5 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking & Nyiragongo Hike (Mikeno Mist)
5 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking & Nyiragongo Hike will take you on an adventurous and fun-filled journey to Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. During your stay in the park, you will get to track the rare mountain gorillas and also climb Mount Nyiragongo. Your 5 days Congo safari will start and end in Kigali City, in Rwanda.
Highlights for 5 Days Mikeno Mist Safari.
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, City Tour & Transfer to Gisenyi-Rwanda Border.
- Day 2: Transfer to Mikeno.
- Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park.
- Day 4: Ascend Mount Nyiragongo.
- Day 5: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and Transfer Back to Kigali.
Detailed Itinerary for 5 Days Mikeno Mist Safari.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali, City Tour & Transfer to Gisenyi-Rwanda Border.
Arrival in Kigali: Day 1 of your 5 Days Mikeno Mist Safari starts with a pickup upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport. After a brief meet and greet session, you will proceed with your transfer to Kigali city center where you will commence your tour of Kigali city.
Kigali City Tour: During your Kigali city tour, you will visit interesting cultural and historical sites like the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Umusambi Village, Kimironko market, Camp Kigali and Caplaki craft village among others. You will have lunch in Kigali.
Transfer to Gisenyi: After lunch, transfer to Gisenyi town which is about a 3½ hour drive from Kigali City. Check into your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. You can also choose to explore the town and also take an evening boat ride on Lake Kivu.
Accommodation: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel/ Paradise Malahide Hotel.
Day 2: Transfer to Mikeno.
Transfer to Mikeno: After having your breakfast early in the morning, your guide/driver will drive you to the Rwanda-Congo border at Le Grand Barrier. You will head to the immigrations office in Goma by 10:30am and clear with the Virunga Tourism Office by 11:15am. Luckily for you, the tourism office is strategically located at the Grand Barrier Border post building, just opposite the passport control office. The tourism staff will then provide you with your gorilla and volcano trek permits. Once you are done with your check-in, you will then be transported to Mikeno Mist Lodge at the park headquarters in Rumangabo. Upon your arrival at the lodge, check-in and later have lunch. You can choose to relax at the lodge for the rest of the afternoon or explore Rumangabo’s numerous hiking trails, do some bird watching, or pay a visit to Virunga’s Congo hounds. Dinner and overnight at Mikeno Mist Lodge.
Please note that your Rwanda Visa expires as soon as you cross over into Congo. It is recommended that you reapply for your Rwanda Visa while at the Congo border where you will find it ready upon your return.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Virunga National Park.
Gorilla Trekking in Virunga: On the 3rd day of your 5 Days Virunga Gorilla Trekking & Nyiragongo Hike (Mikeno Mist), have breakfast early in the morning and transfer to Bukima Patrol Post in Virunga national park. This is where you begin your gorilla trek from. After a short briefing from a park official, you will be placed in trekking groups each consisting of eight members. You can hire a porter to carry your luggage from this patrol post. You will spend about 1 to 2⅟₂ hours hiking or even more depending on the location of the gorilla group and the difficulty of the terrain. Once a gorilla group has been located, you will be given only one hour to spend with the gorillas. After your gorilla trekking Safari, you will head to Bukima tented camp for lunch and relax for the rest of the afternoon. Later in the afternoon you can explore Bukima, do some bird watching or visit the park’s bamboo project. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 4: Ascend Mount Nyiragongo.
Ascend Mount Nyiragongo: After having your breakfast, you will be transported to Kibati Patrol Post where you will begin your hike up Mount Nyiragongo. After a short briefing, you will have the opportunity to hire some porters to carry your luggage. Ascending the mountain usually takes four to six hours depending on your hiking experience and pace. Spend a night at the shelters built on the mountain with dinner under the red lit skyline while watching the stars.
Day 5: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and Transfer Back to Kigali.
Descend Mount Nyiragongo: Have breakfast early in the morning and leave the crater rim. Proceed with your descent down the mountain and back to Kibati patrol post. It takes approximately four hours to descend the mountain.
Transfer back to Kigali: Meet up with your guide/driver at Kibati and drive back to your lodge for lunch and later proceed with your transfer back to Kigali city in Rwanda. Upon your arrival in Kigali city, you can have your guide/driver drop you off at any hotel of your choice or at Kigali International Airport in time to check in and board your flight back home.
End of Tour.
