5 Days Virunga Mountains Hike
5 Days Virunga Mountains Hike Tour
A 5 days Virunga Mountains hike is one of the safaris that one engages in in both Congo and Rwanda, and he or she gets the opportunity to carry out a hike to Mount Nyiragongo and a gorilla trek and hike to Mount Bisoke in Volcanoes National Park. All these locations offer exciting experiences to visitors.
Trip highlights
Day 1: Pick up from Kigali airport and transfer to Gisenyi for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Kivu.
Day 2: Transfer to Virunga National Park for a hike to Mount Nyiragongo.
Day 3: Descending Mount Nyiragongo and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking
Day 5: Hike to Mount Bisoke and transfer to Kigali airport
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up from Kigali airport and transfer to Gisenyi for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Kivu.
A guide will meet you at Kigali airport, and you will embark on your journey to Gisenyi after being briefed. When you reach Gisenyi, you will head to a hotel and have lunch. Once you are done with lunch, you will head for a briefing and set off for a boat cruise on Lake Kivu.
At Lake Kivu, you will spot a number of islands on this lake and also numerous aquatic life forms. The guide will tell you more about the various ecosystems at this lake, and you will get a lot of wonderful views and experiences. A guide will then transfer you to the lodge, where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation options at Gisenyi
- Ubumwe hotel
- Hotel Paradis Malahide
- Gorillas lake kivu hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Virunga National Park for a hike to Mount Nyiragongo.
You will have breakfast at the hotel in Gisenyi, and a guide will meet you there, and then you will check out of the hotel. A guide will then transfer you to the Virunga National Park headquarters for a briefing before the hike to Nyirangongo starts. You will be briefed and given the guidelines to follow while on the hike to Mount Nyiragongo, plus the dos and don’ts. The hike will start from Kibati, and this hike is most likely to start at 10 am. You will head to this hike with the company of a ranger guide who will direct you on the route to take.
The hike to Nyirangongo will take about 4 to 6 hours, depending on your level of fitness. The hike to this mountain will require you to hike in good hiking boots and with hiking sticks. At Nyirangongo Mountain, you will stop for a break to eat your packed lunch. While there, you will have the opportunity to see the lava lake and take in the spectacular views of the various ecosystems. When you get to the summit, you will camp and spend the night there. You will have dinner and rest as you wait for the following day.
Day 3: Descending Mount Nyiragongo and transfer to Volcanoes National Park
You will have breakfast at your own leisure at 8 am, and then a guide will brief you shortly. You will then head back to the starting point at the park, and this journey descending Mount Nyirangongo takes about 4 hours.
Once you get there, you will have your lunch at a hotel, and then a guide will transfer you to Volcanoes National Park. You will have your night on day 3 at Volcanoes National Park in a lodge where you will also be served dinner.
Accommodation options at Volcanoes National Park
Luxury: Bisate lodge
Midrange: My hill eco lodge
Budget: Hotel Muhabura
Day 4: Gorilla trekking
You will have breakfast at the lodge in Volcanoes National Park, and you will set off to the park headquarters for briefing. You will set off with a ranger guide to the forest to find the gorillas. You will have amazing views of the wildlife in this park as you search for the Rwanda gorillas. This activity of gorilla trekking will take you several hours, depending on where the gorillas are located. You will spend one hour with the gorilla family after locating it, and you will also, under strict guidelines, take videos and photos of the gorillas. After gathering all the details of the gorillas, you will head with the guide to the lodge and have your lunch meal.
After having your lunch meal, you will spend the remaining time of the day interacting with the guides. In the evening, you will have dinner and retire to bed.
Day 5: Hike to Mount Bisoke and transfer to Kigali airport
After having breakfast at the lodge, you will have the guidelines to follow on the hike to Mount Bisoke from the guides to the park headquarters. You will then set off on the hike to Mount Bisoke. This hike to and from Mount Bisoke takes approximately 6 hours. You will ascend to the summit for about 4 hours, and you will have a glimpse at the other volcanic mountains neighbouring Mount Bisoke.
You will also see a number of wildlife at this mountain as you hike to its summit. You will, after reaching the summit, head back to the set-off point, which will take you another 2 hours as you descend. You will then be transferred to the park headquarters for your lunch meal, and you will then check out of the lodge.
You will head to Kigali airport with the guide to catch your flight.
End of the 5 Days Virunga Mountains Hike Safari
Trip inclusions
- Bottled Mineral water
- 4WD safari vehicle
- English-speaking driver guide
- Pick-up and drop-off
- Meals
- Accommodation
- Park entrance fees
- Gorilla trekking permit
Trip exclusions
- Visa fees
- Air ticket
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Life insurance
