2 day Mount Bisoke hiking tour

2 day Mount Bisoke hiking tour | Crater Lake hike

Book this 2 day Mount Bisoke hiking tour if you are looking for a short hiking trip in Rwanda. Mt. Bisoke (3711m) which is one of the 5 Virunga volcanoes in Rwanda, is the most popular volcano for hikes in Volcanoes National Park because of its large crater lake at the peak which is the ultimate prize after a tough hike. Mt. Bisoke is also situated near the center of the Virunga volcanoes chain hence offering incredible views of the Virunga Mountains and the adjacent rolling landscape in Rwanda. Several wildlife will be observed during the Mount Bisoke hike such as rare plants, the beautiful golden monkeys and a fifty percent chance of encountering the gorillas along the trail.

The Bisoke Crater Lake hike takes a total of about 6 hours long, with 4 hours spent climbing up to the peak and 2 hours climbing down, but that is depending on your fitness and pace.

Mount Bisoke hike 2 day trip itinerary:

Day 1 – transfer to Musanze, afternoon Mukungwa canoe trip

Your tour driver shall pick you up from Kigali at 8am and drive north to Musanze/Volcanoes National Park. This is a 2 hour trip.

Check into your lodge and have lunch

At 2pm you shall go for the half day canoe trip on Mukungwa river (about 3 hours) and explore the beautiful countryside, enjoy views of the rolling hills and also have an insight into the lives of the local people in the countryside as you will ride past farmlands and locals going about their lives. For the keen birder the ride offers good birding opportunities as you can see a lot of water birds.

Optional activity:

Instead of the Mukungwa canoe trip you can do the following activity

Twin lakes tour: you can visit the twin lakes (Burera & Ruhondo) which are situated in the foothills of the Virungas and do a boat ride to explore the amazing landscape and enjoying the incredible views of the Virunga in the backdrop

Accommodation to choose from:

Budget –> La Locanda

Midrange –> Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge

Upmarket –> Five Volcanoes Lodge/TheBishop’s House

Day 2 – Mt. Bisoke crater lake hike, transfer back to Kigali

Early rise and have breakfast at 6am and transfer to the park office in Kinigi at 7am. You will carry a lunch box. Meet the park guides for briefing about the park rules and then drive near to the base of the Mt. Bisoke where you start hiking.

The Mount Bisoke hike

At the starting point you shall find the porters you can hire for USD 10 to carry your backpack. We absolutely do recommend you hire a porter however light your items may feel because from some point during the hike they will become heavier and heavier for every step u shall take, you tire very fast due to the lessening oxygen. The porters also offer assistance during the hike in form of a push or pull at some of the challenging spots of the trail. You are given a hiking stick and you are good to go! There are also armed soldiers that join you for protection from wild animals in the park such as the Forest Elephants, and Buffaloes, but there is little chance of the encountering these, so it is a just-in-case. The starting point is at an elevation of 2700 meters above sea level. You will walk through the local communities and the farmlands at the edge of the park for about 15 minutes before crossing the stone wall into the Volcanoes National Park.

Take on the hiking trail and trek through the different vegetation zones along the volcano ranging from a little bamboo that ends at 2800m, through Hagenia Hypericum from 2800 – 3200, to Sub-alpine at the top. During the earlier ascend you may see the Mountain Gorillas and Golden Monkeys nearby the trail. At least two groups of habituated Mountain Gorillas live in this volcano. However when you find a group you shall be allowed only a minute to watch them minus taking any pictures so as to keep it fair for those that paid for the hefty fee of USD 1500 for the Gorilla trekking tour. You shall observe a range of different of unique plants as you cross from one vegetation zone to another. The lower zones possess thick vegetation and softer grounds which pose the bigger challenge due to the mud (if it rained). There is also an abundance of stinging nettles, plants which itch so much at the slightest contact with your skin. You shall watch out for these! Towards the top the volcano grows naked with less vegetation and terrain is also rocky, which makes the trek less tough. Throughout the trek you shall make occasional stops to rest a bit and take in the magnificent scenery all around. You start to get above the clouds as you approach the summit and move through fog. Finally you get to summit which is flat with a big Crater Lake measuring about 400 meters of diameter and estimated depth of about 100 meters. This is also the largest crater lake in the Virungas and it is a sight to behold!

Though the volcano is shared between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic Congo, the entire Bisoke summit lies within Rwanda. However due to the large diameter you may not afford enough time to rim the entire Crater Lake to view the other sides of the Virungas, so you can only see the sharp peak of Mt Mikeno Volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo penetrating through the clouds and Mt. Karisimbi on the Rwanda – DR Congo boarder.

The temperatures can drop to 10 degrees Celsius and below, so you only stay a few minutes, say 30. You also get to eat your lunch/snack. Sometimes the weather is bad with a lot of fog and rain during which you may not see the Crater Lake clearly and you cannot stay long.

Embark on the trek back down, a faster one but more slippery in case of rain. The porters will come in handy. It will take about 2 hours to touch base, meet your tour driver and leave for Kigali, expecting to arrive in the evening.

* Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch