Hiking Mount Bisoke in Rwanda
Hiking Mount Bisoke in Rwanda: Taking on this 1 day Bisoke Hike is such an adventurous and rewarding experience enjoyed in Rwanda. Mount Bisoke Hike is conducted in Volcanoes national park. If you’re planning to have an adventurous safari to Rwanda for Gorilla trekking, remember to add a volcanoes hike and spice up your experience in the land of a thousand hills. Mount Bisoke sometimes knowns as Visoke is elevated at about 12175ft above the sea level and can be hiked 1 day. Plan your itinerary very well such that you can trek gorillas and hike up mount Bisoke the next day. Mount Bisoke stands with in Rwanda’s volcanoes national park in border with Virunga national park in Democratic Republic of Congo. During Mount Bisoke hike, hikers are rewarded with stunning views of 2 beautiful crater lakes one situated at the summit and the other one along the hike about midway. Mount Bisoke last erupted in the year 1957 leaving a huge crater lake.
Apart from the crater lakes which are the major reasons for the hike, Mount Bisoke also harbors lots of stunning tourist attractions including primates such as Mountain Gorilla gorillas which are the major tourist attractions in Rwanda the land of a thousand hills.
Hiking Mount Bisoke in Rwanda as stated is a one-day adventure where ascending takes about 6 hours to get to the summit and descending takes approximately 2hours. The hike starts early in the morning with a briefing at Kiningi where park headquarters for Volcanoes national park are situated. After the briefing, hikers are transferred to the starting point of hiking and then led through well-designated trails through the thorny horns at the base of the mountain and keep ascending till you get to the 1st Crater Lake before proceeding to the summit to view the 2nd lake. Expect to make stopovers along the hike and relax abit as you view lots of attractions including primates like Gorillas and Golden monkeys though you aren’t allowed to take photographs of these primates they could be unhabituated and dangerous to human, other wildlife to spot along the hike include mammals like Buffaloes, elephants, abundant of birdlife and many more.
While at the summit, you will be rewarded with stunning views of the entire Volcanoes National Park with its rugged vegetation cover, other neighboring volcanoes in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Packing list and requirements for Mount Bisoke Hike include;
- Mount Bisoke hiking permit
- Appropriate hiking shoes which should be waterproof and light in weight and comfortable for easy walking.
- A hiking stick, though sometimes it is provided during briefing but carrying your own is acceptable.
- Enough snacks to keep you energized while toiling with the challenge
- Enough bottled drinking water to keep you hydrated throughout the hike
- Remember to hire a porter in case you have a heavy backpack that requires assistance
- Appropriate hiking attire should be wore including long sleeved shirt to protect your arms from insect bites and thorny plants, long trousers, a rain jacket for just in case it rains, a warm sweater to keep you warm as you go higher, sun glasses, garden gloves and a cap
- A sun scream
- Insect repellant to assist you in expelling away insects
- A camera as usual since you need to capture any moment spent on your adventure.
How much is mount Bisoke Hike?
The cost of a permit to Hike Mount Bisoke goes for $75 per person and it should be bought in advance and picked from the park headquarters on the day of the hike. Mount Bisoke hiking permit includes park entrance fees to Volcanoes national park, ranger fees but excludes porter hire fees, tips and gratuity. We usually recommend our clients to tip the porters and rangers at the end of their hike as a sign of appreciation.
How long does it take to hike up Mount Bisoke?
As already mentioned above, the hike to summit the top of mount Bisoke is challenging but manageable. From the starting point, the hike takes about 6 hours through farmlands and plantations of the locals and proceeds through rocks and ragged vegetation cover at the base of Bisoke/ Visoke volcano with a good number of stopovers to catch a breath and enjoyed your packed lunch while relaxing and enjoying the views of the stunning vegetation cover and all that thrill in. ascending is tiring and most especially during rainy months when the trails become slippery and difficult to walk through. However, descending is very easy and it takes about 2 hours or even less depending on the speed used and the nature of the trails.
Conclusion,
Mount Bisoke Hike like any other mountain hiking activity is a challenging experience thus requires abit of fitness level to be able to ascend and descend back in one day thus a 1 days Bisoke hike itinerary is enough for you to enjoy your short trip though we usually recommend 2 days itinerary. Thus prepare your mind, soul and body and do some exercise ahead of the hike to keep you fit while you enjoy the adventure in Rwanda the land of a thousand hills. At Achieve Global Safaris, we are always able to take you on this thrilling adventure at any given period of time. We as well have a sister company on ground, Explore Rwanda Tours as well as Focus East Africa Tours thus any of these 3 companies can organize you a thrilling safari to Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
