Day 1: Pick Up and Transfer to Gisenyi – Congo Boarder

Upon arrival at Kigali international airport, the driver guide will be waiting to give you a warm reception and brief you about all you have to know about the 5-day experience in the land of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Time permitting, take a Kigali city excursion to explore genocide museum, presidential museum and several craft centers where you can shop some souvenirs. Embark on your journey to Virunga national park driving through a very smooth road and upon arrival at Grand Barrier boarder post, check-in and ensure that you secure your permits for trekking mountain Gorillas in Virunga national park. Afterwards, proceed to check-in at your lodge just adjacent to Nyiragongo trailhead. Refresh, have supper and overnight as you wait for the next day’s adventure.

Day 2: Trek Gorillas in Virunga National Park Congo

After a very delicious breakfast, report to Mikeno patrol station with your travel and identification documents and gorilla permit for registration and attend pre-trek briefing where you will be taken through the rules and regulations meant to be followed during the search of the allocated gorilla family.

It is at this point that all the treks in Virunga national park begin, and with support of the park rangers, expect to hike for about 2-4 hours depending on your speed, fitness and the direction and movement of the gorilla family.

After a very tiresome hiking experience, the guides will give you an allowance of one hour to watch mountain gorillas as they carry on with their normal daily lives, study these huge but gentle creatures play and feed; you can also take some photos for memory.

Day 3: Mount Nyiragongo Hiking

With packed lunch after your early morning breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing about the hike to the summit of the famous Nyiragongo volcano. This is an activity that lasts for up to 6 hours, but with your fitness level, drinking water, a porter, and appropriate hiking boots, the trek will have been really made simple.

This exercise commences at 10:00am after briefing session at the headquarters, and you stand a chance of sighting the magnificent views of nearby Virunga volcanoes, water bodies and local homesteads. Have some refreshment, dinner and overnight at Nyiragongo mountain huts.

Day 4: Descend and drive to Kigali, Rwanda

After an early breakfast in a lovely morning, you will descend the volcano to the trail head. After a little rest, the driver guide will be ready to give you a comfortable drive down to Gisenyi in Rwanda, the route will leave you with the amazing views of the gentle hill slopes of the Virunga ranges, the green vegetation and large water bodies. Check-in to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at the shores of Lake Kivu.

Day 5: Transfer & Fly out of Kigali

Wake Up to a very tasty breakfast before checking out of the lodge and heading for a city tour in Kigali. Here you will be in position to do a city tour (if you didn’t do it on the first day); visiting the Genocide memorial site in Kigali and Kaplaki crafts village for souvenir shopping and drop off at the airport for your flight back home.

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Encounter the unique Eastern lowland gorillas, study and also explore in depth their behavior and day to day lives. You will enjoy the beautiful views of Rwanda’s southern country side, the national museum in Butare and Nyanza palace. The tour starts and Ends in Rwanda.

Day 1: Pick-Up and Transfer to Kahuzi-Biega National Park

As you arrive at Kigali International Airport, our expert guide will warmly welcome you to the wonderland of Rwanda, have a brief interaction as the guide tells you all that will transpire in the 3 days Lowland Gorilla Trekking tour.

Embark on a journey to Cyangugu boarder, south –west of Rwanda, traversing the magnificent landscapes of southern Rwanda before having a stopover at the historical Nyanza royal palace known as Rukaari, home to king Musinga and his successor Rudahigwa for an extra ordinary cultural experience. Proceed to Butare town for lunch and visit Rwanda national museum, the biggest museum in East Africa which offers more on heritage experiences.

Continue to Bukavu – Eastern Congo’s largest city, to prepare for that ultimate lowland Gorilla trekking experience the next day. On arrival, refresh, have dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Tracking Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park

After morning breakfast, the driver guide will set off with you to the Kahuzi – Biega Park headquarters, home to some of the surviving lowland gorillas. Take a pre-trek briefing, and off you enter the forests. Depending on your hiking pace, fitness level and location of the primates, lowland gorilla trekking can last for up to 5 hours with one-hour allowance left for you to observe, study and freely interact with these creatures. The whole experience is very dramatic and undertaking it is unregrettable.

After that unforgettable experience, have picnic lunch and go ahead for a nature walk to explore the less known Tshibati waterfalls, a quite tiresome journey on unpaved road, but marked with stunning sceneries.

Day 3: Return to Kigali

On this last day, you should have had the best of your time in Democratic Republic of Congo; it is time to return to Kigali international airport for departure flight after having a delicious breakfast. Check out of the lodge and join your driver guide who will drive you back to Kigali international airport, following a route with stunning views of the hills and the wonderful plantations.

End of Tour.

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Day 1: Pickup and transfer to Bukima sector – D.R. Congo.

Upon landing at Kigali international airport, our qualified tour guide will welcome you to the land of a thousand hills, and then brief you on the different experiences and destinations you will visit in the 3 days. Thereafter, commence with the 6-hour journey while paying a visit to the Genocide memorial site where innocent people lost their lives during the 1994 genocide. Have lunch and proceed with the journey to Bukima gorilla sector in Virunga national park, arriving in the evening for some refreshment, dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Tracking Mountain Gorillas – Virunga National Park

After an early morning breakfast, move along with your gorilla trekking permit, packed lunch, good hiking shoes, long-sleeved shirt / blouse and good camera to the park’s headquarters, the first activity will be briefing that commences at 8:00am and goes for about 30 minutes, as the park officials cross check your documents at the same time telling you some of the rules to be followed while in the wilderness.

Kick-start the search for the apes by following the broken tree branches, or tracing for them right from the destination they were last spotted. The time frame for trekking depends on your hiking speed, fitness and how far the Gorillas have gone. However, upon finding them, you will be given one hour to adventure these creatures, closely observing and studying the exact behaviors and taking some photos (see selfies) with them.

Day 3: Return to Kigali

After enjoying a very hefty breakfast in Virunga national park, check-out of the lodge and drive back to Kigali International airport for your return flight.

End of tour.

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