6 Days Rwanda Volcano Hiking: Bisoke, Karisimbi and Dian Fossey Tomb

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   

   Kigali to Kinigi via the Twin Lakes

   Our driver-guide picks you up at Kigali International Airport or your hotel and heads north out of the city. The road follows ridges and valleys of terraced farmland for about 110 km, and the drive to Kinigi takes around two and a half hours without stops. Today we take our time. Before Musanze, a side road leads to the viewpoint above Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo, the twin lakes formed when lava flows from the volcanoes blocked the valleys. Fishermen paddle dugouts on the water below, and on a clear afternoon the whole Virunga chain lines up behind them. After lunch in Musanze, continue to Kinigi and check in at your lodge. Use the afternoon to sort your gear for the coming days: you will need waterproof boots, gaiters, warm layers, a hat and gloves, and for the Karisimbi night a sleeping bag rated to around 0°C, which we can hire for you. A short walk in the village before dinner helps your legs wake up after the flight. Dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel.

   • Twin lakes viewpoint
   • Mountain Gorilla View Lodge or Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
   • Lunch, dinner
2. Day2
   

   Dian Fossey Tomb Trail and the Karisoke Research Site

   The first hike is the warm-up, but it carries the most history. After the 7 am briefing at the park headquarters, we drive to the trailhead near Bisate. The path climbs through farmland to the park wall and then into the saddle between Karisimbi and Bisoke, where Dian Fossey set up the Karisoke Research Center in 1967. The name joins the two volcanoes it sits between. The walk up takes about one and a half to three hours, depending on your pace and the mud, and reaches about 3,000 m. At the old camp site, you find the remains of her cabin, the gorilla graveyard where Digit and other gorillas she studied are buried, and her own grave, where she was laid to rest after her murder in 1985. Rangers tell her story well, and the forest of hagenia and hypericum around the site is beautiful in its own right. Return in the early afternoon and rest at the lodge, letting your body begin to adjust to the altitude. Dinner and overnight at your Kinigi lodge.

   • Dian Fossey tomb hike
   • Kinigi lodge
   • Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
3. Day3
   

   Mount Bisoke Climb to the Crater Lake

   Today you go higher. Mount Bisoke rises to 3,711 m on the border with DR Congo, and the summit holds a round crater lake about 400 m across. After registration at Kinigi, a short drive brings you to the trailhead. The climb is steep from the start, through bamboo and then mossy hagenia forest where the ground is slick and roots act as steps. Expect three to four hours to the rim and about two to get down, so the whole outing takes six to seven hours. Armed rangers walk with the group because buffalo and forest elephants share the mountain, and several gorilla families feed on the lower slopes, so keep your eyes open. Near the top the forest opens into the strange giant lobelias and senecios of the alpine zone, and then the crater. If the cloud clears you can see Karisimbi, tomorrow’s goal, filling the view to the south-west. Porters can carry your pack; we strongly suggest one for the next two days too. Back in Kinigi, a hot dinner and an early night. Overnight at your Kinigi lodge.

   • Mount Bisoke hike
   • Kinigi lodge
   • Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
4. Days4–5
   

   Two-Day Climb of Mount Karisimbi, 4,507 m

   Karisimbi is the highest of the eight Virunga volcanoes at 4,507 m, and the climb takes two days with a night on the mountain. On Day 4, after the briefing, the trail climbs from the park edge through bamboo and hagenia forest to the camp at about 3,700 m, roughly six hours of walking. Porters carry the tents, food and your sleeping kit. The camp is basic, and nights near the summit can drop below freezing, so warm layers matter more here than anywhere else on the trip. On Day 5 you leave camp before dawn for the final two to three hours to the summit, across alpine moorland and loose volcanic rock, sometimes dusted with hail or frost. From the top, the view on a clear morning reaches Lake Kivu, the Nyiragongo crater in Congo and the other Virunga volcanoes. After time at the summit, you descend all the way to the trailhead, a long day of about eight hours in total, and drive back to Kinigi for a hot shower. Overnight on Day 4 in the Karisimbi mountain camp and on Day 5 at your Kinigi lodge.

   • Mount Karisimbi climb
   • Karisimbi mountain camp, then Kinigi lodge
   • Breakfast, lunch, dinner
5. Day6
   

   Rest Morning and Return to Kigali

   After three climbs, the last day is easy. Sleep in, then enjoy a late breakfast with a view of the volcanoes you have now stood on. Late morning, start the drive south to Kigali, about two and a half hours through the hills. If you want to see more of Rwanda’s history, stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi are buried, or visit Kimironko market for coffee, baskets and kitenge fabric. Rwanda grows some of the finest arabica coffee in East Africa, and a cup at one of Kigali’s small roasters is a good way to end a trip spent in the hills where much of it is grown. Our driver-guide then transfers you to your hotel or to Kigali International Airport for your flight home. If you have more time, a few days on the shore of Lake Kivu, about three hours west of Kinigi, make a relaxing finish after the hiking. End of the trip.

   • Drive to Kigali
   • Breakfast