The Great Ape with Nyiragongo Hike Package

The Great Ape with Nyiragongo Hike Package 

The Great Ape with Nyiragongo hike package is a popular 6-days Congo safari that travelers always opt for. This 6-days package of the great ape with Nyiragongo hike will take you to Virunga National Park to take part in the park’s most prominent tour activities. The great ape with Nyiragongo hike has travelers visiting two ape taxa and hike the Nyiragongo to see the boiling lava lake. This package is fit for travelers who are after exploring the Congo’s wild Virunga. The Great Ape with Nyiragongo hike package sets off from Goma every Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:00 am.

Tour Summary of the Great Ape with Nyiragongo Hike Package:

• Day 1: Pick Up from Kigali/Goma and Transfer to Bukima 
• Day 2: First Gorilla Trekking Experience
• Day 3: Second Gorilla Trekking Experience
• Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking
• Day 5: Nyiragongo Hike
• Day 6: Descend Nyiragongo and depart for Kigali/Goma

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Pick Up from Kigali/Goma and Transfer to Bukima 

• Pick Up from Kigali: On this day 1 of the great ape and Nyiragongo hike package, you will be picked up from Kigali/Goma, depending on what would work with your schedule, by a driver-guide who will welcome you and then give you a brief of your 6-days Congo Safari of the Great Ape with Nyiragongo Hike Package. You will embark on a 5-hour road drive from Kigali to Goma and check in with the Virunga tourism office that is located in the Grande Barriere border crossing building just opposite passport control. You will receive your gorilla trekking permits, chimpanzee and the Nyiragongo tracking permits which you will have to present at the start of each of the respective activities. 
• Transfer to Bukima: You will then transfer to the Bukima sector of Virunga National Park, Rumangabo. Check-in at Mikeno Lodge and enjoy a late lunch served at the lodge. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing or you can opt to go bird watching or enjoy a guided nature walk. Dinner and overnight stay at Mikeno Lodge.

Day 2: First Gorilla Trekking Experience

• First Gorilla Trekking Experience: Today, you will have your first gorilla trekking experience. The day will start with rising early and enjoying breakfast at the lodge. After your breakfast, head to Bukima Ranger post which is the starting point of the trek for a briefing in which the ranger guides will share with you what you ought to expect while on the gorilla trek and also share the rules and regulations to be followed. The trek altogether can take about 5 hours. You will then be allocated gorilla families to track, which is dependent on the physical fitness of the traveler. During gorilla family allocation, you may be entertained with traditional dances performed by the locals. Embark on the search of the gentle apes while on the lookout for other wildlife in the park and numerous birds. Once you encounter the gorillas, spend one hour with them as you study their behaviors and how they go about their day-to-day life of eating, playing, napping and the like. Take pictures and videos for your keeps when you return home. After the allotted time is elapsed, trek back to the starting point and then head to Bukima Tented Camp from where you will enjoy your late lunch at leisure.  Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure with either a book or music by the terrace as you view the volcanoes. Dinner and overnight stay at Bukima Tented Camp.

Day 3: Second Gorilla Trekking Experience

• Second Gorilla Trekking Experience: On the 3rd day of the Great Ape with Nyiragongo hike package, you will set out at 8:30 am after breakfast for your second gorilla trekking experience. You will be offered a different gorilla family today, so do expect to have a different experience altogether. After spending time with the gorillas, trek back to Bukima Tented Camp and enjoy a sumptuous lunch before being transferred back to Mikeno Lodge. Once at the lodge, spend the evening relaxing as you wait for your dinner to be served. You will also have your overnight stay at Mikeno Lodge.

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking

• Chimpanzee Trekking: Today, you will be heading out for a chimpanzee tracking experience which is more like a habituation process as you will join a team of chimpanzee experts and researchers as they do their daily study of the chimps. Spend time with the playful and loud chimpanzees and then trek back to the lodge for a late breakfast. You can rest as you wait for your lunch, or opt to visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage center. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Day 5: Nyiragongo Hike

• Nyiragongo Hike: After an early breakfast at the lodge, head to the park headquarters by 8 am for a briefing ahead of your Nyiragongo hike. You can hire a porter at this point who will help you carry your luggage or pull and push you when required during the hike to the summit. The Nyiragongo hike is rewarding with wonderful views of the other volcanoes, and sights of some other wildlife and bird species. The hike can take up to 6 hours with 2 resting points where you can have your lunch from. Most hike groups reach the summit by 5 pm. Gape at the amazingly beautiful steaming and boiling lava lake, the largest in the world. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the summit- be sure to carry warm clothing for it is very cold up there.

Day 6: Descend Nyiragongo and Depart for Kigali/Goma 

• Descend Nyiragongo: Enjoy a simple breakfast at the summit and gaze at the lava lake for the last time. After, leave the crater rim and descend the Nyiragongo. The descent is averaged at 4 hours only.
• Depart for Kigali/Goma: Once at the bottom, depart for Kigali where if you still have time spare you may do a Kigali city tour.

End of The Great Ape with Nyiragongo Hike Package

Safari Inclusions:

• Gorilla trekking permits
• Chimpanzee tracking permit
• Nyiragongo hiking permit
• Full board accommodation as per the itinerary
• All transportation to, from and within the park
• Bottled drinking water in the tour vehicle

 

 

Exclusions:

• Air tickets and Visas
• Beverages 
• Rental of the Nyiragongo backpack
• Porter fees
• Personal expenses like laundry, telephone
• Souvenirs and Tips