5 Days Mount Nyiragongo & Karisimbi Hike

5 Days Mount Nyiragongo & Karisimbi Hike is an amazing hiking safari where a traveler will enjoy hiking Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Karisimbi. This is the ideal package for the adventurous and energetic travellers as you will need experience and zeal to be able to complete this tour. This is hike up 2 of the most sought after volcanoes one active volcanic mountain and the other a dormant volcano. Both volcanoes are overnight hikes so you will surely need to be prepared.

Highlights

Day 1: Drive from Kigali and transfer to Goma.
Day 2: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo
Day 3: Descend Nyiragongo and Transfer to Volcanoes NP
Day 4: Hike up Mount Karisimbi
Day 5: Descend Mount Karisimbi

Day 1: Drive from Kigali and transfer to Goma.

Transfer to Goma: You will meet up with your driver-guide in the morning to get a brief on what to expect in the next 5 days in Rwanda and DRCongo. You will have a simple Kigali city tour visiting the Inema Arts Centre, Kimironko market and Kigali Genocide. Have lunch then you will drive to the west side of the country towards DRCongo and exit Rwanda connecting to Goma town. Arrive in Goma in time for check in to your hotel for dinner and night stay at Lac Kivu Hotel, Ihusi hotel, and La Joie Plaza Hotel

Day 2: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo

Hike up Mount Nyiragongo: Have an early breakfast and connect to Grande barrier to check in with the tourism office and receive your Nyiragongo hike permit and join the convoy headed to the trailhead of the hike. Receive a briefing at Bukima Police post, hire porters and hiking sticks and set uphill. This is a 5-hour hike uphill with two stopovers to refresh and rest. You will arrive at the summit in the early evening hours where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the boiling lava and Goma city in the back. Have dinner and retire back to shelters for an overnight stay.

Day 3: Descend Nyiragongo and Transfer to Volcanoes NP

Descend Nyiragongo: Wake up early and enjoy the sunrise at the top of the volcano. Have a simple breakfast and set out to descend the volcano reaching back at the starting point by around midday and drive back to Goma and exit DRCongo and connect back to Rwanda.
Transfer to Volcanoes: Have lunch at Gisenyi at the shores of Lake Kivu and connect to Volcanoes National Park. Arrive in Volcanoes National park in time to check into your hotel for dinner and overnight rest in anticipation for the next eventful days. Dinner and overnight will be in Ruhengeri at Hotel Muhabura, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, 5 Volcanoes Gorilla lodge

Day 4: Hike up Mount Karisimbi

Hike up Mount Karisimbi: Wake up early and excited for this other overnight volcanic mountain hike up Mount Karisimbi. Have breakfast and meet your driver-guide to connect to the park headquarters by 7 am where you receive the briefing and then connect to the park and start your hike up one of the highest Virunga mountains. Mount Karisimbi hike is a strenuous but rewarding hike up with views of the fauna along the way and rewarding views of some the other volcanic mountain. It is a 6-hour hike up with a lot of birdlife. The first stop where you will spend a night is at 3,600m above sea level. Have dinner and rest in the camp or shelter.

Day 5: Descend Mount Karisimbi

Descend Mount Karisimbi: Have breakfast and continue to finish the rest of the hike through the thick jungles and once at the summit, you will be able to view Mount Muhabura from the top and the surrounding area. Spend some time at the summit then set back to descend the volcano reaching down the late evening and meet your driver-guide to drive back to Kigali. This will be a direct transfer as you will most probably be famished by now. Your drop off location will be as you will have advised.

End of trip