10 Days Congo Safari tour

10 Days Congo safari tour gives travelers a chance of visiting the topmost attractions and national parks in Congo as they explore the best of wildlife and nature. The 10 Days Congo safari tour has travelers enjoying a mountain gorilla trekking and experience in Virunga National Park, Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, chimpanzee trekking, hiking the active Nyiragongo Volcano, nature walks and a Kigali city tour. This is a typical Congo safari that will help you explore wild Congo and have a fill of the primates. The tour starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda but can also start from Goma in the Congo.

Highlights of the 10 Days Congo Safari Tours

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and a Kigali city tour
Day 2: Transfer to Bukavu
Day 3: Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park
Day 4: Nature walks and a waterfalls visit
Day 5: Transfer to Goma
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking experience
Day 7: Second Gorilla trekking experience
Day 8: Chimpanzee Trekking
Day 9: Nyiragongo Volcano Hike
Day 10: Descend the Nyiragongo and departure

Detailed Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Kigali International Airport and a Kigali city tour

Arrival and Kigali city tour: Upon your arrival at the airport, you will be met by our driver-guide who will brief you about your 10 Days Congo safari tour. You will then be transferred to your hotel, check-in and have yourself lunch/dinner depending on your time of arrival. If time allows depending on your flight schedule, have a city tour of Kigali and get to learn of the country’s history and culture. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Day 2: Transfer to Bukavu

Transfer to Bukavu: Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and thereafter check-out and depart for Bukavu via Nyungwe forest. Enjoy the wonderful view of Lake Kivu and the beautiful Nyungwe forest having lunch en-route. Proceed to check-in at the hotel, relax and wait for dinner and an overnight stay at your lodge.

Day 3: Lowland Gorilla Trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Lowland Gorilla Trekking: After enjoying your breakfast early in the morning, meet your guide and head out for a lowland gorilla trekking experience. You will be briefed on what to expect on the safari and given rules and regulations to follow. Thereafter, embark on the search of the gorillas and when you encounter them, spend the allocated time wisely with them. The trek can take anything between 30 minutes to 5 hours or more depending on the location of the gorillas. After the trek, return to the lodge from where you will have dinner ad an overnight stay at the hotel as above.

Day 4: Nature walks and a waterfalls visit

Nature walks and a waterfalls visit: Wake up early in the morning and enjoy a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel. You will be driven to the park from where you will embark on a nature walk safari and have an opportunity to see various wildlife that are in the park. Visit the tea plantations and then walk on to the Tshibati waterfall which runs across two rivers. Sight different birds at the water banks and wildlife as they come for a drink or leisurely move about. Return to the hotel for a late lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel as above.

Day 5: Transfer to Goma

Transfer to Goma: This day of your 10 days Congo safari tour has you rising in the morning, enjoying a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, check out and then transfer to Goma. The transfer will be by a speed boat which takes about 3-4 hours. Enjoy the cool breeze and the thrilling ride. Once in Goma, enjoy your lunch and then proceed to the Virunga National Park headquarters, receive your gorilla permit and then proceed for check-in at Mikeno Lodge. Spend your late afternoon by the terrace of the lodge reading a book or listening to music or just relax in whichever way. Dinner and overnight stay at Mikeno lodge.

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking experience

Gorilla Trekking experience: After an early breakfast at the lodge, head out to Bukima, the starting point of mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga. Meet the ranger guides for a briefing and have rules and regulations set out for you to follow while on a gorilla trekking safari in Virunga National Park. Embark on the search of the endangered mountain gorillas while on the lookout of other inhabitants of the park say elephants, bushpigs, little birds and so much more. Once you find the gorillas, spend an hour with them as they go about their daily routine of feeding, bonding, grooming each other, playing, and so many others that you might find them doing. Take pictures and videos if you wish too and once the allocated time elapses, trek back and be transferred to the lodge. The trek can take 30 minutes to 5 hours or more. Depending on the time you get to the lodge, you can opt to visit the Virunga Congo hounds in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay as above.

Day 7: Second Gorilla trekking experience

Second Gorilla trekking experience: Today, you will embark on your second mountain gorilla trekking experience after an early breakfast at the lodge. You will get to track a different gorilla family today, so expect to have a different experience altogether. Enjoy your packed lunch in the jungles of the Virunga after your one hour with the gorillas. Trek back and be transported back to the lodge. You can visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage center which is near the lodge in the late afternoon, or simply relax at the lodge with a nice book and a cup of coffee. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above.

Day 8: Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee Trekking: Enjoy an early cup of coffee at the lodge before you head out for a chimpanzee trek as early as 6 am. This is a unique opportunity for you to join a team of experts and researchers as they habituate the chimpanzees. Enjoy your time with the noisy, playful and very active chimpanzees in Mahura forest. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast. Spend the rest of the day exploring the park headquarters or simply relax at the lodge. Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at the lodge as above.

Day 9: Nyiragongo Volcano Hike

Nyiragongo Volcano Hike: Wake very early in the morning and have breakfast. Thereafter, depart the lodge and drive to Kibati post which is the starting point of the Nyiragongo volcano hike. After the briefing by the ranger, hire a porter who will help you with your luggage during the hike if you wish to have one. Hike the Nyiragongo volcano and sight various wildlife, birds and plant life along the way. Enjoy splendid views of all the Virunga mountains which can be seen at the top.

The sight of the world’s largest boiling lava lake is breathtaking. Enjoy the clear view of it boiling at night during your dinner and overnight stay at the summit.

Day 10: Descend the Nyiragongo and departure

Descend the Nyiragongo: On this last day of your 10 days Congo safari tour, have an early breakfast prepared by the chef at the summit and embark on the descent at 6:30 am back to Kibati.
Return to Kigali: Your driver-guide will be ready to take you back to Kigali from where you will catch your outbound flight or be transferred to your place of stay.

End of Safari.