Mountain Gorilla Trekking And Nyiragongo Climbing In The DRC

On arrival at Kigali International Airport you will be met by our representative and, unless you require some last minute shopping for essentials, will set off north towards the sleepy border town of Gisenyi. En route you will be able to stop at handicraft shops, bustling villages, and scenic viewpoints to soak in the crafted beauty, entrepreneurial spirit and natural splendour of Rwanda. This short 3-hour drive will soon have you admiring a myriad of volcanic cones towering all around you, and before you know it you will be gazing onto the blue placid waters of Lake Kivu.

On arrival at your accommodation for the night (Paradis Malahide Hotel) you will have a chance to freshen up, maybe take a swim in the lake, enjoy the sunset and indulge in a delicious home-cooked dinner at the lake’s edge.

Before you retire, our DR Congo aide will come meet you at the hotel in order to debrief you on border crossing proceedings and a debrief on the hiking logistics involved the following day.

Overnight at Paradis Malahide Hotel

After an early wake-up call, breakfast and a swift transfer to the Rwanda/DR Congo border post, you will meet with our aide and cross into the DR Congo. Without delay you will now be transferred on a 4WD to the Kibati patrol post at the base of Mount Nyiragongo, a mere 50km outside Goma.

After a safety debrief and final check of everyone’s packs and equipment you will be assigned one or two porters (your choice!) and begin the climb towards Mount Nyiragongo’s summit. The party will be led and escorted by a set of armed Virunga NP rangers/guides and a small contingent of aides and porters.

From here on the climbing trail becomes firmer and the forest gives way to several swathes of recovering heath with vegetation dominated by ferns, sedges, heather and gigantic everlastings. Shortly after you will reach Mount Nyiragongo’s crater’s edge and your overnight cabins.

The remainder of the afternoon will be spent exploring the crater’s edge and soaking up the surrounding views and Mount Nyiragongo’s bewitching lava cauldron. Fortunately, your guides know exactly how to reach the best observation and photogenic spots safely. Expect the unexpected, for this sight defies most peoples’ comprehension, and nothing really prepares you for the multi-sensory overload experience that ensues.

When everyone has had enough, the party will return to camp to settle into their cabins, rest and enjoy an early supper.

At 18h00 you can return to a designated spot at the crater’s edge to once again gaze and appreciate Mount Nyiragongo’s molten lava lake. In the darkness of night one is able to better appreciate the dark, crusty surface of lava, spliced and splitting into ever changing plates. As the plates separate, bright orange lava fills the cracks and a fantastic spiderweb pattern emerges. Every now and then fountains of lava flare up disrupting these pretty patterns, but adding a surge of energy and power to this spectacular sight.

Overnight in two-bed cabins at the rim of the giant crater, high above Mount Nyiragongo’s active lava lake

After a rather early cup of tea/coffee, you will be summoned back to the crater’s rim at dawn for one last peek. Wrapped in warm clothing you greet the new day as the intense red and yellow glow of the lava below mixes with a backdrop of blue and indigo skies.

After breakfast, the party will commence its descent back to Kibati. The descent generally takes 2 – 3 hours, but there really is no rush and the views are as always magnificent. Back at Kibati, your transport will be waiting to take you through to Bukima Tented Camp where happy smiles and lunch await. En route, you will have a chance to witness a rather derelict countryside with plenty of subsistence farming, but very proud and dignified children and farming folk going about their daily routines. Time allowing, you may want to take a stroll to a nearby lava tube cave, yet another local fascinating geological feature. Drinks and dinner await back at camp, and after admiring Bukima’s starry skies and impressive silhouette of nearby Mikeno Volcano, you will surely be headed for a well deserved shower and glorious rest.

Overnight at Bukima Tented Camp

After breakfast you will take a gentle stroll to the Bukima Ranger Station (2 minutes away) where you will meet with the local rangers that are going to lead your mountain gorilla trekking experience. An informative talk on what to expect, how to behave and etiquette required for gorilla trekking will precede the actual walk.

Once the different gorilla trekking groups have been formed you will start your trekking towards the different territories and areas in the park where your allocated mountain gorilla family resides. Gorilla trekking can take between 1 and 6 hours and you could climb to altitudes in excess of 2300m (7 500 feet).

Although the climb can be physically demanding, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery always makes the trekking a worthwhile experience. Your trekking rangers are professionals at this activity and will ensure that the pace and route taken is adequate for everyone. That said, once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten.

Shortly after breakfast and depending on your flight departure time, you will depart Gisenyi for Kigali. On arrival you have the chance to visit some of Kigali’s main attractions such as the Caplaki Handicrafts Market (the perfect place to browse for Rwandan souvenirs), the Kimironko City Market where all types of colourful and tasty food is sold, or the Kigali Genocide Memorial located in Gisozi – a site that houses over 250 000 victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and stands as a vivid testimony to the courage and reconciliation efforts of the Rwandan people.

After a light lunch at a cozy Kigali restaurant you will be transferred back to Kigali Airport for your homebound flight connection.