trail, since this is their habitat too. Rangers accompany every group.

At the summit, the crater lake appears suddenly, ringed by steep green walls, with views stretching across to Karisimbi and into the Democratic Republic of Congo when the cloud lifts. It is often misty and cold at the top, so the timing of your arrival is a matter of luck.

Permits cost around $75, and porters are available at the trailhead for a small fee, well worth hiring both for the assistance and for the local employment it provides.