6 Days Ngila Classic
6 Days Ngila Classic: 6 days in Virunga taking on 3 mountain gorilla treks and an overnight hike to Mount Nyiragongo. Virunga national park is one of the few national parks that are home to the last remaining mountain gorillas in the entire world. The mount Nyiragongo is still an active volcano and has been said to be responsible for a big percentage of the volcanic eruptions in Africa.
This package departs from Goma on Mondays and Wednesdays only.
Trip highlights
- 3 Mountain gorilla treks
- Overnight Mount Nyiragongo hike
- Ngila lodge
- Mikeno lodge
Trip Description
Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Bukima
Connect to Ngila 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 the 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 Ngila 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 Ngila lodge.
Day 4: Third mountain gorilla trek
Mountain gorilla trek
Early morning after having breakfast, you will set out back to the park as the days before anticipating the third chance with a mountain gorilla family. Be a part of the pre trekking brief and follow the rangers into the forest.
After the gorilla trek, drive to your hotel for lunch and take some time at the lodge as you wait for dinner. Dinner and overnight at Mikeno lodge
Day 5: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo
Mount Nyiragongo hike
You driver guide will be waiting for you after breakfast to drive you to Kibati Ranger post where the Nyiragongo hike starts from. You will hike up hill 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 a far 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 Ngila Classic
