This 4-Day Virunga Double Gorilla Trekking Tour in Virunga National Park is specially designed for you, a mountain gorilla enthusiast, and offers you an unmatched chance to visit the mighty gorillas twice within Africa’s oldest and most diverse conservation area.
Virunga National Park is home to up to 8 habituated gorilla families, and the opportunity to trek at least two gorilla families in a single tour is like no other.
Other than gorilla trekking, this 4-Day Virunga Double Gorilla Trekking Tour also presents you with a myriad of other mammal and bird species resident in this park, abundant flora, as well as unparalleled views of the Virunga chain of mountains.
4-Day Congo Double Gorilla Trekking Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & Transfer to Goma
- Day 2: First Gorilla Trekking in Virunga
- Day 3: Second Gorilla Trek
- Day 4: Return to Kigali, Optional City Tour
Detailed 4-Day Congo Double Gorilla Trekking Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali & Transfer to Goma
Arrive in Kigali this morning for your 4-Day Virunga Double Gorilla Trekking Tour and meet your guide at the airport, who will transfer you to a nearby restaurant to refresh, have breakfast, and begin your 4-day gorilla tour in Virunga National Park.
The journey from Kigali to Goma takes approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes, traversing Kigali’s most picturesque landscapes, rolling mountains, extensive plantations, the famous Congo-Nile drive, and offering amazing views of Lake Kivu.
Arrive in Goma, the eastern border of Rwanda and D.R. Congo, in the afternoon, have lunch, and take an evening tour of Goma town.
Day 2: First Gorilla Trekking in Virunga
After an early breakfast, leave your lodge and drive to Virunga National Park headquarters for a briefing, and then begin your long-awaited gorilla trek. Ready with your trekking gear, head into the forest with excitement and expectations.
You will be divided into groups of eight during the pre-trek briefing session. Each group is allocated a guide, ranger, and a gorilla family to track.
The trek may be quite tough and strenuous depending on weather conditions and the gorilla group you’re tracking, passing through impenetrable forests and misty, slippery jungles. However, the eventual face-to-face meeting with a family of mountain gorillas is worth it all.
Getting up close to the gigantic silverback is truly magical as he looks back with an intelligent and thoughtful stare, mindful that you’re another individual.
A gorilla trekking tour in Virunga National Park offers an unforgettable encounter that surpasses any other wildlife experience in Africa and beyond. After the one-hour meeting with these gentle apes, trek back to the lodge for afternoon relaxation and enjoy the cool breeze of Virunga forest throughout the day.
Day 3: Second Gorilla Trek
Wake up to another magical gorilla adventure in Virunga National Park. Pick up from your lodge and transfer to the starting point for yet another briefing session and allocation of gorilla families to be tracked. Head into the forest again, through misty jungles and slippery slopes as you search for the mighty mountain gorillas.
In the forest, you may be fortunate to encounter other forest mammals, including buffaloes, elephants, monkeys, baboons, bush pigs, and a variety of birds. Gorilla trekking takes between 1 to 8 hours, but once you encounter them, you’re allowed only 1 hour to be with them, take pictures, observe them feeding and playing, and learn about their lifestyle.
Trek back to the starting point, meet your guide, and drive to the lodge for relaxation and overnight stay.
Day 4: Return to Kigali, Optional City Tour
This morning, enjoy a relaxed breakfast and then connect with your driver/guide who will transfer you back to Kigali. Traverse Rwanda’s scenic highlands, enjoy views of the Virunga Mountains, and finally arrive in Kigali for lunch.
After lunch, depending on your departure flight time, take a short city tour to visit iconic tourist sites in Kigali.
These include the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kigali Craft Market for souvenir shopping, and a visit to Hotel Rwanda – an upmarket hotel famous for its impact during the genocide.
Later, be dropped off at the airport for your departure flight, marking the end of this 4-day Double Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park.
End of 4-Day Virunga Double Gorilla Trekking Tour.
