This 5 Days Virunga Gorillas & Mount Nyiragongo Hike is a perfect way to explore Virunga’s best attractions in Congo. Have a great moment as you discover the beauty of Virunga national park, take a gorilla trekking experience as well as hike one of the most active volcanic mountains in Africa, Nyiragongo. Have an hour while in the presence of mountain gorillas and on another day hike and view a boiling lava lake of the summit of Mount Nyiragongo.
Virunga national park shelters up to 8 habituated gorilla families and two active volcanoes and all these offer the best of an African adventure safari. See detailed itinerary for this 5 Days Virunga Gorillas & Mount Nyiragongo Hike below.
Detailed Gorilla trekking & Nyiragongo hike itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and transfer to a hotel in Kigali, Rwanda
Arrive at the airport in Kigali and then transfer to a hotel in Kigali city. In case you arrive early, you will take a short city tour where you will visit the Kigali memorial grounds, the former presidential Palace museum, local markets and much more.
Day 2: Transfer to Goma Town near Virunga National Park
Leave Kigali city in the morning and head to Virunga national park crossing Cyangugu border. The whole journey takes about 4 to 6 hours including the time that will be spend while on the border. Virunga national park is among the oldest national parks in Africa.
It inhabits a huge number of wildlife that will be spotted alongside the mountain gorillas and during the Nyiragongo mountain hike. You will arrive and head to the lodge booked and this will be end of your 2nd day.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking adventure
Head you the park office for a short briefing where you will enable you to trek smoothly in the forest as you live the wildlife untouched. This exercise is very important where you will go through the dos and don’ts to guide you while in the forest and even getting a park ranger to take you through the forest since they have immense knowledge about the forest.
You will start the trek immediately, granting you an opportunity to spot other attractions like the red-tailed monkeys, colobus monkeys and different bird species and much more. Locate the gorilla family trekked and spend an hour while in their presence, creating nothing but exciting moments. After head to the back to the lodge for lunch, and relaxation.
Optional activities in the afternoon could include a visit to Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage, community walks, plantations, or just leisure at the balcony of your room listening to soothing sounds of the Virunga jungle.
Day 4: Hike to the Nyiragongo volcano
Head back to the park offices where hiking this great mountain starts and this will begin with briefing which will cover different aspects, acquire some equipment that you will use like walking sticks, torches, axes, in case you didn’t bring some, and even porters can be hired from here, these will help to carry your excess luggage as well as cooks. Start the hike while passing through the lowland rainforests, granting you an opportunity to spot different primates and bird species as you trek upwards.
Proceed with the trail with high chances of meeting mountain gorillas and reach the summit after 4 to 5 hours hike. Enjoy the boiling lava lake while on the summit. You will stay at shelters perched on the rim of a giant crater. Listen to the stories while on the camp fire and gaze clearly at the African skies. You need to note that, Mt Nyirangongo last erupted in 2020 in the month of May.
Day 5: Descend and transfer back to Kigali, Rwanda
Descend to the gate of the park on this early morning and this will take about 2 hours and a half. You will sign out, join your guide and begin a drive back to Kigali via Goma border and you will be dropped at Kigali International Airport later in the afternoon for your onward flight.
End of 5 Days Virunga Gorillas & Mount Nyiragongo Hike.
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