9 Days Best of Congo & Rwanda
9 Days Best of Congo & Rwanda (Mikeno Mist, Kahuzi Biega, and Nyungwe National Park)
9 Days Best of Congo & Rwanda offers you the best of the Primates in eastern Africa visiting 3 national parks that is Virunga national park, Kahuzi biega national park both of the DRCongo and the Nyungwe forest national park of Rwanda. This package entails visits to both the mountain and lowland gorillas and a visit to the chimpanzees too.
Highlights of the 9 Days Best of Congo & Rwanda
- Mountain gorilla trek
- Mount Nyiragongo overnight hike
- Boat transfer on lake Kivu
- Lowland gorilla trek
- Nyungwe forest canopy walk
- Nyungwe forest Chimpanzee visit
- Butare museum visit
- Nyanza King’s palace visit
- Kigali Genocide Memorial
- Kimironko market
Trip Description
Day 1: Drive from Kigali to the Grande Barrier and further to Kibumba Tented Camp
- Transfer to Kibumba Tented camp from Kigali: By 8 am, your driver-guide will be at the agreed point of pick up in Kigali to pick you up and brief you about the next few days and after set out on the 4 to 5-hour drive to Goma city from Kigali through the countryside of Rwanda. You will arrive to cross into DRCongo in time for a check-in with the Virunga tourism office for your tour package (Mikeno Mist). Get your clearance, pick permits and join the security convoy headed to Kibumba tented camp. Reach at the camp in time for check-in and have a late lunch at the camp. Spend the evening resting and restoring the energy you will need for the next day. Have dinner and spend the first night at the camp.
Day 2: Virunga national park gorilla trek
- Gorilla trek in Virunga: At the break of dawn, get ready to go to the Bukima police post where you get the briefing before the gorilla trekking. Receive the 10 minute brief and set out into the forest searching for the mountain gorillas for about 2 to 4 hours depending on how far into the forest they are that day. Once you meet them, spend an hour in their presence enjoying them go about their daily activities and after exit the park for lunch at your camp. Spend the afternoon resting then, later on, go for a guided village visit or nature walk and return to the camp before it gets dark. Connect back to the main house for dinner and spend the second night at Kibumba Tented Camp.
Day 3: Hike up the Mount Nyiragongo with an overnight stay
- Mount Nyiragongo Hike: Have breakfast early so as to be at the Nyiragongo trailhead by 8 am in time for the pre trekking brief and hire the porter and the other things you may need at the top of the volcano. Start your hike at about 10 am. You will have 2 resting points along the Nyiragongo hike to refresh and reach the summit in the early evening hours. Have dinner and a night in the Nyiragongo summit shelters. The summit temperatures can go as low as 0 degrees so ensure to pack enough warm clothes for the night.
Day 4: Descend the volcano and transfer to Goma
- Descend Nyiragongo: Wake up to a simple Congolese breakfast before you start the journey down the volcano back to the trailhead. Reach Bukima police post also the trailhead by 12 pm and connect with your driver to transfer you to your hotel in Goma for lunch.
- Goma City tour: Spend the afternoon at leisure. If you are interested you may take on an optional city tour of Goma and get back to your hotel in Goma in time for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer from Goma port to Bukavu
- Speed boat transfer to Bukavu: Your driver-guide will meet you after breakfast and drive you to get the speedboat in time for the transfer. You will part ways and embark on the speed boat from Goma to Bukavu on Lake Kivu. Enjoy the cool breeze enroute and arrive at Bukavu meeting your driver guide waiting to welcome you and drive you to your hotel in Bukavu. Have lunch and spend the evening at leisure. Dinner and night stay at Orchid Safari Lodge for luxury, Panorama hotel for midrange and Hotel Elizabeth for the budget.
Day 6: Kahuzi Biega Lowland gorilla trek
- Lowland gorilla trek: Have breakfast at your hotel and connect with your driver-guide to drive to Kahuzi Biega national park for your lowland gorilla trek. Have a briefing by the park rangers and connect into the forest in search of the lowland gorillas. This trek is less strenuous mainly because of the terrain. Meet the gorillas after about 2 to 3 hours of trekking and spend the allotted 1 hour with the gorillas enjoying their presence. Connect back to your accommodation for lunch and rest the rest of the day. Have dinner and overnight at the same hotel as night before.
Day 7: Transfer to Nyungwe for an afternoon canopy walk
- Canopy walk in Nyungwe forest: After having breakfast, drive to the Rusizi border to exit the DRCongo from the south and drive to the Nyungwe forest. Check in to your accommodation and have lunch. After lunch, drive to the starting point of the Canopy walk/Igishigishigi trail for the 2 pm walk. The canopy walk in Nyungwe is a long 200 meters bridge suspended about 50 meters above the ground giving you the bird’s view of the forest. Great spot for birding and also viewing some of the other fauna of the forest! Drive back to your hotel to retire for the day and regain energy for the next day. You will have dinner and an overnight stay at your hotel in the Nyungwe forest.
Day 8: Nyungwe forest Chimpanzee trek
- Chimpanzee trek in Nyungwe forest: As early as 5 am, drive from your hotel with your driver-guide to connect to the Nyungwe park for a chimpanzee trekking experience. Have a brief and trek into the cold misty forest in search of the playful creatures. You will hear them making sounds throughout the hike which will give you a chill and once you reach them, you may spend an hour following them as they swing from branch to branch. Exit the forest to drive back to your hotel to rest for dinner and second night stay in Nyungwe.
Day 9: Transfer back to Kigali with enroute visits.
- Return to Kigali: Wake up to a leisurely breakfast and check out of your hotel and start on your 5 to 6-hour drive back to Kigali. Enroute, you will stop by the King’s palace for a visit and further to the Butare museum where you will have lunch as well. If you arrive in Kigali in time, you may visit the Kigali Genocide memorial and the Kimironko market for souvenirs.
End of the 9 Days Best of Congo & Rwanda
Inclusions
- DRCongo Tourist Visa
- 4×4 full-time safari vehicle for ground tours
- Boat transfer
- Full-time English/ French speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation as in itinerary
- Meals all trip
- Activities as laid out
- Bottled water enroute
Exclusions
- Money transfer fees
- Optional activities
- International fares
- Visas for Rwanda
- Personal requirements like tips, phone service, alcoholic beverages, laundry.