Explore 8 Days Gorilla Trek Congo & Okapi Safari, organized by Congo Gorilla Safaris, will offer you a great opportunity to trek the Mountain Gorillas and Visit Okapi National Park for wildlife viewing in the Jungle Forests of Congo. Watch the Community practices of the pygmies during the cultural Adventure.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer From Kigali In Rwanda to Goma in D.R.Congo
Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda, you will be met and transferred to Goma. After a one-hour stop at the border to clear customs, you will proceed to Mikeno Lodge, located near Virunga National Park in Congo, for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 2: Congo Mountain Gorilla Trekking
After an early breakfast, you’ll head to the Virunga National Park Headquarters for a briefing on the gorilla trekking rules. With your park rangers, you will then venture into the jungle to search for the critically endangered mountain gorillas. After the trek, you will transfer to a hotel in Goma for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Climb Nyiragongo Volcano In Virunga National Park
After an Early morning breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing with park rangers, start hiking Nyiragongo volcano (climb takes about 4 to 5 hours). Hike through an impressive rain forest, the climb continues on the lava eruption fissure, reach the summit. Have the whole evening to enjoy the view from the crater and watch the lava inside. Dinner and Overnight in shelter at the crater.
Day 4: Descend Nyiragongo Volcano
After an early breakfast, you will descend from Nyiragongo and meet your guide from Ultimate Gorilla Expeditions at Kibati. Once you relax at your lodge, you’ll have the option to take a community walk and experience the local Congolese music and dance, if time permits.
Day 5-6: Transfer to Epulu
Drive to Epulu via Beni Road – Overnight at Hotel Beni. Epulu is home to many okapis. Found only in the Congo, the okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a shy and reclusive forest dweller and is the only living relative of the giraffe. It has an unusual coloration and distinctive markings, including stripes resembling a zebra, provide camouflage in the dense rainforest and protect it from many predators.
Day 7: Visit Okapi
After breakfast, you will visit the Okapi Station. Following lunch, you will begin your trek into the tropical forest. You’ll be allowed to follow a local group into the jungle, setting up camp with them if possible. That night, you will gather around a campfire, listening to their hunting stories under a sky full of stars before sleeping in tents within a Pygmy village.
Day 8: Return To Goma For Departure
Begin your return journey to Goma, traveling via Beni and Butembo. Along the way, you will stop to visit the Semuliki River habitat for hippos, crocodiles, and various bird species, marking the end of your Congo gorilla expedition.
