This 13 Days Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Safari is a combined safari that will give you the opportunity to see mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s Volcanoes national park and Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will also get to hike the world famous Nyiragongo Mountain where you will spend the night at the mountain summit with views of the stunning molten lava lake. Wind up your tour in Nyungwe forest national park where you will do chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk and tropical waterfall hike.
Highlights for 13 Days Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Safari.
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Akagera national park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Day 2: Early morning game drive and transfer to volcanoes national park.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking
Day 5: Drive to Gisenyi – Congo Boarder.
Day 6: Virunga Gorilla Trekking in Congo
Day 7: Nyiragongo Hiking
Day 8: Descend Nyiragongo and transfer to Tchegera Island
Day 9: Tchegera Island – Transfer to Gisenyi
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
Day 11: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
Day 12: Isumo Waterfall Hike and Optional coffee tour
Day 13: Transfer to Kigali city
Detailed Itinerary for 13 Days Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Safari.
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Akagera national park and Ihema Boat Cruise.
Following your arrival, you will be welcomed by our company representative/ guide. and transfer to Akagera national park where you will arrive in time for lunch at the lodge and later embark on the afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you will see game like hippopotamuses, Crocodiles and many bird species that live around the lake and the surrounding swamps. Dinner and overnight at your preferred lodge.
Day 2: Early morning game drive and transfer to volcanoes national park.
Rise up early and go for a game drive with great anticipation of seeing the different animals which rise early to graze and predators looking for their early morning kill. After the game drive, return to the lodge to freshen up and embark on your journey to Volcanoes national park with lunch en-route, arriving Ruhengeri in the evening. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Rwanda
Breakfast will be served early and lunch will be packed. The briefing is at 7 am. Your guide will give you highlights of specific details about the way of life of the gorillas you will be tracking. The hike can take anything from one to seven hours.
Trekking through the steep, bamboo slopes and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Once you reach the gorillas, you are allowed to spend one hour with them as you stand 6 meters away. Upon completion of this magical encounter, you will connect again with your driver / guide and transfer back to your accommodation for dinner and overnight as night before.
Day 4: Golden Monkey Trekking
You will have breakfast and report back to the park headquarters where you will get a ranger guide and start your golden monkey trek in volcanoes national park. This is a rather short experience that can last an hour or three hours. After spending time with the golden monkeys, you will go and have lunch then after connect to enjoy Ibyi’wachu cultural tour. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5: Drive to Gisenyi – Congo Boarder.
You will meet your guide after breakfast waiting to welcome you and embark on your drive to cross into Congo to Goma by 10:30 am. Check-in with the tourism office strategically located at the Grand Barrier border at 11:15 am. Post to receive Gorilla and Volcano permit that’s to be presented at the beginning of every trek. Thereafter you will be transferred to Mikeno Lodge in Rumangabo. On arrival at Mikeno, a late lunch will be served and enjoy your afternoon at leisure exploring Rumangabo’s several nature walks trails.
Day 6: Virunga Gorilla Trekking in Congo
Have your first meal of the day at Mikeno lodge – Breakfast and report to Bukima ranger post. On arrival at Bukima, meet the rangers and for a briefing before you start the trek. 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 Bukima camp then be transferred back to Mikeno lodge and have the rest of the day at leisure, including time for nature walks and bird watching.
Day 7: Nyiragongo Hiking
Prepare for early morning breakfast as you will be expected at the Kibati ranger post headquarters by 8 am. Meet your ranger guides for briefing, a porter and begin your hike. The climb up takes about 4-6 hours. Meals will be provided and you will stay overnight in a wooden shelter at the top.
Day 8: Descend Nyiragongo and transfer to Tchegera Island
This morning, you will descend the Volcano and head down to Kibati by 11:00 am.
Thereafter, you cross the lake to connect to Tchegera Island which is a one-of-a-kind island in the heart of Lake Kivu. This is the best place known for relaxation after hiking the volcano. Cross to the island on a 15 minutes boat ride from Goma harbor. Tchegera Island is a collapsed volcanic caldera located in the middle of Lake Kivu. Relax at the island with great views of the two active volcanos – Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira. Spend a night there; meals will be served at the camp too. If interested, optional activities include; bushwalk and birding, overnight stay at Tchegera Island Camp
Day 9: Tchegera Island – Transfer to Gisenyi
You will enjoy the morning at the island before you take the boat to return to Goma and connect with your driver guide, transfer to Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu. Lunch enroute. Head back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay in Gisenyi.
Note that your Rwanda Visa expires immediately you cross into Congo so you will have to reapply for another while at the border and find it ready after the tour
Day 10: Transfer to Nyungwe national park
On the 10th day o your 13 Days Rwanda and Congo Gorilla Safari, After enjoying your breakfast, you will embark on 4-5 hours scenic drive to Nyungwe national park-one of the oldest rainforest in Africa and a home to 13 species of primate. Dinner and over stay at your preferred lodge.
Day 11: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are the easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3 hours. You will then return to your accommodation for lunch. In the evening, you may be free to do a village tour on your own, visiting the communities. After you have had your lunch, you will embark on 2 hours along the Canopy walkway-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you there after connect to your accommodation to spend the evening at leisure.
Before night fall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above
Day 12: Isumo Waterfall Hike and Optional coffee tour
Have breakfast early in the morning from your hotel and then drive to the park’s briefing point. You will the embark on a guided nature walk to Isumo waterfalls. This hike takes 4hours to and from and takes hikers through a large tea plantation. You will get a chance to view a number of bird species as well as primates on a lucky day. After your hike, you will meet up with your guide and head back to your lodge for lunch. After lunch, you can you can go for an optional coffee tour where you will visit coffee plantations and also get to see how coffee is made before winding up your tour with a nice cup of Rwandan coffee. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 13: Transfer to Kigali city
Enjoy breakfast at leisure and transfer back to Kigali. You will go for a Kigali city tour where you will visit the Kimironko market and the Kigali genocide memorial site. After having your lunch, you will be dropped at the hotel advised or you will be dropped at Kigali airport for your scheduled flight back home.
