Mount Bisoke Rwanda

Mount Bisoke in Rwanda, also called Visoke on the Congo side, standing at 3711 meters/12175ft above sea level, is a dormant volcano in Rwanda with part of it in the Democratic Republic of Congo where it is called Mt. Visoke As I said. The peak of Mount Bisoke or Visoke lies in Rwanda. It is one of the eight volcanoes that make up the beautiful Virunga Mountains that are spread along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bisoke is one of the 5 Virunga volcanoes that straddle into Rwanda and make up the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda’s most popular national park.

Bisoke Crater Lake

Mount Bisoke is the most popular volcano for hiking and trekking tours in Rwanda mostly because of its large crater lake at the summit, which is also the largest Crater Lake in the Virungas, measuring 400m in diameter and about 100 meters in depth. Mt Bisoke volcano has another crater lake named Ngezi on the side about 11km from the peak. It is little wonder the volcano was named “Bisoke” by the locals, which is a term meaning “soaked with water” because of the lakes.

Mount Bisoke has a perfect conic shape, covered in green from the base to the peak with varying vegetation zones that range from a little bamboo at the bottom that ends at 2800m, through Hagenia Hypericum (2800m – 3200m), to Sub-alpine zone at the top.

The slopes of Mount Bisoke, which are largely covered by forest, harbor a variety of wildlife. The most popular are the endangered mountain gorillas, with several groups occupying territories on the mountain. There are a number of habituated groups on the volcano that are used for the famous gorilla trekking tours. The other primate on Mt. Bisoke is the Golden Monkeys, which live in the forests at the base of the volcano. Both the Mountain Gorillas and golden monkeys are endemic to the Albertine rift valley in which the Virungas are located. Other animals include forest elephants, buffaloes, and duikers.

Mount Bisoke hiking trails

There are two mountain hiking and trekking trails on Mount Bisoke as follows:

How did we make the Bisoke Crater Lake hiking ??

The Mount Bisoke Crater Lake hike involves trekking to the peak of the Bisoke volcano, where you will be rewarded with breathtaking scenery and views of the largest crater lake in the Virunga mountains. This is the most popular hiking trail in Volcanoes National Park and arguably in Rwanda.

How long is Crater Lake hike, and what do you expect to see on the trail?

The hike takes about 6 hours in total, with 4 hours of climbing to the top and 2 hours climbing back down. It can depend on the hiking experience, fitness, pace, and weather of the day. Experienced mountain climbers and hikers can get to the summit in 2 hours or less, while the nonexperienced and less fit can take up to 6 hours to get to the peak. The hike is, in fact, intended to be quicker so that you get to the peak earlier to enjoy the lake for a short time and begin the descent, as the weather can change at any time.

The beautiful Crater Lake is the ultimate prize of the hike. However, the hike also offers sightings of the beautiful mountain wildlife along the way, such as the various species of trees, plants, and shrubs, many of which are unique to the Virungas or Albertine Rift Valley. The hike also gives hikers amazing views of the Virunga mountain range and will see other volcanic cones of Karisimbi, Nyiragongo & Mikeno (in Congo), Gahinga, Sabyinyo, and Muhavura.

The biggest opportunity, however, is the chance to see gorillas along the trails. If gorillas are found along the trail, hikers are allowed only a glance for a couple of minutes and no taking pictures, which is exclusive for the travelers doing the gorilla trekking.