6 days Virunga Classic
6 days Virunga Classic: Book a tour to Eastern Africa for a chance to trek mountain gorillas twice and hike the mount Nyiragongo. This 6 days Virunga classic package is a safari organized by Virunga national park for its visitors interested in the mountain gorillas and the mount Nyiragongo hike with a bonus of getting to visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage. This package sets off from Goma on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Trip highlights of the 6 days Virunga Classic
- 2 mountain gorilla treks
- Mount Nyiragongo overnight hike
- Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage
- Mikeno lodge
- Ngila lodge
- Virunga park headquarters visit.
Trip Description
Day 1: Drive to Goma to connect to Mikeno Lodge
Connect to Mikeno lodge
Your driver guide will be in Kigali at the agreed pick up point and time preferably by 8 am to pick you up to start your 6 day safari. You will drive 6 hours from Kigali to connect to Goma Grande Barrier border building to check in and receive your permits for the next days’ activities.
After all protocol has been observed, you will drive with the Virunga security team headed to Bukima ranger post where your hotel is located. You will check into your hotel and have a late lunch and settle in as you wait for night fall. Dinner will be served and the first night will be spent at Mikeno lodge
Day 2: Mountain gorillas trekking in Virunga national park.
Mountain gorilla trek
Wake up to catch a glimpse of the sunrise and have a quick breakfast thereafter grab your packed lunch boxes and connect with your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you to the Bukima ranger post where the brief before the trek is given. Enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas and spend the allotted 1 hour in their presence shortly before you exit the park to have your lunch boxes.
Drive back to your hotel to spend the rest of the evening at leisure as you await dinner to be served at Ngila lodge
Day 3: Second mountain gorilla trek
Mountain gorilla trek
Wake up for the second chance to meet the mountain gorillas of Virunga national park. Grab your breakfast at the hotel and your lunch packs then drive along with your driver guide to connect back to Bukima ranger post for the pre trek brief. Set out into the forest and trek for about 2 to 5 hours according to how far in the forest the gorillas are.
After trekking exit the park and drive back to you hotel to spend the evening as you may wish reading a book at the lodge or take on a more active activity like visiting a community project and return before it gets dark in time for dinner and second night at Mikeno lodge.
Day 4: Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage visit and park headquarters visit.
Gorilla orphanage in Virunga national park.
Wake up early in time to catch the chimpanzees that are early risers. Set out to the park headquarters and join the team of individuals that are habituating the mountain gorilla family in the Mahura forest of Virunga national park. Get back to your accommodation for a late breakfast and relax or opt to visit the Virunga national park headquarters in the midmorning hours.
Return for lunch at the luxury Mikeno lodge and later in the evening, go visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage in the evening. The Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage is strategically located in the compound of the Mikeno lodge. Spend a few hours at the orphanage and connect back to the dining area for dinner and another night in Mikeno lodge.
Day 5: Mount Nyiragongo hike up
Mount Nyiragongo hike
You driver guide will be waiting for you after breakfast to drive you to the Kibati Ranger post where the Nyiragongo hike starts from. You will hike uphill for about 6 hours with 2 stopovers and reach the summit in the early evening hours.
Enjoy the sunset view from the top and watch the lights from Goma light up the darkness from afar on a clear night. Dinner and night stay will be at the Nyiragongo summit.
Day 6: Connect back to Kigali
Descend the Mount Nyiragongo
Wake up early to catch the sunrise and the last moments at the top of the volcano. Have a simple Congolese breakfast shortly before you start your descent back to the volcanoes trailhead. Your driver-guide will be waiting to drive you back to Kigali and drop you off at your hotel or the Kigali international airport as you will advise.
You can opt to add on a visit to Tchegera island to cool off from the trip.
End of the 6 days Virunga Classic
