Virunga National Park occupies 7,800 square kilometers of the Albertine Rift in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The park forms a continuous habitat area for the remaining population of mountain gorillas since it shares a border with Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to the east and Uganda’s Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to the north.
You are looking at one of the most geologically active regions on the African continent.
It was set up in 1925 as Parc National Albert and thus became the first national park in Africa, gaining its UNESCO designation in 1979.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the off the beaten track safari destinations in Africa, despite of the political climate in the Eastern democratic republic of Congo Virunga National Park has remained one of the renown diverse wildlife destinations in west Africa, the park is a World Heritage site which is a home to the endangered mountain gorillas and Chimpanzees, and also the area has one of the world’s active volcanoes the Nyiragongo active Volcano.
Gorilla trekking in DR Congo offers truly exclusive wildlife encounters, with few tourist numbers gorilla trekking in the Virunga national park is one of top activities a long side visiting the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage, besides mountain gorillas DR Congo is also blessed with Lowland gorillas, the Eastern lowland gorillas live in the forest areas of Kahuzi-Biega national park across Lake Kivu.
The gorilla trekking activity takes place in the Bukima area on the southern sides of the Mikeno massif, where a number of family groups that have become habituated are given a daily limit of eight visitors.
A visit with a mountain gorilla family is a life changing experience. Mountain gorillas are highly intelligent, good natured, and fascinating to observe. The silverback’s powerful presence is awe-inspiring, yet his calm clearly earns him the title, “gentle giant”. People are equally struck by the tenderness and care that mothers show their young. And then, of course, there are the juveniles who spend most of every waking hour at play and never cease to make visitors smile. We believe your time with Virunga’s mountain gorillas will leave you feeling changed for the better.
All treks are led by park rangers and usually depart from Bukima patrol post. Treks usually require 1-2 hours of hiking in each direction, depending on where the mountain gorillas spent the previous night and the difficulty of the terrain.
To safeguard the health of Virunga’s gorillas, visitors will be required to wear surgical masks (provided) when in the presence of gorillas. Children must be 15 years of age or older to go on a gorilla trek. Time with the gorillas is strictly limited to one hour. If you don’t feel well at the time of your scheduled trek (i.e. you have a cold, fever, diarrhea, or persistent sore throat) – please cancel. Mountain gorillas are extremely susceptible to human illnesses. Gorillas have died after being exposed to human respiratory viruses and other common ailments.
The situation here is particular to eastern DR Congo, so that the logistics, security procedures and access routes function under conditions different from those in the neighbouring countries.
Permits, Costs & How to Book
The International Institute for the Conservation of Nature establishes the standard price for a gorilla trekking permit at 400 USD per person for foreign visitors.
The park authority from time to time provides reduced rateees of 200 US in the designated low-season months, which are, which ares, which are between March and May.
Permits can be reserved directly via official park booking system or obtained by buying them from licensed incoming tour operators.
With each confirmed gorilla permit you are allowed to apply for the DRC tourist visa valid for two weeks and covering a single entry, which costs 105 USD via the park portal.
Park regulations enforce a mandatory minimum age requirement of 15 years on the day of the trek without exception.
Mountain gorillas share about 98 per cent of their genetic structure with humans, which is why the Rangers will not allow any visitor who shows symptoms of an airborne respiratory infection to enter. If park medical staff turn you away during the morning health check at Bukima, the administration will give you either a full refund or a postponement to another date.
What to Pack for Gorilla Trekking in Virunga
The environmental conditions in the Mikeno sector mean that your choice of equipment has to take them into account, and the list below gives the specifications that have been tested in the field for each condition.
Footwear and Lower Body
- Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support and Vibram outsoles for grip on wet volcanic rock
- Knee length gaiters to block mud and nettle contact on lower legs
- Thick wool or synthetic hiking socks to prevent blistering on steep inclines
Upper Body and Hand Protection
- Long sleeved shirts in heavyweight cotton or synthetic fabric to shield forearms from nettle stings
- Long trousers in durable ripstop material, tucked into gaiters at the ankle
- Heavy duty gardening gloves, the kind you would use for pruning roses, because you will grab thorny vegetation on thirty degree slopes
Weather and Altitude Gear
- Lightweight waterproof rain jacket, as equatorial rainfall in the Virunga Massif averages 1,800 millimetres annually
- Insulating mid layer fleece for the cold morning start at 2,000 metres elevation
- Wide brimmed hat and SPF 50 sunscreen for UV exposure above the cloud line
Field Essentials
- Small daypack of 20 to 25 litres capacity for water, camera, and personal items
- Minimum two litres of drinking water per person for treks lasting up to seven hours
- Camera body with a 70 to 200mm zoom lens and flash disabled, as park regulations prohibit flash photography within ten metres of gorillas
- DEET based insect repellent at 30 percent concentration for tsetse fly and mosquito exposure in the lower forest zones
- Medical grade face masks as required by park health protocols at the contact perimeter