Mountain gorilla trekking in the Virunga National Park is remarkably the top safari activity that attracts majority of the tourists on tour in DR Congo. With only 4 parks where mountain gorillas live, trekking to view these humble creatures in their natural habitat in Virunga National Park rewards visitors with lots of lasting memories.
Set in Eastern DRC, the Virunga National Park is one of the spectacular protected areas that make up the larger Virunga Conservation Area (VCA). Its creation in 1925 was primarily to provide refuge to some of the 1063 endangered mountain gorillas that still live on earth today. This protected area is vast, extending to cover 7800sq.kms of land area.
Trekking mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park is magical and it is limited to only 8 visitors per habituated gorilla family group. The Virunga National Park in DR Congo currently has a composition of 8 habituated gorilla families all available for gorilla trekking. These include Nyakamwe gorilla group, Humba, Rugendo, Bageni group, Munyanga gorilla group, Mapuwa gorilla group, Kabirizi and Lulengo gorilla families. What makes a gorilla trek magical is that every gorilla group has a unique story to tell the world thus rewarding tourists with life changing experiences of a lifetime.
Before setting off to look for mountain gorillas in the wild, briefing is carried out early morning and, in the Virunga, National Park, this is done at Bukima Ranger Post. The team from the park also allocates visitors a gorilla group, park guide to lead them through the entire gorilla trek process that involves navigating via the jungles taking about 2-6 hours and includes 1 hour of a photography, close interaction with gorillas.
Gorilla trekking guidelines you must observe while in D.R. Congo
- Each gorilla group is always trekked by only 8 tourists.
- It is mandatory to wash your hands before going to trek gorillas.
- A maximum of one hour is allowed for you to enjoy a face to face encounter with gorillas.
- Maintain a physical distance of 7m from gorillas.
- Keep the gorilla habitat clean.
- Don’t make noise-keep your voices low.
- No flashlight camera should be used when taking photos of gorillas.
Cost of the Virunga National Park gorilla trekking permits
DR Congo is generally affordable gorilla destination. Visitors who plan to track either lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega National Park or mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park require a valid gorilla permit that can be obtained at $450 per visitor on gorilla tour.
Gorilla trekking permits in DR Congo can be booked through the ground tour operator or the park authorities and permits are issued to persons who are above 15 years.
When to travel to Virunga National Park to engage in a gorilla trek
Gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park DRC can be done at any time of the year and this is due to favorable weather and climatic conditions. But gorilla treks here are best done during the dry season which is mostly experienced in June, July, August, September and December, January, February.
It is during the dry season that gorilla habitat records low minimal rainfall and it is easier navigating through the trails since they are kept drier. And this is not the case with the wet or rainy season which records heaviest amount of rainfall making the ground muddy or slippery thus making it challenging to track mountain gorillas. The rainy season in Congo Virunga National Park occurs in March, April, May and October, November.
Packing-list for gorilla trekking
The best way to prepare for a gorilla trek is ensuring that you have the right gear or items with you. Essentially, you need to pack lightly, don’t carry everything but the must-have items include the blouses, trousers, long-sleeved shirts, hand/gardening gloves, hiking boots (sturdy and waterproof), camera with no flashlight, bottled drinking water, waterproof daypack, energy giving snacks, visa, insect repellent, gorilla permits, sweater, valid passport, rain jacket/poncho.
The different accommodation options in Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park has a good selection of safari lodges ranging from budget, mid-range to luxury. Tourists choose from Bukima Tented Camp, Kibumba Tented camp, Lulimbi Tented Camp, Nyiragongo Volcano Summit Shelters, Tchegera Island Camp to Mikeno Lodge.
Accessing Virunga National Park while on gorilla safari
By road: Drive from Kigali – Rwanda cross to DRC via Gisenyi Town, Goma Town and connect to Bukima Patrol Station in Virunga. Drive from Kampala or still Kigali to Kisoro Town cross via Bunagana border to Virunga National Park.
By water: Embark on a boat ride on Lake Kivu to Goma in DRC then transfer to Bukima Ranger Post of Virunga National Park. By air: Fly and land in Goma Airport then drive to Bukima Ranger Post of Virunga National Park, Eastern D.R. Congo.
