8 Days Congo Gorillas & Nyiragongo Climb

Overview.

The 8 Days Congo Gorillas & Nyiragongo Climb in Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most exclusive African trips you will ever have. It takes you to the most popular destinations in the country. You will visit Virunga national park for the mountain gorillas, Hike to the top of one of Africa’s most active volcanoes; Nyiragongo mountain and then visit Kahuzi-Biega national park for the lowland gorillas. The trip starts and ends in Rwanda’s capital Kigali city.

Safari in details.

Day 1: Arrival and hotel transfer.

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, be received and welcomed by our knowledgeable and hospitable travel guide. He will brief you about the whole trip and then transfer you to a hotel where you will spend the night in Kigali city.

Day 2: Kigali city tour and travel to Virunga national park.

After early breakfast, have a city tour in Kigali to explore her rich culture and history. You will be exposed to the Kigali Genocide memorial site, museums, craft markets and other important buildings in Kigali.

You will have lunch in a local restaurant to taste the local cuisines of Rwanda. In the afternoon, start the journey to Virunga national park in DR Congo. Drive through Goma; the border town between Rwanda and Congo, arriving in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park.

This is the day you will encounter the mighty gorillas in their natural habitat. It is obviously the highlight of the entire safari. Early morning after breakfast, travel to the park’s ranger station for gorilla briefing and division into groups of eight trekkers; the maximum number of trekkers allowed to visit a single gorilla family in one day.

Under leadership of a local guide, head into the lush forest, walking in slippery trails, avoiding thorny trees ad jumping over huge heaps of dang; as symbols that prove presence of forest elephants and hippos in this park. On the trek you are likely to encounter several other primates.

Upon meeting the mountain gorillas, spend one magical hour learning about them and watching them carry on with their normal lives. After the one hour, descend back to the park headquarters and to the lodge.

Day 4: Hike to the top of mountain Nyiragongo.

Early morning after breakfast, the guide takes you to the starting point of the Nyiragongo hike. Here you will be briefed about the hike and then start hiking to the top. Summiting the Nyiragongo top takes about four to six hours depending on the speed and physical fitness of the trekkers.

Hike through different vegetation zones, walking through both rugged and slippery trails. At the top you will have breathtaking views of other Virunga volcanoes and views of Africa’s largest lava lake. The lake becomes more beautiful at night as you watch it form a web like structure. Dinner will be with the view over the lake and then overnight in the mountain cabins.

Day 5: Descend back to Kibati park headquarters.

This day you descend back to the headquarters and to the lodge for relaxation and preparation for the next day. Unlike ascending, sloping down Mount Nyiragongo, is way easier and takes about two hours to reach Kibati Ranger station, from where you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Day 6: Travel to Kahuzi-Biega national park.

Setting off will be very early in the morning to the southern based Kahuzi-Biega national park. The journey is full of spectacular views of the many mountains and virgin beauty of the country, sights that are simply beautiful to the eyes. Arrival will be in the evening for just dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Kahuzi-Biega national park – Lowland gorilla trekking.

You will have the second gorilla trekking experience in Democratic Republic of Congo. Have breakfast in the morning and head to the park station for gorilla trekking briefing from the local park rangers. Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park involves a simple hike on the lower slopes of Kahuzi and Biega mountains.

You will spend one hour with the gorillas, seeing how they feed, play with each other, jump from one tree branch to the other and carry on their daily lives. When the one hour elapses, you will slope back to the headquarters to pick your certificate of participation and then drive back to the lodge for lunch, relaxation, dinner and overnight as you prepare for departure the next day.

Day 8: Departure.

Leave Bukavu town and travel back to Kigali city. You will still enjoy the beautiful scenery in the countryside of Congo and Rwanda, and pass via the southern city of Butare where you will have a brief cultural encounter, at the ethnographic museum, Rwanda National University or the Inyambo cows.

Have lunch here and the guide will drive you straight to Kigali airport for your exit flight or to the hotel of your choice.

Top Congo Gorilla Tours & Hiking Packages

The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to some of the most diverse wildlife in the world and is home to both types of eastern gorillas - mountain gorillas in Virunga national park (Africa's oldest national park) and the Grauer's gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park in further south west. See some of our gorilla tours and hiking packages below.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.Game drive security is assured.Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.