Virunga National Park stretches from Lake Edward in the north down to Lake Kivu and the volcanoes around Goma. It is Africa's oldest national park and one of the most biodiverse, holding mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, savanna elephants, hippos, and the Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira volcanoes. Gorilla tracking around Bukima and Rumangabo is the marquee experience, with permits sold directly through Virunga at a fraction of the price of Rwanda's. The encounter, deep in tangled forest rather than tidy bamboo, is unforgettable.
Access depends entirely on the security situation, which has fluctuated badly in recent years. The park has closed multiple times due to fighting between government forces, M23, and other armed groups; in early 2025 the wider region around Goma was overrun, and most tourist activities have been suspended. When the park is open, Mikeno Lodge and the small permanent ranger camps are the base. The work of Virunga's rangers — many of whom have died defending it — is itself part of why a visit feels significant when it can be made.