Hiking Mt Bisoke in Volcano National Park

Mount Bisoke - Day 1: Bisoke Hiking Adventure

Mount Bisoke rises to 3,711 meters, showcasing the classic conical shape of a “perfect” volcano, with a deep crater lake nestled at its summit. The high altitude requires significant stamina from hikers, and the entire journey can range from 5 hours to a full day, depending on walking pace and rest intervals. The ascent generally takes about 3 hours. During the hike, climbers will traverse various vegetation zones, beginning with bamboo forests, progressing through Hagenia and Hypericum forests, and finally reaching the Senecio and Lobelia bushes near the peak.

Pick-up at Kigali International Airport or from a hotel

Our driver guide will meet you and transport you in a private vehicle to the hotel for luggage drop-off. Subsequently, you will be driven to Musanze, where your hiking adventure begins.

Musanze District - Ruhengeri (or Musanze) is a city in northwest Rwanda. It serves as the gateway to Volcanoes National Park, home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. The park includes the towering Mount Karisimbi and four other forested volcanoes. On the outskirts of the town, dense greenery surrounds the bat-inhabited Musanze Caves. To the east, Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo are set against a backdrop of lush hills.

Twin Lakes Experience

Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo - Twin Lakes Adventure

These stunning twin lakes are situated at the base of the Muhabura Volcano near the Rwanda-Uganda border in northern Rwanda, on the outskirts of Musanze. With their blue waters framed by the Virunga highlands, Burera and Ruhondo Lakes are separated by a 1 km wide strip of land.

After an early breakfast, you will depart from Musanze at 7 am to visit Burera and Ruhondo Lakes. Enjoy a delightful nature walk around the lakes, bird watching, fishing, and later a scenic sundowner cruise with cold drinks and snacks, all while taking in the breathtaking views of the volcanoes. Afterwards, you will return to Kigali.

Gakenke - Beekeeping Experience

Beekeeping in Rwanda has been practiced for generations, following traditional and subsistence methods. Honey has been used as a food product, medicine, and for brewing traditional liquor.

Honey is produced by bees from nectar, a sugary secretion of flowers. It contains sugars (80-85%) that are easily absorbed by the body. Beekeeping is crucial for generating income for the community and is beneficial to their lives. Honey is an excellent energy food and sweetener, with medicinal properties often used to treat coughs, ulcers, wounds, and sore throats. It also has appealing chemical properties for baking and a unique flavor.

Itinerary details

Our driver guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Gakenke for a beekeeping experience. During this visit, you will learn how honey is produced, from constructing the beehive to harvesting fresh honey. You will have the opportunity to harvest honey while wearing a beekeeper’s protective suit. Later, we will return to Kigali.

Beekeeping Experience

Rulindo - Bees produce honey from nectar, a sugary secretion of flowers. It contains sugars (80-85%) that are easily absorbed by the body. Beekeeping is vital for generating income for the community and is beneficial to their lives. Honey is an excellent energy food and sweetener, with medicinal properties often used to treat coughs, ulcers, wounds, and sore throats. It also has appealing chemical properties for baking and a unique flavor.

Your driver guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Rulindo for a beekeeping experience. During this visit, you will learn how honey is produced, from constructing the beehive to harvesting fresh honey. You will have the opportunity to harvest honey while wearing a beekeeper’s protective suit. Later, we will return to Kigali.

• Water
• Lunch
• English or French speaking guide
• Site permit
• Private transport

• Hotel
• Breakfast

Hiking Mountain Bisoke can be an experience of a lifetime but it can also be one of the most challenging things a person can undertake, especially if physically unfit.

The hiking is 6 to 7 hours, including 2 hours of descent, but that is for inexperienced hikers. Experienced hikers can take less than 4 hours to hike and come back down to the base.

Apart from the experience of hiking on the extinct volcano which is part of the Virunga Mountain range, at the peak, there’s a crater lake known as Lake Ngezi. The trekking starts with an assembly at the park headquarters in Kinigi at 7a.m. Here, each group is assigned a guide who briefs them about the activity they are about to embark on.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.