2 Days gorilla trekking safari in Congo is an interesting activity that allows travelers to spend some time with mountain gorillas. Virunga national park is occupied with magnificent biodiversity including the virgin wilderness, rivers, mountains, and lakes. It’s the only country in East Africa to inhabit lowland gorillas. Virungas national park is the oldest park established in 1925, in all three gorilla countries in east Africa, Congo is the cheapest in terms of gorilla permits, it goes for 400$, following Uganda with 700$  and Rwanda with 1500$. The advantage of Congo is that you can decide to trek both lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas at the same time, unlike other countries that populate only mountain gorillas.

Virunga National Park also draws visitors because of the amazing Nyiragongo volcano mountain which attracts a number of visitors to climb the top and have a glimpse of a boiling lava lake at its top. It’s unfortunate that recently mount Nyiragongo was closed due to a volcanic eruption that left so many properties and attractions destroyed.

The park was termed a world heritage site in 1980 for its ecological significance and the habitat of eastern lowland gorillas which can be traced only in this park later in 1997 came on the list as a world heritage site in danger due to unending uncertainties and a lot of intrusion of refugees that resulted into the exploitation of the park’s resources. The park management has recruited trained rangers to monitor any human encroachments in the park to ensure that tourists remain safe while visiting the park.

Our 2 days gorilla trekking tour in Congo starts and ends in Rwanda, visitors may choose to arrive and depart from Goma airport.

Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Goma /Congo

On your first day of the safari, you will be picked up from the hotel/airport from Kigali and driven towards the Congo border. The journey will involve passing through Rwanda’s rolling hills, lakes, and forests, having the first stopover at Gisenyi for lunch, and heading to the Goma border crossing to the Democratic Republic of Congo for gorilla trekking in Virungas national park. Check in to the lodge relax and later you can visit the Senkwekwe center to see orphan gorillas that were rescued after poachers killed their mothers. Dinner and overnight at Mikeno lodge.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking

Wake up early for breakfast and head to the head office for a briefing, you will go with your packed lunch in case gorilla trekking takes long hours, the briefing will be led by the main park guide discuss the gorilla families and the national park, dos and don’ts in the forest park and with the gorillas after you will be assigned to different groups of 8 people. You will then head into the forest jungle guided by park rangers and guides and porters to search for gorillas. During the search, expect to encounter other small primates and other animals and birds such as Golden monkeys, colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and forest hog animals.

Remember to carry the camera, and binoculars along with you to capture the memorable experience once you encounter the gorillas. Just like other gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda, they all have the same behaviors and characteristics.  You will spend one hour with the gorillas and after returning back to the office to receive your gorilla trekking certificates, travel back to the lodge to sign out and depart to Kigali either at the lodge or at the Airport for departure.

End of the tour