After spending two days in Kigali — including a visit to the Genocide Museum — we headed north for two nights in Musanze, Rwanda’s mountain gateway and the jumping-off point for Volcanoes National Park.
Located about 110 kilometers (around 70 miles) from Kigali, Musanze is the country’s northern base camp for gorilla and golden monkey trekking. The drive takes roughly two to two-and-a-half hours, depending on traffic and stops.
The drive itself is gorgeous in that very Rwanda way: endless green hills, banana plantations, mud-brick houses scattered across the slopes, and small villages we passed along the road. As the volcanoes begin to appear in the distance, the terrain becomes steeper and more mountainous, and the atmosphere noticeably different from Kigali — cooler, greener, and more rural.
We headed straight to Amikus Hotel, which sits in the center of town. Staff greeted us with hot rolled face cloths and fresh fruit juice — such a nice welcome.
After checking in, we met back downstairs for a buffet lunch of traditional Rwandan dishes, similar to what I had enjoyed in a local home in Kigali.
After lunch, we visited the Gorilla Doctors headquarters, home to the only organization in the world focused entirely on protecting mountain and eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorillas — providing veterinary care and scientific research that often helps save individual animals.
By closely monitoring gorilla families, they’re able to spot problems early and step in when injury or disease — often linked to human activity — becomes life-threatening.
When we returned, our guide gave us a quick overview of the area around the hotel, pointing out places that would be good choices for dinner. The downtown felt busy and full of small shops and activity.
Wanting coffee, I walked to a nearby café — and the coffee was great.
(I mean… I’m in Rwanda. Is that surprising?)
I actually wasn’t that hungry since lunch had been late, so I headed back to the hotel’s street-facing bakery. The long line was definitely a good sign. I grabbed a couple of croissants and a cookie, then headed up to the Amikus rooftop bar.
I had imagined a fully open 360-degree rooftop, but it was more enclosed in glass than I expected. Still, the views were good and it felt like a pleasant place to sit with a beer and my bakery finds.
Later, I took my drink out to my small balcony and enjoyed the evening breeze before calling it a night.
Cheers to Musanze.
Today we had several options for how to spend the day. All but two of us chose golden monkey trekking.
Before reaching Volcanoes National Park, we made a quick stop at a large woven gorilla structure — actually three woven gorillas made of bamboo and grass. It’s used for Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual gorilla-naming ceremony held each September. The naming celebrates the birth of new mountain gorillas as well as the country’s commitment to protecting them.
We then continued into the park, registered, and were assigned a guide. After that, we drove to a nearby trailhead to begin the hike.
Golden monkeys live in the forests of the Virunga Mountains, especially in the high-altitude bamboo zones where they feed on young bamboo shoots.
To reach them, our guide led us to a spot below a cluster of trees where a few monkeys had been spotted in the distance. I pulled out my binoculars, assuming we would stay there, but instead we paused briefly while the guides handed out face masks for us to put on. Visitors are required to wear masks within about 10 feet of the monkeys to protect them from human illness.
Once masked, we continued climbing higher — about a quarter to a third of the way up the mountainside ridge. Slowly, the monkeys began descending the slope, moving easily through the trees and bushes as they searched for food.
During the hour we were allowed to observe them, I counted roughly thirty monkeys scattered along the mountainside — some high in the trees, others moving through the brush.
Several came very close, completely unfazed by people and calmly continuing to eat. At times they were as close as three feet away.
Some of the monkeys began moving toward the farmland along the edge of the forest. It’s an ongoing issue here — the monkeys looking for food and the farmers trying to keep them out of their crops.
You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day — bright sun and deep blue skies. Everything here is intensely green, and the soil is dark and rich from the volcanic landscape.
After returning to our 4×4, we headed to the Dian Fossey Center.
Visiting the Dian Fossey Center was one of those experiences I’m so grateful I didn’t miss. It would have been easy to focus only on trekking and the excitement of seeing the gorillas, but being here added a quieter layer of understanding. Learning more about her life, her work, and how much she gave to protecting these animals made everything I had just experienced in the forest feel deeper and more connected.
The center — officially called the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund — is open, modern, and thoughtfully designed. It was built with significant support from Ellen DeGeneres, whose donation helped fund this research and education space dedicated to continuing Fossey’s legacy.
There’s a replica of her cabin, funded by Sigourney Weaver after filming Gorillas in the Mist, along with powerful photographs, quotes from Fossey, and images of the gorillas she studied and fought to protect. Some exhibits were interactive, but nothing felt overdone.
Other displays helped you imagine Fossey sitting at her desk, typing and working through her notes. Her handwritten pages were preserved in glass cases, and seeing them up close felt unexpectedly personal. It was a quiet, moving exhibit.
One large photograph showed Fossey’s grave beside Digit, which felt emotional knowing I would be hiking there later — after my group trip ended and I returned to Musanze for a few solo days.
Being there didn’t just teach me about her work. It made the entire experience of seeing the gorillas feel more meaningful — and more complicated. Conservation, protection, tourism, and memory all seem to meet here in ways that don’t have simple answers — but they matter.
Then we headed to Red Rocks — a hostel, cultural center, and, for us that afternoon, a restaurant — located not far from the museum. Known for supporting local community projects, traditional arts, and cultural exchange, it felt like more than just a place to stay or eat.
We enjoyed a traditional Rwandan meal served in clay pots, with simple, hearty staples. There were beans with soft pieces of boiled cassava, seasoned rice, fried plantains, and a mixed vegetable and bean stew. Another dish featured — leafy greens cooked with small vegetables, alongside a tomato-based stew with potatoes and lentils.
Afterward, some of the staff performed traditional dance and drumming. Red Rocks also offers cultural classes and workshops where visitors can learn local crafts and traditions.
Before leaving, I spent time in their small gift shop, which sells handmade woven items created by local women. I ended up buying one that can be hung on a wall or used as a hot plate. There were so many beautiful patterns and designs that it was hard to choose just one.
When we later arrived back at our hotel, chairs had been set up outside for us to sit while the staff rremoved our muddy boots from the golden monkey trek. They handed us flip-flops to slip into, along with warm wet towels and fresh juice. Talk about being taken care of.
That evening, after the big lunch, I found myself back at the hotel bakery, picking up something small and familiar. Another beer, another quiet wind-down — this time out on my little balcony, enjoying the cool mountain air.
When we returned to Rwanda after our five days in Uganda, I said goodbye to my fellow travelers and stayed on in Musanze for four additional nights on my own before heading back to Kigali for one final day and then flying home.
You can read about my five days trekking in Uganda here.
