7 Days Congo Gorilla & Nyiragongo hiking safari
7 Days Congo Gorilla & Nyiragongo hiking safari: Ever imagined how a week in Congo feels like? Then book this 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari for such a fascinating encounter with both the eastern lowland and mountain gorillas in Congo, and hike to view the lava lake on top of Mount Nyiragongo. This 7 days safari starts from Kigali with a city tour where you will visit the craft shops and the kimironko market, later on transfer to Bukavu where you will enjoy a lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Beiga national park, later on transfer to Goma and to Virunga national park for mountain gorilla trekking and Mount Nyiragongo hike and close the safari in Kigali departing at Kigali international airport.
Highlights of this 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari
- Day 1: Arrival
- Day 2: Transfer to Bukavu – Kahuzi Beiga national park
- Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Beiga
- Day 4: Transfer to Goma – Virunga national park
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Virunga
- Day 6: Mount Nyiragongo hike (Ascend)
- Day 7: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and departures
Detailed Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
- Arrival at Kigali international airport: On day 1 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, you will find our company representative at Kigali international airport waiting for your arrival and later on be transferred to you lodge in Kigali for a meal and relaxation from a long flight. Depending on what time it is, you will then be picked from your lodge to have an evening Kigali city tour where you will have a chance to buy some souvenirs, fruits and other things that you might require during your safari from the markets and craft shops. If time allows, you will also visit the genocide memorial sites within Kigali then later be transferred back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Bukavu – Kahuzi Beiga national park
- Transfer to Bukavu: on day 2 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, after breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and be transferred from Kigali city to Bukavu via Nyungwe forest where you will be able to spot some primates on a lucky day. You will also have a sight on Lake Kivu then proceed to Bukavu where Kahuzi Beiga National park is located. Lunch will be enroute and dinner at the lodge.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Beiga
- Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Beiga national park: on day 3 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, have breakfast at the lodge, pack enough snacks and water, grab that favorite gorilla trekking gear and be transferred to the major trailhead for gorilla trekking and off to the jungle in search of lowland gorillas. Remember to keep in mind all the gorilla trekking dos and don’ts all the time while in wild. There are other different species of fauna and flora to sight while in the jungle other than lowland gorillas. After trekking gorillas, and spending an hour taking photographs, viewing and learning different manners of lowland gorillas, you will return to your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Goma – Virunga national park
- Transfer to Goma: On day 4 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, have a morning breakfast, check out of your lodge, meet your driver to EXIT Kahuzi Beiga national park and be transferred to Goma. You will have to take a speed boat to cross over from Bukavu to Goma city. Upon arrival in Goma city, have a meal and then be driven past the virunga offices for gorilla trekking and mount Nyiragongo hiking permits before being transferred to your lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight. Accommodation will be on a full board basis.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Virunga
- Gorilla trekking in virunga: on day 5 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, you will take an early breakfast, wear your trekking suit and be transferred to the gorilla trekking main trailhead where you will meet with your rangers, hire a porter and then start your adventurous journey of searching for a different species of gorillas known as mountain gorillas which are found only in Virunga massif and Bwindi impenetrable national park situated in Uganda. Mountain gorillas are different from the lowland gorillas you encountered in Kahuzi Beiga national park and you will be in a position to recognize the different between the two species of gorillas. As usual, one hour of interaction, viewing, and photo-taking is allowed after following them up for about 2-8 hours. Later on, you will return to Kibati where you will be picked and returned to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Mount Nyiragongo hike (Ascend)
- Ascend Mount Nyiragongo: on day 6 of 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari, you will spend this day 6 of your safari experiencing the best hike of your lifetime. Well, grab a relaxed breakfast, check out, and be transferred to Kibati police patrol where the Nyiragongo hike commences at 10:00 am local time. During the hike, you will be in a position to view other volcanic mountains within virunga massif close to Mount Nyiragongo. You will also encounter other wildlife such as elephants, primates, birds and many more. Have a stopover to enjoy your packed lunch and then proceed to summit the top where you will view the lava lake glowing. Dinner at the summit and overnight in the tent either hired tent or personal tent or you may opt to camp.
Day 7: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and departures
- Descend mount Nyiragongo: This is the last day of your 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari. You will wake up in morning, have breakfast on top of the mount Nyiragongo while watching the lava lake as you prepare to descend from the summit of the mountain back to the bottom. Descending starts at 6:30am such that by 10: 00am you are at the base to enable another group start the hike. Upon arrive, you will be driven to Congo – Rwanda border to meet your driver and be transferred to the hotel for lunch before proceeding to Kigali. Once in Kigali, you will have a visit to the genocide memorial sites where several Rwandese were murdered in cold blood. Finally, you will be dropped at the airport to proceed with your journey back home.
End Of 7 Days Congo Gorilla & Nyiragongo hiking safari
Inclusive in this 7 days Congo gorillas and Nyiragongo hiking safari
- Airport pick up and drop off
- A Congo visa
- A 4×4 safari vehicle
- Park entrance fees
- An English speaking guide
- Two Gorilla trekking permits
- Hiking permit for Mount Nyiragongo
- Meals
- Ranger
- Enough drinking water
Exclusives in this safari
- International flight expenses including Visa and Air ticket
- Laundry fees
- Souvenirs
- Porter
- Optional activities
