5 Days volcanoes and Virunga gorilla trekking safari : You may trek mountain gorillas in both Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda during the 5-day volcanoes and Virunga gorilla trekking safari. The start and finish of this five-day double gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda is Kigali. You may, however, choose to fly out of Congo’s Goma International Airport.
Highlights of the 5 Days volcanoes and virunga gorilla trekking safari
Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’iwacu Cultural Tour.
Day 3: Transfer to Virunga National Park in Congo.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park.
Day 5: Departure (Kigali/Goma).
Detailed Itinerary for 5 Days volcanoes and virunga gorilla trekking safari
Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Transfer to Volcanoes: Your guide will pick you up from your chosen hotel in Kigali City or directly from Kigali International Airport on Day 1 of your 5-day double-gorilla trekking safari. You will continue with your transfer to Volcanoes National Park, which will take around 2-3 hours, after a quick meet-and-greet session. The closest town to the national park is Musanze, which is located in Rwanda’s Ruhengeri province. There are around 300 mountain gorillas living in the park, which spans 160 square kilometers of rainforest.
Upon entering the park, check into your lodge for lunch before unwinding for the remainder of the day. Kinigi Guesthouse will serve as the guesthouse.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’iwacu Cultural Tour.
Your gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda will be most memorable on this day. Have breakfast early and arrive at the park’s administrative center in Kinigi by 7 a.m. When you arrive at Volcanoes National Park, the park’s head ranger will welcome you and give you instructions on how to behave around the gorillas both when you are tracking them and when you are not. Following that, you will be divided into tracking groups, each of which has eight gorilla trekkers. In Volcanoes, gorilla trekking activities start at precisely 8 a.m. You’ll be joined by armed park guards, knowledgeable guides, and porters if you need help carrying bags. On this day, remember to bring a packed lunch because searching for gorillas can take anywhere from 2 to 7 hours during a gorilla hike. You will only get an hour with the mighty giants once the mountain gorillas have been found. Make the most of this opportunity by taking as many pictures as you like, but keep in mind that your camera’s flash is off. You will drive back to your resort after your incredible gorilla trekking adventure to pick up your gorilla trekking certificate from the park’s administrative center.
Iby’iwacu Culture Tour: Later in the afternoon, you’ll drive to the village of Iby’iwacu to gain a fascinating glimpse into the magnificent culture of Rwanda. You will be able to converse with the locals, observe how they live their daily lives, and take in dancing performances by the intore dance group. You will discover while there that the majority of the Iby’iwacu village’s inhabitants were once poachers who were rehabilitated and now participate in conservation initiatives in the national park.
After supper, head back to your lodge to spend the night.
Day 3: Transfer to Virunga National Park in Congo.
Travel to the Virunga: Have breakfast at your lodge as soon as you wake up in the morning. Meet your guide there, and then proceed over the Grande Barrier at the Gisenyi-Goma border to the Virunga National Park in the Congo. You will be driven there by a convoy that Virunga National Park will supply. You will check into your lodge, eat supper, and overnight accommodations at Kibumba Tented Camp, Bukima Tented Camp, or Mikeno Lodge once you are in the national park.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park.
This is the day you’ve been looking forward to: gorilla trekking in the Virunga! Get up early, eat breakfast, and then head to the park’s administrative center. Your guide will drive you to either the Mikeno or Bukima tourist centers, where all gorilla trekking activities start, depending on which gorilla group you want to monitor.
Similar to Rwanda, you will receive a briefing before being divided into groups of no more than eight gorillas each at the Virunga National Park. Armed park guards, knowledgeable guides, and porters, should you choose to hire one, will accompany you. In Virunga National Park, there are 8 habituated mountain gorilla groups that visitors can track.
Virunga’s gorilla trekking excursions last between two and four hours, including the hour spent with the gorillas once they have been found. Any adult can participate in gorilla trekking activities in Virunga National Park because they don’t require a lot of strenuous hiking activities. Return to your hotel for lunch and some downtime.
For guests staying at Mikeno lodge, you have the option to embark on a cultural excursion to one of the nearby village villages or visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage later in the afternoon. After dinner, return to your lodge to spend the night.
Day 5: Departure (Kigali/Goma).
Your 5-day double gorilla trekking safari comes to an end today. Early in the morning, check out of your hotel after breakfast. In Kigali or Goma, your guide will leave you off at the location of your scheduled departure. You can take an optional tour of Kigali or Goma before boarding your aircraft home if you still have time left on your travel itinerary.
End of 5 Days volcanoes and Virunga gorilla trekking safari
