Book 5 days Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega tour which offers you a great opportunity to get up-close to both the mountain gorillas and the Eastern Lowland gorillas while in their natural habitats. These are 2 exceptional primate species and they are all a sub-specie of the Eastern gorilla.
It is an incredible gorilla tour taking you through mountain gorilla trekking in the Congo Virunga National Park and Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. On this trip, your journey will begin and end in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.
Detailed itinerary of the 5 days Virunga & Kahuzi-Biega N/Park gorilla tour
Day 1: Leave Kigali for Bukavu in the D.R. Congo.
Today, expect to be picked up from your hotel or upon arrival at Kigali Airport. You will start your trip to D.R. Congo to enjoy your 5 days Virunga & Kahuzi-Biega gorilla tour.
Lunch break will be made enroute and you will have opportunity to visit the King’s Palace, Museums, genocide site in Butare while on a short city tour. Thereafter, continue with your journey to Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Day 2: Eastern Lowland gorilla trekking tour
Enjoy your heavy breakfast and later, leave your respective lodges for briefing at Kahuzi-Biega park offices. You will get to learn about the various rules to be followed on a search for Eastern Lowland gorillas.
About 12 gorilla groups exist in Kahuzi-Biega National Park but only two – Chimanuka and Mugaruka are currently open for trekking. On this day, you will trek one and they include Mugaruka and Chimanuka families. After 2-5 hours of learning more about the lowland gorillas and 1 hour of photography, magical encounter, get back to relax in the lodge.
Day 3: From Kahuzi-Biega National Park, drive to Virunga National Park
Leave Kahuzi-Biega National Park a home to largest population of Eastern Lowland gorillas for Virunga National Park where a section of rare mountain gorillas thrives.
You may go on a boat ride on Lake Kivu to Goma then have lunch break en-route and later, connect to Virunga National Park. If time allows, you may have a fun-filled evening walk prior to sun set.
Day 4: Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga national park
Have the best of your breakfast and after, assemble at Virunga park offices to be briefed about rules to follow while tracking mountain gorillas. Have some snacks, bottled water since this is unpredictable wildlife experience that may last you 2-6 hours. You will have a chance to explore one of the 8 habituated gorilla families in the Virunga National Park (Humba gorilla family, Mapuwa, Munyaga, Bageni, Lulengo, Rugendo, Nyakamwe and Kabirizi).
You will trek only 1 of these gorilla families in a group of 8 visitors. The park guide will escort you and interestingly, there are some amazing primates and birds to keep an eye on. The entire experience lasts for 2-6 hours and it includes 1 hour of face to face interaction with mountain gorillas then you return to the lodge to have enjoyable dinner and comfortable night stay.
Day 5: Drive from Virunga in D.R. Congo back to Kigali, Rwanda
After a hefty breakfast, you will check out of the lodge then drive back to Kigali. Get to Kigali early then have a quick Kigali city tour. After, have lunch break before connecting to Kigali Airport for your departure flight.
