The hook
The misty, volcano-cradled forest where Dian Fossey made mountain gorillas known to the world, and where trekking up the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes to sit with a gorilla family is Rwanda's signature experience.
01Why it's worth it
On the Rwandan flank of the Virunga volcanoes, a chain of steep, forested peaks shared with Uganda and the Congo, Volcanoes National Park protects several habituated mountain gorilla families, the same population Dian Fossey studied and fought to protect from her research base here (a story told in "Gorillas in the Mist"). Trekking to them is more accessible from a base than Uganda's Bwindi but no less moving: a guided climb through bamboo and afromontane forest on the volcanoes' slopes brings you to a gorilla group for a precious, strictly-limited hour in their presence. Rwanda has positioned this as a premium, high-end experience, with a steep permit price that funds conservation and community benefit and keeps numbers low. The park also offers golden monkey tracking and a hike to Dian Fossey's grave and old research camp. Set against dramatic volcano scenery and paired with Rwanda's clean, safe, well-run tourism, it is one of Africa's great wildlife encounters.
02How to experience it
Book a gorilla permit well ahead (it is expensive, by design), and prepare for a steep, high-altitude trek of variable length; a porter and good boots help. Follow the guides' rules protecting the gorillas. Add golden monkey tracking or the Dian Fossey hike, and pair it with Lake Kivu or Nyungwe.