Gorilla Highlands

The Virunga volcanoes and Bwindi forest at the junction of Rwanda, Uganda and the DR Congo, home to the world's last mountain gorillas.

The Gorilla Highlands are the volcanic and rainforest zone on the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, where northwestern Rwanda, southwestern Uganda and eastern DR Congo meet. They include Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, DR Congo's Virunga National Park, and Nyungwe Forest in southern Rwanda. All of the world's roughly 1,000 mountain gorillas live here. Highlights: with a permit, tracking a gorilla family through the rainforest and spending 1 hour observing them up close; golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park and a hike to the Dian Fossey research site; the terraces and islands of Lake Bunyonyi; chimpanzee tracking and the canopy walkway in Nyungwe Forest; and the Kigali Genocide Memorial and creative districts. A common itinerary of 4–7 days: arrive in Kigali → drive 2.5 hours to Musanze for gorilla tracking → optionally cross into Uganda's Bwindi for a second trek or visit Lake Bunyonyi → head south to Nyungwe for chimpanzees. A Rwanda gorilla permit costs about US$1,500 per person and a Uganda permit about US$800; both must be booked months in advance, and visitors must be at least 15 years old. Anyone who is unwell (especially with a cold) may not join a trek. The security situation in eastern DR Congo is volatile, so visiting the Congolese side of Virunga is not recommended. The East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) is valid across Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

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