Where in Congo are gorilla treks located?

Travelers who wish to see gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can engage in standard gorilla trekking at Kahuzi Beiga National Park for lowland gorilla trekking or in Virunga National Park for mountain gorilla trekking.

Virunga national park things to Know

One of Africa’s oldest and most diversified national parks, Virunga is mainly known for mountain gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other activities that may be done here include hiking the Nyirangongo volcano, bird viewing, nature walks, monitoring chimpanzees, and habitatation. It should be mentioned that there are only three mountain gorilla nations in the world. Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are among these nations. Mountain gorillas in Rwanda can be found in Volcanoes National Park; in Uganda, they can be found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they can be found in Virunga National Park. In the area known as the “Virunga Massif,” all of these national parks are situated adjacent to one another.

Kahuhuzi beiga National park things to know

When it comes to Lowland gorilla trekking, Kahuzi Beiga National Park rates highly as it was established in 1970 and the world’s largest gorilla species, the Grauer’s, was intended to be conserved. The first Lowland gorilla trekking took place in 1973. The largest of the four gorilla subspecies, the Eastern Lowland gorillas, are also known as Grauer’s gorillas. You may hike Eastern Lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park, which is 30 kilometers from Bukavu town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The park is accessible by road and air. Since this sort of trekking is unique to the park and was gazetted in 1970, the park holds a high ranking in terms of lowland gorilla trekking. The first lowland gorilla trekking took place here in 1973. Out of the twelve gorilla families in the park, only two are habituated and available for trekking by tourists. Both the Chimanuka and Mugaruka families derive their names from dominating silverbacks. Chimanuka is well-known to tourists because to its big gorilla family, which numbers around 36 members.

Budget and luxury safari trips to Congo are arranged Select adventure safaris  if you’re looking for a more opulent vacation experience, check out our Luxury DR Congo mountain gorilla safaris. You will receive VIP treatment, be transported around in our opulent land cruisers, and sleep in upscale resorts. Please feel free to email us here if you can’t find what you’re searching for on our website, and we will work with you to create a tour that meets your needs in terms of time, money, and interest.

How to Plan and Reserve Cheap Gorilla Trekking in the Congo

You need look no further than  budget gorilla trekking ( Select Adventure Safaris) , your go-to destination management company for planning and arranging affordable gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With offices in Uganda, we handles the verification of the availability of all services, including lodging, transportation to and from Kigali or Uganda, and gorilla permits for the Virunga and Kahuzi Beiga National Parks. To undertake gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Beiga National Park, Eco Adventure Safaris has a fleet of cars stationed in Kigali and Uganda. After your trip, you can take an international flight back home. All of the vehicles we use in Uganda and Kigali are 4×4 Vans or Jeeps, and our professional safari driver guides are well-versed in both Rwanda and the Congo. 

What is the price to see the Congolese Lowland Gorillas?

To trek with the lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park, you must have a gorilla permit. To help you properly organize your gorilla safari, budget gorilla trekking offers pertinent information about booking gorilla permits for Congo. If you select one of our Congo gorilla trips, you won’t have to worry about arranging your gorilla permit. We reserve all services, including gorilla permits, and verify their availability on your behalf. A gorilla permit typically needs to be obtained several months in advance. Since there are only two groups accessible for trekking in Kahuzi Biega National Park, we always advise booking your stay at least five months in advance, if not sooner. Pay your gorilla permit fee in advance when making a reservation for a gorilla trip so that we can obtain it on your behalf.

The following is the cost of a lowland gorilla trekking permit in the Congo Kahuzi Biega National Park:

Non-residents: $400

Residents of East Africa: USD 200

Congolese nationals: USD20

How much does it cost to visit the Congo to see mountain gorillas?

The daily activity in Virunga National Park, Congo, is gorilla trekking. The trek typically begins with a briefing at 7:45 am, after which you will be assigned a gorilla for the day and begin walking into the forest to find the gorillas. Once you find them, you will spend an hour with them. Similar to other national parks for mountain gorilla trekking, you will also have the opportunity to take pictures, see other attractions like birds and primates, depending on your luck, and learn more about the habitat and survival strategies of the mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park. We at Budget gorilla trekking ( select adventure safaris)  offer all-inclusive gorilla tour packages to all of our guests, with no additional fees. The cost of your gorilla permit, which is required to ensure that you can trek in Virunga National Park, is the most important and crucial expense. We provide a variety of vacation packages, from affordable safaris to luxurious safaris, and you are free to choose any of them. Together, we will customize your trip based on your interests. For the DR Congo mountain gorilla safari, we do offer gorilla tour packages that begin in Kigali. In addition to gorilla permits, the cost of a two-day trip from Kigali is USD 1100 per person for a group of two. As a low-cost alternative, transportation, lodging, meals, and guide services are also included.

