Volcanoes National Park

Visitors trek through dense forest to encounter the park’s two flagship primates: groups of mountain gorillas that habituate at the Karisoke Research Centre, and colonies of golden monkeys that dart among the canopy. The centre, founded by Dian Fossey in 1967 between Karisimbi and Visoke, remains a focal point for research; her grave lies nearby, marking the spot where she spent decades defending the gorillas. The park’s terrain includes the peaks of Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo, each offering rugged trails that wind past volcanic craters and into ancient woodland known as Buhanga Eco‑Park, a repository of local folklore. A short walk leads to the Musanze Caves, formations that originated 62 million years ago after the last volcanic eruption.

The park’s history reflects successive layers of protection, from its original 1925 boundaries to its expansion as Albert National Park in 1929, and later periods of settlement, pyrethrum cultivation, and forced resettlement of the Twa people. After the 1992 attack on its headquarters and a pause in tourism, safe operations resumed in 1999 and continue under the watch of the Rwandan army. The combination of living volcanoes, rare primates and a legacy of conservation makes Volcanoes National Park a singular refuge for both wildlife and history.