11 days Congo safari

Trip summary

Take on this 11 days Congo safari where you will get to enjoy the most that the Eastern part of the Democratic republic of Congo has to offer.

Get to trek both the mountain gorillas and the lowland gorillas with a double mountain gorillas trek. Get to also spend some time with the chimpanzees and also hike up one of the most active volcanic mountains of the world. Get to spend some time on Lake Kivu in Gisenyi and also take on a visit to the Tchegera Island resort.

This Congo safari can be booked any day of the year and is ideal for the primate and adventure travel lovers. This safari starts from Kigali and drop off is in Kigali Rwanda as well.

Trip highlights

Day 1: Kigali to Gisenyi
Day 2: Transfer to Virunga national park
Day 3: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Virunga national park
Day 5: Second mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Day 6: Hike up the Mount Nyiragongo
Day 7: Hike down the Mount Nyiragongo and transfer to Tchegera Island
Day 8: Day at the Tchegera Island
Day 9: Speed boat to Bukavu
Day 10: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park
Day 11: Transfer back to Kigali

Trip description

Day 1: Kigali to Gisenyi- Lake Kivu

As soon as you are ready to start your Rwanda safari, you will meet up with your driver guide and embark on your transfer to Gisenyi town. You will have an enroute Kigali city tour visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial Grounds and the Kimironko market where you will interact with some local Rwandan artists and also buy some souvenirs to take back home.

You will continue to have lunch in Musanze town at an authentic Rwandan restaurant and thereafter head further to Gisenyi for an evening boat cruise to enjoy the sunset on water. Get to do some birding while on the boat cruise on Lake Kivu.

Connect further to your hotel in Gisenyi where you will check in and settle in for the night. Dinner will be served and you will spend the night in Gisenyi.

Hotels in Gisenyi

Paradise Malahide for budget option
The Palme Beach hotel resort for midrange option
Lake Kivu Serena lodge for luxury option

Day 2: Transfer to Virunga national park

On the 2nd day of your 11 days Congo safari, have breakfast that is served at your hotel and pack your belongings to check out of your hotel in Gisenyi. You will drive at leisure to cross into the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will connect to the Grande Barrier border building to check in with the Virunga national park tourism office just opposite the immigrations office.

Receive your permits for your next activities in the Virunga national park and connect to join the other visitors and the Virunga security team heading to your hotel in Virunga national park. You will arrive at your hotel in time for a late lunch and settle in.

The rest of the evening will be spent at leisure and dinner will be served and you will spend your first night in the Virunga national park.

Accommodation options in Virunga national park

Mikeno lodge for luxury option
Bukima tented camp for midrange option
Kibumba Tented camp for budget option

Day 3: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

In the morning right after breakfast, you will make your way to the Bukima ranger police post for the briefing ahead of your mountain gorilla trekking activity in Virunga national park. You will attend the briefing and after follow the ranger guides into the forest to search for the mountain gorillas.

Once you meet them, enjoy an hour with them, taking photos and studying how the gorillas relate in their natural habitat. Return to your lodge for a late lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure as you wait for dinner to be served and another night will be spent in the hotel as night before.

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Virunga national park

You will wake up early for your chimpanzee trekking experience where you will join the group of individuals habituating the chimpanzee family of the Mahura forest in Virunga national park. You will hear these primates making noise from far until you get closer to them. Enjoy some quality time in the home of these playful primates while on Congo Safaris Tours.

Exit the forest headed back to the hotel for a late breakfast and enjoy the hotel as you wait for lunch. After lunch, if you are staying at the Mikeno lodge, you may visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage or take a visit to the Virunga national park headquarters. Return for dinner at your hotel and spend another night in Virunga national park.

Day 5: Second mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park

On the 5th day of your 11 days Congo safari, you will return to the Virunga national park for your second chance with the mountain gorillas. Right after breakfast, you will head back to the Bukima ranger post where the treks start.

Enjoy the gorillas for another day and make you way back to your hotel to reminisce as you wait for dinner to be served and spend another night in the Virunga national park.

Day 6: Hike up the Mount Nyiragongo

Have a simple breakfast and gather your belongings to head out to the trailhead of the Mount Nyiragongo. You will hike up hill for about 5 hours with 2 brief stopovers to catch a breath and continue to reach the summit in the early evening hours.

Settle in as the day goes by and enjoy the views as the sunsets from the top and the red boiling magma on a clear night. Dinner and a night will be spent at the top in the Mount Nyiragongo summit shelters.

Day 7: Hike down the Mount Nyiragongo and transfer to Tchegera Island

Wake up to catch the sunrise and breakfast. Make your way back to the trailhead of the Mount Nyiragongo and be back by around midday. You will descend for about 5 hours and your driver guide will be at the bottom waiting to take you for lunch in Goma.

You will after connect to the Goma port to catch your boat to the Tchegera Island. You will arrive in time to settle in and enjoy the rest of the evening at the Tchegera Island Retreat Camp.

Day 8: Day at the Tchegera Island

You will wake up for a luxurious breakfast at your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure taking on island activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking or take on a nature walk in the virgin trails on Island.

You will have dinner and spend another night at the Tchegera Island Retreat Camp.

Day 9: Speed boat transfer to Bukavu

Right after breakfast has been served; you will check out of the hotel and wait for the speed boat headed to Bukavu. This is a 3 hour speed boat and you will arrive at the Bukavu port in the evening in time to check in and have dinner at your hotel. Spend your first night in Bukavu.

Accommodation in Bukavu

Hotel Elizabeth for budget option
Panorama hotel for midrange option
Orchid hotel for luxury option.

Day 10: Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega national park

After having breakfast, you will drive to the Kahuzi Biega national park headquarters where you will receive the briefing ahead of the lowland gorilla trek. Your ranger guides will lead you into the forest just behind the briefing point and this trek is less strenuous as you will be walking on flat land.

You will meet the lowland gorillas and enjoy an hour in their presence and after the experience, exit the forest and head back to the hotel in Bukavu. You will have another night in Bukavu.

Day 11: Transfer back to Kigali

Right after breakfast, you and your driver guide will make your way back to Kigali from Bukavu via the Rusizi border. This is a 7 to 8 hour road transfer with an enroute lunch. You may stop for some enroute museum visits at the Butare Ethnographic museum and the King’s Palace if you are interested.

End of trip