8 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking, Nyiragongo Hike and Uganda Safari
This 8 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking, Nyiragongo Hike and Uganda Safari takes on a remarkable adventure as you track mountain gorillas in Congo’s Virunga National Park and hike to the lava lake on Mountain Nyiragongo. You will also get to cross over to Uganda where you will embark on a guided game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park and then track habituated chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. This tour begins and ends in Kigali, Rwanda.
Highlights for 8 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking, Nyiragongo Hike and Uganda Safari.
Day 1: Land at Kigali and Drive to Gisenyi – Congo Boarder.
Day 2: Virunga Gorilla Trekking in Congo
Day 3: Nyiragongo Hiking
Day 4: Descend Nyiragongo & Proceed to Gisenyi
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking at Kibale national park.
Day 8: Return to Kigali/Departure
Detailed Itinerary for 8 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking, Nyiragongo Hike and Uganda Safari.
Day 1: Land at Kigali and Drive to Gisenyi – Congo Boarder.
You will meet your guide on your agreed location waiting to welcome you and embark on your drive to cross into Congo to Goma. Check-in with the tourism office strategically located at the Grand Barrier border. Post to receive Gorilla and Volcano permit that’s to be presented at the beginning of every trek. Thereafter you will be transfer to Kibumba tented camp just near the trailhead of Nyiragongo volcano or Bukima tented camp – just outside Virunga national park boundary. Other accommodation options can be arranged according to your budget and preference.
Day 2: Virunga Gorilla Trekking in Congo
Have your first meal of the day – Breakfast and report to Bukima patrol passport with your passport and permit details for registration and briefing. All treks in Virunga national park begin here. Later head into the forest with your ranger guide and expect to hike for 1 to 3 hours until you find the mountain Gorillas in Virunga national park
When you get to see them, you will be in awe-inspired by their huge size and gentle nature as you watch them go about their daily business with mothers tending to the young ones and the juveniles making an effort to impress. You will stay up to 1-hour maximum and head back to the camp enjoy a late lunch and have the rest of the day at leisure, including time for nature walks and bird watching.
Day 3: Nyiragongo Hiking
Prepare for early morning breakfast as you will are expected at the headquarters by 8am.
Meet your ranger guide, a porter and begin your hike. Meals will be provided and you will stay overnight in the wooden shelter at the top.
Please note that your Rwanda Visa will expire after crossing into Congo so you will apply for another immediately and you will find it ready on return.
Day 4: Descend Nyiragongo & Proceed to Gisenyi
This morning, you will descend the Volcano and head down to Kibati by 11:00 am. Here, you will connect with your driver/guide and transfer to Gisenyi Rwanda to spend the evening at leisure! Enjoy dinner at overnight at Paradise Malahide.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Morning breakfast will served and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. It’s a 6-7 hours drive arriving at good time for evening game drive and later proceed to the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Park view lodge
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
You will wake up early, have breakfast and embank for an early morning game drive in the Kisenyi region. While on the game drive, expect to see the big four game, antelopes, giraffes, warthogs and white Colobus monkeys just to mention a few.
You will then return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you will go for a launch cruise along Kazinga channel where you will get an opportunity to see a number of bird species, elephants and buffalos, hippos and crocodiles at the lake shores.
Return and relax at lodge as above
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking at Kibale National Park.
After breakfast early in the morning, you will depart for Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park. Search for the chimpanzees will also encounter your different bird species, this takes about 2-5 hours. Finding them is a life time experience as you will find them rolling on tree branches, making pant hooting calls, you may also spot the black and white Colobus monkeys and the olive baboons.
Dinner and overnight as above.
Day 8: Return to Kigali/Departure
Take an early morning breakfast then embark on your journey back to Kigali. Proceed to Kigali with en route lunch if time is available visit the Kigali genocide memorial and craft shops including Kimironko lodge. You will be dropped off at your own hotel/ drop you off at Kigali airport.
End of 8 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking, Nyiragongo Hike and Uganda Safari
