Gorilla trekking in Congo 2021

Gorilla trekking in Congo 2021 : Gorilla trekking is an extraordinary activity where visitors will get an opportunity to move into the forest in search of the gorillas and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking in Congo is done in two destinations which are Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park. Gorillas are also found in other destinations like Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Gorilla trekking destinations in Congo

Virunga national park

Virunga national park is one of the gorilla trekking destinations located in Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo bordering with Uganda and Rwanda. The park is a home of about 8 habituated mountain gorilla families including Rugendo, Kabirizi, Humba, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Bageni, Munyaga and Nyakamwe family.

Kahuzi Biega national park

Kahuzi Biega national park is one of the biggest national parks in Congo located in south eastern region west of Bukavu town, near Lake Kivu and Rwanda border. Kahuzi Biega national park was declared a UNESCO world heritage site and it’s famously known for harboring the endangered eastern lowland gorillas. The national park is a home of 5 habituated gorilla families namely Bonnani, Mpungwe, Mugahuka, Chimanuka and Nganwa which are available for trekking on a daily basis.

Gorilla trekking in both Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park starts early in the morning at about 8:00am with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek.

After the allocation of gorilla families you will start trekking in the forest with a well trained park guide and an armed park ranger. Gorilla trekking in Congo takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on their location because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.

During trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species in the national parks such as birds, mammals, other primates, different plant and tree species among others. Once the gorillas are located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you a chance to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, learn about their habits, lifestyle, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home.

Cost of gorilla trekking permits in Congo

A gorilla trekking permit is a card that is issued to any visitor above the age of fifteen years allowing him or her to visit any habituated gorilla family in either Kahuzi Biega national park or Virunga national park. A gorilla trekking permit in Congo costs 400 USD per person for foreign non residents which cheaper than other destinations like Rwanda where a single gorilla trekking permit costs 1,500 USD for all nationalities and Uganda where a single gorilla trekking permit costs 700 USD for foreign non residents, 600 USD for foreign residents and UGX 250,000 for East African citizens.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit in Congo

A gorilla trekking permit in Congo can either be booked directly through Virunga national park by contacting Virunga reservation office via email or telephone calls.

A gorilla trekking permit in Congo can also be booked through a tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris. When booking through a tour operator you will contact us with the dates and gorilla destination you wish to visit. After contacting us we will check for permit availability and once there are permits available you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the payment we will purchase the gorilla trekking permits on your behalf.

Best time to go for gorilla trekking safari in Congo

Gorilla trekking in Congo can be done all year round though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season the gorilla destinations receive less rainfall therefore access roads and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable compared to the wet season in the months of March to May and November when the trails are wet, muddy and slippery hence making trekking difficult.

Where to stay during your gorilla trekking safari in Congo

There are several accommodation facilities in Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park where you can stay during your gorilla trekking safari. Accommodations range from luxury, midrange and budget for example Bukima Tented Camp, Mikeno Lodge, Nyiragongo Summit Cabin, Kibumba Tented Camp, Tchegera Island Tented Camp, Coco Lodge, L’orchids Safari Club, Exodus Bukavu, Hotel Begonias Bukavu, Lake Side Hotel Bukavu, Mount Kahuzi Hotel Bukavu among others.

How to get to Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo is mostly accessed from Rwanda whereby you will fly to Kigali international airport and then connect through Gisenyi to Goma and then drive to either Virunga national park or Kahuzi Biega national park.

For more information about gorilla trekking in Congo 2021 do not hesitate to contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable gorilla trekking packages.