6 Days Virunga Primates & Mount Nyiragongo Safari (Great Ape safari)
6 Days Virunga Primates & Mount Nyiragongo Safari: Spend 6 days in Virunga national park visiting all the major attractions that is the mountain gorillas, the chimpanzee family in Mahura forest, visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage and hike up Mount Nyiragongo one of the currently active volcanic mountain.
Looking for a perfect Congo safari, book this one in Virunga national park. This package can be booked throughout the year but please note the package sets off from Goma on Mondays and Wednesdays. It starts from Kigali and ends in Kigali Rwanda.
Trip highlights of the 6 Days Virunga Primates & Mount Nyiragongo Safari
- Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Mikeno lodge
- Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
- Day 3: Second mountain gorilla trek in DR Congo
- Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage
- Day 5: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo
- Day 6: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and back to Kigali/ Goma
Trip description
Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Mikeno lodge
You driver guide will be at your hotel to pick you up and brief you on the next few days in DRCongo. You will start on your journey to cross to Virunga national park from Kigali on road. This is a 5 hour drive to Grande Barrier border building where you will check in to receive your activity permits. After, join the Virunga security convoy and drive to Mikeno lodge that will be home for the next few nights.
You will be welcomed with a glass of juice and settle in for a late lunch. Unpack and relax at the lodge’s terrace as you wait for the dawn of the day. After dinner has been served, you will spend the first night in Virunga at Mikeno lodge
Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
The first mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga will expect you to be up by 6 am to have a quick breakfast and head out for the brief before the gorilla trek at 7am. The briefing will be held at the Bukima police post. You will enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas, trek for about 2 to 3 hours until you come across the gorilla family of the day depending on how far into the forest they are that day.
Spend an hour with the mountain gorillas at a 6 meters distance and after drive to the Bukima tented camp for a late lunch and spend the rest of the day at the camp. You will have dinner and retire at Bukima tented camp for this second night.
Day 3: Second mountain gorilla trek in DR Congo
Wake up early on this 6 Days Virunga Primates & Mount Nyiragongo Safari again for your second visit to the mountain gorillas of Virunga national park. You will drive to the Bukima ranger post, attend the pre trekking brief and enter the forest. You will enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas, trek for about 2 to 3 hours until you come across the gorilla family of the day depending on how far into the forest they are that day.
Spend an hour with the mountain gorillas at a 6 meters distance and after drive back to Mikeno lodge for the evening. If you are feeling energetic, you may visit the Virunga tourism offices after lunch and return before night fall for dinner. Overnight stay will be at Mikeno lodge
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage
This fourth day of the Congo safari, you will set out in search of the chimpanzee family in Mahura forest. After the pretrek brief, you will join the team of researchers into the forest. Chimpanzees are playful creatures so you will see them swing from tree branch to tree branch and their sounds can be heard up to the start of the trek. Exit the park and connect back to you hotel for a late breakfast and relax as you wait for the sun to cool down.
Lunch will be served and in the evening you may visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage to see a few of the rescued orphans at the center. Dinner and overnight at Mikeno lodge
Day 5: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo
After breakfast, you will drive to the Kibati Ranger post to join the hikers of Mount Nyiragongo. You will receive a briefing and head out for your 5 hours hike up hill with2 stopover points. Arrive at the summit in the early evening hours and enjoy the views as you wait for dinner to be served and night stay at the Nyiragongo Summit shelters.
Day 6: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and back to Kigali/ Goma
Final day of the safari! Wake up early enough to catch the sunrise from the top and have breakfast. Descent Mount Nyiragongo and be at the trailhead by midday. You will drive with your driver guide to Goma and continue to Kigali. You may have the Kigali city tour visiting the Kimironko market and Kigali Genocide memorial grounds and later advise on the drop off point in Kigali.
End of the 6 Days Virunga Primates & Mount Nyiragongo Safari
Trip quote to include:
- Fully fueled safari vehicle
- English/ French speaking driver guide
- DRCongo tourist visa
- Double mountain gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Mount Nyiragongo hike permit
- Accommodation as planned
- Meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Bottled water
Trip quote to exclude:
- Any flight fees
- PCR (Covid-19) tests
- Rwanda visa fees
- Insurance
- Extra visits not included in the itinerary
- Personal needs like medicines, airtime, laundry, gratuities.
