Fly into Goma (if flights have resumed) or Kigali with a road transfer across the border, accompanied by an authorized operator. In the afternoon, travel to Mikeno Lodge or the Bukima area, the staging point for gorilla treks. In the evening, attend a security and trekking briefing with park rangers before an early night.
Report to the Bukima patrol post at 6:00 AM for ranger briefing and assignment to one of the habituated gorilla families (such as Humba, Rugendo, or Bageni). The trek itself can run anywhere from one to seven hours through forest and volcanic terrain, followed by one hour observing the gorillas. Return to the lodge in the afternoon to rest and recover.
Transfer to the Kibati patrol post in the morning, the starting point for the volcano hike. The climb is steep and takes 6 to 7 hours through changing terrain and ecosystems as you gain altitude. Overnight at the summit shelters on the crater rim, watching the glow of the active lava lake below.
Wake early for sunrise views over the crater before beginning the three to four hour descent back to Kibati. In the afternoon, transfer out — either back to Goma or across the border to Kigali for onward travel.
The trip begins and ends in Kigali, Rwanda, with a border crossing at Goma, and centers on a single, unforgettable hour spent with a gorilla family in their natural habitat.
Virunga National Park is Africa’s oldest national park and one of the last places on Earth where mountain gorillas roam free in volcanic rainforest.
This safari combines two of Central Africa’s finest primate experiences: eastern lowland gorillas in DR Congo and chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest.