4 days Virunga Gorilla trekking with Mount Bisoke hike

Trip Summary

4 days Virunga Gorilla trekking with Mount Bisoke hike : A 4 day Virunga safari to visit the Virunga mountain gorillas is a great tour for the traveler looking for an authentic mountain gorilla trek. Virunga national park is one of the national parks of the Democratic Republic of Congo covering an area of 8,090 square kilometers of the Congo land. This is one of Africa’s oldest national parks as it was established in 1925.

Virunga national park is the only park in the Democratic Republic of Congo where one can get a permit to visit the mountain gorillas in DR Congo. There is an estimated population of about 1,000 mountain gorillas remaining in the world and only 4 national parks are a home to these mountain gorillas in Virunga national park Congo being one.

Trip highlights

Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Virunga National park Congo
Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Day 3: Connect to Volcanoes national park
Day 4: Mount Bisoke hike and drive back to Kigali Rwanda

Trip description

Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Virunga National park Congo

Your driver guide will be parked waiting at your agreed pick up point by 7 am. Exchange pleasantries and embark on your mountain gorillas safari in Congo. You will drive westwards to the Grande barrier border building in Goma where you will check in with the Virunga tourism office. Check in and get your mountain gorilla permits that you will be expected to show at the start of the activity.

Join the Virunga security convoy headed to the Virunga national park and arrive in time for a late lunch at the lodge. Spend the evening at leisure at the hotel. Dinner will be served and you will spend your first night in Virunga national park at Kibumba tented camp

Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

As early as 7 am, you will be leaving your hotel headed to the Virunga national park for your mountain gorilla trekking. Attend the pre trek morning brief from the ranger guides and after head out into the forest for the search of the mountain gorilla family of the day.

Trek for about 2 to 5 hours according to how far into the forest the mountain gorillas are that day and upon meeting them, take an hour enjoying their presence as they go about with their daily routine at a 6 meters distance. Return to your lodge for lunch and spend the evening at leisure. You may take on a village visit or visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage if you stayed at Mikeno lodge.

Dinner will be served and you will retire back into your rooms for the night.

Day 3: Drive back to Rwanda- Volcanoes national park.

You will wake up at leisure in time for breakfast and arrange your luggage to check out of your hotel. Connect with the Virunga Security convoy headed to Goma and further head out back to cross into Rwanda.

You will drive to your hotel in the Volcanoes national park in time to check in and have lunch. You will spend the rest of the day at leisure, opt for an optional cultural tour at the Iby’iwachu cultural center and return in time for dinner and overnight stay at Le Bambou Gorilla lodge

Day 4: Mount Bisoke hike and back to Kigali.

Wake up excited for this day’s activity, have an early breakfast and head out to the park reception for the briefing ahead of the Mount Bisoke hike. Ascend and be back within 4 hours and get to spot the beautiful crater lake at the top and also do some birding along the way and enjoy the rewarding views at many points on the hike.

Right after the hike, connect back to Kigali to end your tour. You may take on the Kigali city tour visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Grounds and the Kimironko market on this day if you were not able to have it on the first day. You will advise on your drop off location in Kigali.

End of tour

Trip quote to include

Safari vehicle with fuel
English/ French speaking guide
DRCongo tourist visa
Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
Meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner
Virunga Gorilla trekking permit
Mount Bisoke hike permit
Bottled water
All ground transfers in the itinerary

Trip quote to exclude

PCR (COVID-19) tests
Rwanda visa
International flights
Extra activities not mentioned above
Personal needs like medicines, airtime, laundry, gratuities etc