Top 10 Volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains span the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda — eight stratovolcanoes set across the East African Rift's western arm. Two are extremely active, two are quietly steaming, and the rest are dormant or extinct. Mountain gorillas live on the slopes; lava lakes glow at the summits.
1. Nyiragongo
The southernmost and most famous. Its summit lava lake is the largest on Earth, and its 1977, 2002 and 2021 flank eruptions sent fast-flowing lava into the city of Goma. Continuous monitoring is a humanitarian priority.
2. Nyamuragira
Africa's most active volcano by lava volume, just north of Nyiragongo. It erupts on average every two years, usually from flank vents producing pāhoehoe flows that fill the surrounding plain.
3. Karisimbi
The highest peak in the Virunga at 4,507 metres, on the DRC-Rwanda border. Dormant for centuries, with afro-alpine vegetation on its upper slopes. It is named for the white snow crystals (uburaza) seen on the summit.
4. Mikeno
A dramatic, jagged extinct cone on the DRC side. It is one of the heartlands of mountain gorilla habitat; Dian Fossey's Karisoke research centre overlooked it.
5. Visoke (Bisoke)
A symmetrical volcano on the Rwanda-DRC border, with a beautiful green crater lake. Dian Fossey is buried near its summit. Rwandan tourism programs allow gorilla treks on its slopes.
6. Sabyinyo
A heavily eroded volcano whose three jagged peaks mark the point where Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo meet. Climbed on foot from the Rwandan side; the summit hike crosses borders without realising.
7. Gahinga (Mgahinga)
A small extinct cone on the Uganda-Rwanda border. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park on the Ugandan side preserves the slopes; the crater holds a small swamp.
8. Muhabura
The easternmost Virunga, a conical peak straddling the Uganda-Rwanda border. The summit cone is reached by a stiff day hike with views over the Lake Kivu basin on clear days.
9. Kibumba (parasitic vents of Nyiragongo)
The northern flanks of Nyiragongo carry hundreds of small parasitic cones, often the site of historic fissure eruptions. The Kibumba area is a complex of these features and a buffer between the volcano and Goma.
10. Submarine vents of Lake Kivu
Beneath Lake Kivu lie hydrothermal vents tied to the Virunga system. They contribute to the lake's dissolved methane and CO₂ load, which is currently being extracted for electricity in a strategic safety project.
How to plan a Virunga trip
The Rwandan side via Volcanoes National Park is the safest visitor entry point, with gorilla permits and guided climbs. Uganda's Mgahinga and Bwindi are alternatives. The DRC's Virunga National Park has periodically been closed for security reasons.
See them on the map
Open the map and find the Virunga chain on the borders where DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda meet. The rift system extends north into Uganda and south through Lake Kivu.