Congo is an incredible destination for gorilla trekking. Experience it with our affordable gorilla trekking Congo tours, which also offer hiking and safari options. Choose between mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park or lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Congo offers two unique gorilla trekking experiences, making it a great choice, especially for those not physically sound. Virunga National Park is one of the only three national parks in the world where you can see mountain gorillas. Explore this untamed beauty with our Congo hiking tours and safaris. Book your adventure today and create unforgettable memories.
Congo Gorilla Trekking, Gorilla Tours, Hiking Tours & Safaris
Congo Tours and Holidays: A Comprehensive Guide to Booking Gorilla Trekking Congo Safaris
Known famously by its acronym DRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo is situated in the middle of Africa, where the central African rainforests meet the East African savannah, though most of it lies in the equatorial West Africa.
D.R. Congo is known for its larges thick blocks of rainforests – second largest in the world which fill the Congo river basin and cover hundreds of miles encompassing both glacial mountains and savannah. This huge forest is undoubtedly home for staggering population of wildlife, flora, insects, primates and unique people.
Though D.R. Congo has suffered tumultuous guerilla war fares over a course of its history since independence and even beyond, it has grown to become quite a peaceful country especially for tourism, and in that case gorilla tourism in the eastern region. The recent past has seen D.R. Congo enjoy considerable peace and stability and the development of tourism and travel industry has consolidated the country’s economic and cultural growth.
Obviously that’s something interesting to hear, now travelers can undertake short and long safaris to this gigantic nation which is 11th biggest country in the world; be it gorilla trekking safaris, hiking trips, cultural tours, nature walks, etc. any time of the year without fear of insecurity.
Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park.
Located in eastern region, the untouched wilderness of Virunga national park is something to marvel at and see with own eyes, and obviously a good reason to visit! For more details, check out our Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park guide.”
Virunga’s alpine jungles are a famous home of primate population, notably the mountain gorillas, but also other mammals such as giraffes, forest elephants, okapi, leopards, etc. Other primate species include uncountable species of monkeys, baboons, and abundance of birdlife and lush flora. Virunga is a park filled with surprise.
Where to stay in Virunga national park.
Being the oldest and most visited park in north Kivu region, Virunga obviously has some of the most luxurious accommodation facilities, including Mikeno Tented camp, Tshegera Island Tented camp, Lulimbi tented camp, Bukima tented lodge, etc. These lodges also act as convenient bases / starting points for various excursions in Virunga national park.
Chimpanzee trekking in D.R. Congo.
Virunga and Kahuzi-Biega national park are both popular parks for chimpanzee trekking and habituation. Trekking chimpanzees is one of the most sought after activities after gorilla trekking in D.R. Congo, and it is only possible in these parks.
Chimpanzee habituation on the other hand was introduced to Virunga national park by the Germany based Frankfurt zoological society in 2014 and now visitors have a chance to involve themselves in the behind the scenes experience and join a team of scientists and rangers to visit a non-habituated troop of chimps with the aim of making it used to human presence.
There is also a dedicated chimpanzee sanctuary, namely Lwiro chimpanzee sanctuary in Bukavu near Kahuzi-Biega national park.
Hiking Nyiragongo mountain.
This is a beautiful stratovolcano, known for its ever boiling magma and the world’s largest lava lake. It is also one of the most recent volcanoes to erupt, and till now the effects of this dangerous eruption can be witnessed in the nearby town of Goma where the hot running lava swept hundreds of settlements and farmlands.
Hiking mount Nyiragongo to the top is a most sought after adventure and every traveler who makes it to this region can never miss it. For a comprehensive tour including this hike, see our 5 Days Rwanda Chimpanzee Trekking & Mount Nyiragongo Hiking Tour.
The hike begins from Kibati ranger station and takes about 5-6 hours to reach the summit, but along the slopes you enjoy beautiful flora, birdlife and primate species and refreshing scenery of the entire Virunga massif.
At the summit, there are wooden mountain shelters patched close to the volcano rim where occupants can enjoy the mind blowing scenic views down into the lava lake and see the red hot gas emitted through the lava.
Lowland gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega National Park
This park is located in south Kivu province, near Bukavu town. It is made up of two extinct volcanoes – Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega from where the park derives its name, Kahuzi-Biega national park.
The park provides an alternative to mountain gorilla trekking, and here visitors can track the other species of gorillas, the lowland gorillas. This park was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980 in recognition to its uniqueness and the only park in the region that hosts these amazing primates.
Other activities to engage in apart from lowland gorilla trekking include waterfall hike, Bukavu city tour, community walks, bird watching, visiting Lwiro chimpanzee sanctuary and so much more.
Like mountain gorilla trekking, the cost of trekking lowland gorillas is quite affordable in Kahuzi-Biega national park, at only 400$ per person per trek.
