While on your 5 days Congo and Rwanda safari, you will have an exceptional experience of primate trekking in the wonderful destinations of Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe national park in Rwanda. Hike the Nyiragongo, enjoy the cultural walks, and photography moments, and just get ready for the best.

Day 1: Arrival, Kigali to Virunga national Park in D.R. Congo

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, our qualified driver guide will warmly welcome you to the country, and then brief you about the full details of the 5 days’ gorilla trekking experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

You will drive via Gisenyi, have lunch in Gisenyi town before proceeding to Goma, north of Lake Kivu, check in at the border point and drive to your lodge in Mikeno sector for dinner and overnight stay as you wait for the next day’s epic gorilla trekking encounter.

Day 2: Mountain Gorilla Trekking and Community walk

After an early morning Breakfast, go to the park headquarters for a pre-trekking briefing. Here, the park officials tell you about everything you should expect while in the jungle, they go ahead to explain to you some trekking rules, at the same time verifying all the documents you have carried. Upon completing the first exercise, the guides will direct you to the specific trail which you will follow to do your trekking activities.

The park guides with one armed security guard will accompany you to the forest while searching for the mountain gorillas, depending on how far the gorilla family has moved, you will be required to trek for about 2-5 hours. Following the broken tree branches, you will find these human relatives moving on with their life, don’t make noise but rather observe, take photos and learn whatever you can in the one hour rendered to you.

Have lunch before heading out for a short community visit as you extend your helping hands to the people suffering in the neighborhood. After, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3: Hike Mount Nyiragongo

After breakfast, set off with packed lunch to hike the famous Nyiragongo volcano (one of the active volcanos in the Virunga region). The whole exercise kick-starts at 10:00am with a brief meeting at the headquarters. This gorilla experience lasts for roughly 5-6 hours depending on your hiking speed and fitness, just move with tough / appropriate hiking boots, binoculars, bottled water, and others, to be enable to win over in every step you will take.

Though tiresome, you will get the chance of catching the stunning views of nearby hills, communities, forest rivers, and the neighboring Virunga volcanoes, like Nyamuragira and Karisimbi mountains.

Day 4: Descend from the Mountain and transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

After breakfast, descend from Nyiragongo mountain shelters, a journey that takes around 2 hours. Upon reaching the base, immediately join your driver guide and begin the transfer to Rwanda’s Nyungwe forest.  This is roughly a 3-4-hour drive traversing through Lake Kivu province, Congo-Nile drive and vast tea plantations that mark Rwanda – Congo border.

Have lunch at the shores of Lake Kivu, either in Gisenyi or Kibuye towns, before continuing with your journey to Nyungwe forest. Catch the amazing views of the famous ‘thousand hills ’as though the winding road as you proceed to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Trek Chimpanzees and departure

After an early morning breakfast, the driver guide will take you to Uwinka ranger station for a briefing session. The park officials take you through everything you will expect while conducting the trek. The guides will explain to you what it takes to do chimpanzee trekking and all you need to know, as well as telling you the right trail to follow.

Nyungwe forest has two main trail heads where chimpanzee trekking takes place, and these include Uwinka trail and another at Cyamudongo section. Nyungwe forest is one of the richest destinations with diverse flora, hosting over 200 species of trees and flowering plants, 13 species of primates including, Columbus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, 300 bird species with several Albertine rift endemics and numerous species of butterflies.

After the trekking experience, head back to the lodge for Lunch, check-out of the lodge and drive to Kigali international airport for your flight.

End of tour.