1 Day Bisoke Hike Safari at Volcanoes National Park
Description
This private tour ensures a personalized experience, allowing you to hike at your own pace while enjoying the serene beauty of Volcanoes National Park. You’ll have the flexibility to fully immerse yourself in the natural surroundings. The crater lake at the summit is a rare and breathtaking feature, making the hike truly special. Along the way, you’ll encounter golden monkeys, rare bird species, and unique alpine vegetation. The journey to the park itself is scenic, showcasing Rwanda’s rolling green hills. This adventure blends challenging trekking, wildlife encounters, and stunning landscapes.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick up from your place and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
We gather at the Volcanoes national park reception for a briefing about the hike, grab a free cup of Rwandan coffee/tea, buy the Bisoke hike permit if you did not do that before (Only card payment acceptable), hire hiking gears if you do not have enough, and use the restroom. We recommend to bring some snacks to keep you energized during the hike and something to eat at the Bisoke summit before going down as we will take lunch late in the day. Transfer to Bisoke Volcano hiking start point/ Bisoke head trail – a 40-minute drive from the headquarters. The first 15 minutes are on a paved road while the rest is a bumpy ride on volcanic rocks.
The beginning of our adventurous and challenging hike. Bisoke head trail stands at 2700 meters above sea level. The hike up Mt Bisoke takes about 4 hours and another 2 hours descending down to the starting point but this depends on your speed and the frequency of stops. At the summit is Crater Lake, which features drier vegetation than other parts of the park, with giant heather growing all over the slopes of the volcano. If by chance you encounter some gorillas, the guides allow you to watch them for a few minutes while on the hiking trail. Photography is prohibited as this excursion does not include permits for Gorilla trekking. You may also get to see the Golden Monkey troop on your trek up Mountain Bisoke. Once at the summit, you get to enjoy stunning views of the other five volcanoes and the beautiful Twin Lakes. The amount of time you spend on the summit depends on the weather and temperature. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the summit, as you take pictures.
At the end of the hike, You will be taken to a nice restaurant for a late lunch and driver back to kigali. Feel free to let us know where to drop you off.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Feel free to let us know where do you want to be picked up.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Reviews(5)
Would highly recommend this safari! Lunch is already included in the fee by the way. James was a great guide. He was on time in picking me up at the hotel. He really tried his best to show me at least 3 out of the Big 5, since it was difficult to see them in the morning. He could spot animals hidden so well behind trees it was amazing.
Fantastic day from start to finish. Our guide, James, was knowledgeable, friendly, and handled all the logistics seamlessly so everything ran smoothly. It’s an early start, but the drive gives you a unique look at a different side of Rwanda. We stopped at the Kwita Izina statues for photos, then at check-in where there’s coffee and facilities while James gets everything organized and sets you up with the trekking team. The hike itself is challenging but very rewarding. I’d recommend going during the dry season, wearing proper hiking shoes and pants, and bringing snacks or a light lunch. After the hike, James took us to a great local restaurant (included), and on the way back we stopped at a local market, which gave a great glimpse into daily life. Overall, an amazing experience and highly recommended.
This company offered brilliant communication before and then throughout our trip. We were picked up from our hotel in Kigali promptly at 4.30 am by our very friendly driver Achno. He drove a Toyota Land Cruiser (off Road car) which was definitely needed for the rugged terrain that led up to the foot of the mountains. Achno took us both to the base camp and then up the very stony Road to the village near the foot of the mountains of the National Park. This village is at appr. 2200 meters. We then climbed up the volcano to 3700m (! This is not a printing mistake), which means that you have to be fit and healthy , as well as athletic and used to negotiating steps of up to 50 cm that are wet and slippery. The journey from Kigali to the village was about 150 kilometres one way- so you need a full day for this trip. During the car journey we learned a lot about life in Ruanda , not only from our knowledgeable driver Achno but also from seeing how life is lived outside Kigali . It was an unforgettable trip, thank you Achno.
I had a fantastic time, Benjamin was a great driver, managed to arrange the license for me even though u registered very last minute and the hike was wonderful.
The driver, Benjamin, came to pick us up early in the morning and took us straight to the national park to register and meet our park guide. Note that the starting point of the hike is around 45 minutes from there and around 10-15 minutes is in a very rough and rocky road but the 4x4 car (Land Cruiser) could handle well. If the terrain is muddy, I would recommend to have a porter ($10 per porter) for each person in the group as it is very slippery and porters help a lot. It took us almost six hours to go up and come down and Benjamin was at the base waiting for us to return. The highlights were the view of the crater at the top and a short sighting of a gorilla which lasted less than 1 minute.