How to Obtain Congolese Gorilla Trekking Permits to trek Virunga national park gorillas.

We will get your permits at the Virunga National Park Congo headquarters and email you a scan of the receipt to confirm your trek for the date you have chosen in the park after you get in touch with us and confirm your trip with us by paying for the permits. You can book your overseas flights and make the remaining payments for all of your services after we verify your permissions.

What to see and do in the Congo during a low-cost gorilla trekking trip?

As one of the main activities in the Virunga National Park, mountain gorilla trekking is something you shouldn’t miss. Although there is a large amount of habitat available, there are only 6 families that allow gorilla trekking: the Kabirizi, Humba, Rugendo, Mapuwa, Lulengo, Munyaga, Nyakamwe, and Bageni groups are the groups of mountain gorillas that can be seen. Being the largest group with about three dozen gorilla individuals, Kabirizi is well-liked and well-known for gorilla trekking among these groups. To ensure that you don’t miss out on the walk, you must reserve your gorilla permit at least three months in advance if you want to trek with this particular group of gorillas.

The two most popular activities in Virunga National Park are tracking and habituated chimpanzees. Tracking chimpanzees allows you to spend an hour with them, while habituated chimpanzees allows you to spend the entire day with them. Both treks start early in the morning and involve walking through the forest to find chimpanzees. You will have the opportunity to observe and learn about their feeding habits and natural behavior, and those who participate in the habituated chimpanzee trek will spend the day with them until they build their nest for the night. The same is true for gorilla trekking permits; in order to avoid missing out, you must still reserve your permit at least three months in advance for the chimpanzee tracking and acclimatization excursions.

A nature walk through the Virunga Forest on your DR Congo mountain gorilla safari from Kigali will give you the chance to discover and see the breathtaking beauty of the unique Virunga Landscape as well as learn about the various tree species, spot birds, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot some mammals and reptiles. The Virunga Forest is one of the oldest tropical rain forests in Africa with extremely dense vegetation.

Nyirangongo Volcano Hike: One of life’s greatest adventures is hiking the world’s most active volcano, the 3,470-meter (11,380-foot) Nyiragongo Volcano. You can do this in Virunga National Park during your DR Congo mountain gorilla safari from Kigali. No one knows how long the volcano has been erupting, but since 1882, at least 34 eruptions have occurred, with the most recent occurring in 2002.

Bird watching is a must-do activity when visiting Virunga National Park on your DR Congo mountain gorilla safari from Kigali. As one of the most diverse forests in the tropics, Virunga has a wide range of habitats and landscapes, from forests to swamps to grasslands. This has attracted a vast number of bird species. A birding expedition offers the opportunity to observe and identify over 706 documented bird species. Please fill out this form, and we will arrange this safari for you.

Lowland Gorilla Trekking: This activity is guaranteed when you obtain a permit for Kahuzi Beiga National Park. However, please be aware that because there are only two families allowed to trek in the park, gorilla permits are highly competitive and in high demand, particularly during the busiest months of June, July, August, September, December, and February. It is advised that travelers reserve their gorilla permits three to four months in advance, as gorilla tracking licenses occasionally sell out four months in advance.

What time of year is optimal to travel to the Congo to go gorilla trekking?

The tropical rain forest vegetation found in Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Beiga National Park makes them vulnerable to unpredictable downpours at any time of day or week. Nevertheless, because these parks are part of a tropical rain forest, there are still excellent months to visit: the dry season, which falls between December and January, February, June, July, August, and September. These months are always easier to navigate because the trails are drier than during the wet season, and the vegetation is not fully grown, making gorilla sightings easier and more obvious. The majority of people avoid going to see gorillas in the other, somewhat wet months of March, April, May, October, and November since the trails are quite slick and the vegetation is fully developed, making the hiking much more difficult.