Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the rare and endangered mountain gorilla and golden monkeys. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), and spans 160 km2 covered in rainforest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) runs several activities for tourists, including: * Gorilla visits – as of January 2015, there are ten habituated gorilla groups open to tourists, allowing for a total of 80 permits per day. Once tourists meet the gorillas they spend an hour with them. * Golden monkey visits. * Climbing of Karisimbi volcano – a two-day trek with overnight camping at an altitude of 3,800 m. * Climbing of Bisoke volcano – one day. * Tour of the lakes and caves. * Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey. * Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour. The majority of revenue from tourism goes towards maintaining the park and conserving the wildlife. The remainder goes to the government and to local projects in the area to help local people benefit from the large revenue stream generated by the park.