8 Days Congo Primates Safari & Nyiragongo Hike
8 Days Congo Primates Safari & Nyiragongo Hike: is a classic Congo safari tour package that combines adventuring both Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, great mountain gorillas trekking in Virunga National Park as well as Hiking safari on the Mountain Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park. This trip starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda.
Safari highlights of 8 Days Congo Primates Safari and Nyiragongo Hike
Day 1: Travel from Kigali to Bukavu
Day 2: Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking
Day 3: Boat transfer from Bukavu to Goma
Day 4: Mountain gorilla trek
Day5: Mountain gorilla trek
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking
Day7: Hike Mount Nyiragongo
Day 8: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and connect to Goma
Detailed Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Travel from Kigali to Bukavu
Travel from Kigali to Bukavu: On day 1 of the 8 days Congo primate safari and Nyiragongo hike, our safari driver guide will pick you up from an earlier communicated pickup location in Kigali where you would have spent overnight and start a drive to Bukavu ‘’7 -8 hours ‘’ the nearest town to Kahuzi Biega National Park with en route lunch. Upon arrival in Bukavu, you will check in at your booked hotel, have dinner, and overnight stay.
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Eastern Lowland Gorilla Trekking- Kahuzi Biega National park
Gorilla Trekking: On day 2 of 8 days, wake up have breakfast at your lodge, remember to pack enough drinking water and energy-giving snacks, and put on rubber hiking shoes as well as warm clothes. Then after, your driver guide will transfer you to the park headquarters of Kahuzi Biega National Park for a pre-gorilla briefing. After you will meet the park ranger guide and local tour guides in to lead you in search of habituated gorillas. This activity can take about 30 to 6 hours of trekking and once you allocate them you will be allowed one hour with gorillas to learn from their stunning lifestyle and also enjoy future photography, then trek back to the starting point of gorilla trekking. Your driver will drive back to the lodge for a relaxed evening.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Packed lunch, and Dinner
Day 3: Boat transfer from Bukavu to Goma
Boat transfer to Goma: After enjoying breakfast on day 3, you will check out of the lodge and meet your safari driver guide to transfer you to Bukavu port to enjoy your speed boat and sail on Lake Kivu as you head to the opposite side of the lake in Goma. Lake Kivu quite offers several attractions ranging from beautiful flora along the shores and the island offers a gainful view of Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga massif. Arrive in Goma, where you will be cleared at Grande Barrier border point, and have lunch. Then proceed a drive to Rumangabo where you will check in at the Mikeno lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Take note; At this landing point, you will connect to the Mikeno tour package which is always available only on Monday and On Wednesday.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 4: Mountain Gorilla Trek –Virunga National Park Congo
Gorilla Trekking: After breakfast on day 4, meet your safari guide for a transfer to Bukima Police post where a short briefing about gorilla trekking rules can be conducted. After the briefing, you will hike into the forest to start searching for the assigned gorilla family in their natural habitats. The trek will take you about 30 to 7 hours depending on where were last seen the previous day. You will spend an hour observing the gorillas and later on trek back to Bukima police post to meet your driver. Transfer back to your lodge for dinner and overnight. You can opt to do an evening community visit or a guided walk.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 5: Mountain gorilla trekking –Virunga National Park
Gorilla Trek in Virunga National Park; On the 5 of 8 days Congo primate safari and Nyiragongo hike, you will meet your driver again to drive you back to the Bukima police post for another gorilla trekking briefing about the do’s and don’ts. On this day, request a different gorilla group for trekking. After seeing the gorilla in their natural habitat, you will hike back to the lodge for a lunch rest. Then drive to Mikeno lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking –Virunga National Park
Chimpanzee Tracking: You will wake up and have breakfast on day 6 of 8 days of Congo safari with primates and Nyiragongo hike. You will transfer to Mahura forest as early as 6:00 am where you will be able to watch the habituated chimpanzees as well as enjoy capturing videos and memorable photography. You will spend one hour viewing these chimpanzees and later on trek back to your lodge for a relaxed evening as you get ready for Nyiragongo hike the next day.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner
Day7: Hike Mount Nyiragongo
Hike Mount Nyiragongo –Ascend: Wake up on day 7, and have breakfast served at the lodge with a tasty snack. After, pack enough mineral bottled water and snacks and then transfer to the Kibati ranger post which is the trailhead for all Nyiragongo hiking adventures.
You will be briefed about Mount Nyiragongo and at 10 am, ascend for about 6 hours to summit the iconic active volcanoes with a lava lake at the top. You will spend your overnight at the summit observing the rewardable Lava Lake.
Meal plan: Breakfast at the lodge, lunch, and dinner at the summit
Day 8: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and Departures:
Wake up with a memorable view of the lava lake and the neighboring volcanoes in Virunga massif at the summit of Mount Nyiragongo.
On this last day of 8 days of Congo primate safari and Nyiragongo Hike. You will pack all your belongings in preparation to begin descending back to Kibati where you will then be driven by convoy to Goma. Then be driven to Kigali at your booked hotel or Kigali International Airport for your flight departure.
Meal plan: Breakfast at the summit, Lunch either at Goma or Kigali.
End of 8 Days Congo Primate Safari and Nyiragongo Hike
8 Days Congo Primate Safari and Nyiragongo hike includes;
A4x4 safari vehicle for ground transportation
Congo tourist visa ‘’but on request’’
Lowland gorilla trekking permit
2 mountain gorilla trekking permits
Chimpanzee trekking permit
Mount Nyiragongo permit
Ranger fees
An English-speaking guide
All meals as mentioned in the itinerary
Accommodation in itinerary
Enough drinking water throughout the safari.
Safari excludes;
All international travel expenses like Visa and ticket
Laundry fees
Porter fees
All activities excluded from the itinerary
Alcoholic drinks and juices
Tips to the porter-guides
Souvenirs
Phone expenses such as email, and airtime.
