Virunga NP /DR Congo/

area: 7,769 km2/3,000 mi2

UPDATE, March 2024: Virunga National Park is not currently open for tourism.

The oldest national park in Africa is a site of staggering environmental variety: from the Congolese side of the Virunga volcanoes through the savannah up to the permanent snow on the Mountains of the Moon i.e. the Rwenzoris (5,109 m/16,762 ft). The park includes Sabyinyo (3,669 m/11,959 ft), Karisimbi (4,507 m/14,787 ft), Bisoke (3,711 m/12,175 ft), Mikeno (4,437 m/14,560 ft), Nyamuragira (3,058 m/10,031 ft) and Nyiragongo (3,470 m/11,400 ft).

To climb the active Nyiragongo volcano and spend a night next to the lava lake is simply an experience you should come to the Gorilla Highlands region for. Tourists can also visit six mountain gorilla groups here, starting their tracking from Goma or Rubavu.

For our main Gorilla National Parks page with travel advice please click here.

Related articles: