The fog slowly rises from the wooded peaks of the Volcanoes National Park, in the northwest of Rwanda, as a guide follows fresh tracks on the damp ground. A few meters away, among the broken bamboo branches and wild nettle leaves, something huge moves: a silverback, the dominant male of a family of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), who observes the group of visitors with an expression that mixes indifference and awareness. It is one of those moments that are unforgettable.
The village of Kinigi serves as the main gateway to the park, housing the trekker registration center and several lodges. The Volcanoes National Park — known in Kinyarwanda as Parc National des Volcans — spans about 160 square kilometers along the Virunga chain, a series of volcanoes that reach 4,507 meters with Mount Karisimbi. It is here that primatologist Dian Fossey conducted her pioneering research starting in 1967, founding the Karisoke camp between the Karisimbi and Visoke mountains.
The biodiversity of the mountain forest
The park hosts an extraordinary ecological stratification, visible even during the walk to the gorillas. First, you pass through the agricultural plantations at the edge of the park, then you enter the bamboo zone — dense, silent, filtered by a pale green light — that grows between 2,500 and 3,000 meters in altitude. Higher up, the forest of Hagenia and Hypericum opens up, with trees covered in mosses and lichens that give the landscape an almost surreal appearance.
The fauna of the park goes well beyond the gorillas. During the treks, it is possible to spot the golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti), an endemic species of the Virunga, as well as African buffalo, duikers, and dozens of bird species including the Ruwenzori turaco. The botanical richness includes over 200 species of plants documented in the mountain forest alone.
The encounter with the gorillas: how it works
Rwanda manages trekking permits through the Rwanda Development Board. Each day, permits are issued for a limited number of families of gorillas accustomed to human presence — the so-called “habituated” families, which as of 2024 number about a dozen in the park. Each group of visitors consists of a maximum of 8 people per family, and the time spent near the gorillas is limited to one hour to reduce stress on the animals and the risk of disease transmission.
The cost of the permit is 1,500 US dollars per person, a high amount that directly contributes to conservation and local communities. Trekking can last from 2 to 8 hours depending on the location of the assigned family for the day: park guides and trackers locate the gorillas each morning before the visitors depart. Bringing trekking poles — available at the entrance — is strongly recommended for steep and slippery sections.
The presence of Dian Fossey and her legacy
A few kilometers from Kinigi is the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which keeps the Karisoke camp site active and manages research and conservation programs. Fossey's grave is located within the park, next to that of Digit, the gorilla who became a symbol of her fight against poaching. Visiting the Karisoke camp requires a separate permit and a trek of about 3-4 hours round trip.
Fossey's work, made famous by the book Gorillas in the Mist in 1983 and the subsequent film, has helped to increase the global population of mountain gorillas from fewer than 250 individuals in the 1980s to over 1,000 counted in 2018, distributed between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the few documented cases of population increase for a critically endangered great ape.
Practical tips for trekking in Kinigi
The best time to visit the park is during the two dry seasons: June-September and December-February. During the rainy season, the trails become very slippery and visibility in the forest decreases, although the park remains open year-round. Kinigi can be reached from Kigali in about 2-2.5 hours by car via the road to Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri): many lodges organize transfers from Kigali International Airport.
It is mandatory to arrive at the Kinigi registration center by 7:00 AM on the day of the trek. Bring waterproof layered clothing, sturdy-soled hiking shoes, long gloves to protect against wild nettles, and enough water for at least half a day. Masks are required near the gorillas to prevent the transmission of respiratory diseases — gorillas share about 98% of human DNA and are susceptible to the same viruses.
