Gorilla Trekking Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the African countries that are home to both the endangered mountain gorillas the lowland gorillas. Other countries that have the mountain gorillas are Uganda and Rwanda which share the Virunga massif conservation area and each country controls its own portion.

Gorillas in Congo are found in almost three national parks that is the famous Virunga national park, kalinzu forest national park as well as Maiko national park. Virunga national park is home to the only home to the mountain gorillas in Congo and the lowland gorillas are found in Kahuzi Biega national park as Maiko national park.

Where to go Gorilla trekking in Congo?

Gorilla trekking is one of the key activities that have helped the democratic republic of Congo to recover from the impacts of the past wars in the country due to the fact that it only the destination with the cheapest affordable gorilla trekking permits.

Virunga national park

Virunga national park is one of the famous and best destinations for the gorilla trekking experience in Congo due to the fact it is a home to the endangered mountain gorilla apes that are on a very high demand by a number of travelers that come to the Africa. The park is part of Virunga massif conservational area as well as Mgahinga national park in Uganda and volcanoes national park in Rwanda.

Virunga national park harbors an approximate population of about 300 endangered mountain gorilla populations and it is dominated by montane tropical forest covering an area of about 7800 square kilometers. The park has an altitude of 5000 meters that favors the survival of the mountain gorillas due to the fact the mountain gorillas prefer high altitude areas in the natural habitat.

Virunga national park has about 8 habituated mountain gorilla families that open for gorilla tourism throughout the year, such as Lulengo, Rugendo, Humba, Munyanga, Nyakamwe, Kabirizi, Bageni, Mapuwa. Gorilla trekking experience in Virunga national park  begins an early morning briefing at 7:00 am before starting to trek in the montane forest where travelers are told about the dos and don’ts during the trekking experience.

According to the conservation rules in Congo, a maximum of 8 people are allowed to trek a habituated mountain gorilla family and travelers are allowed to spend only one hour with a gorilla family from the time they meet it. During the one hour travelers are allowed to take photos and videos with the gorilla family as they enjoy observing their feeding lifestyle and behavioral patterns of life in the jungle.

Gorilla trekking in Virunga national park is an extremely exciting activity that will give you an opportunity to encounter with other primate animals such as white and black colobus monkeys, the red tailed monkeys, grey checked mangabey among others as well as forest bird species thus offering travelers an incredible gorilla trekking experience in the forest.

Kahuzi Biega National park.

Kahuzi Biega national park is another place for those travelers can go gorilla trekking when they visit Congo on a safari. The park is known as the largest national park in Congo and it famous for the eastern lowland gorillas which are big and large in size compared to the mountain gorillas that are spotted in Virunga national park in Congo.

Kahuzi Biega national park is situated on the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is a habitat to over 3800 rare eastern lowland gorillas which have also been declared endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Kahuzi Biega national park has about 12 gorilla family and the habituated gorilla families are about 5 groups that are open for gorilla tourism throughout the year such as the Bonnani, Nganwa, Mpungwe, Mugaruka and Chimanuka. The gorilla trekking adventure in Congo national park starts with briefing at the park headquarters in the morning where travelers are grouped in groups of 8 people and each group is assigned two park ranger guides that will take them through the gorilla trekking experience. Gorilla trekking in Kahuzi Biega takes about 2-6 hours before you meet a gorilla family and it favors all travelers since it does not reacquire a lot of hiking and climbing of hills.

Once an eastern lowland gorilla family has been spotted, travelers will be allowed to spend only one hour with the gorillas as they enjoy taking photos and videos with the gorilla as well as having an ample time with these gentle giants in the jungle.

What is the cost of gorilla trekking permit in Congo?

Congo is one of the budget travelers destinations that has got the most affordable and  cheapest gorilla trekking permit compared to other countries that are home to the mountain gorillas in Africa.A gorilla trekking permit is a card or legal document which is issued by the governmental body that is in charge of tourism, authorizing travelers to participate in the gorilla trekking experience.

A gorilla trekking permit in Congo costs 400 USD per person per day and the permit is not reused therefore it is the cheapest since Uganda charges 600 USD per person and by 1^st June the gorilla trekking permit for Uganda will cost 700 USD person while Rwanda charges 1500 USD per person per day and Rwanda gorilla trekking permit are considered expensive and for luxury travelers, however it is the best destination for travelers who have limited time in Africa but would like to enjoy gorilla trekking  adventure.

All gorilla trekking permits for all countries expired immediately after the gorilla trekking experience they are thus not reused and they are valid for one day. Congo is the only destination in Africa the is known for having discounted gorilla trekking permits so as to give chance to all travelers who would like to make their gorilla adventure dream come true in the true African jungle.

 What is the best time to enjoy gorilla trekking in Congo?

The best time to go gorilla trekking in Congo is during the dry season when there is less rain or totally no rain that will destruct the gorilla trekking experience in the forest. it is important to note that Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park is dominated by the tropical thick rain forest that receive rainfall through the year, there it is expected to rain any time. The dry season is also the peak season in Africa where are lot of travelers are coming to Africa to enjoy African safaris. This is during the months of December, January, February, June to mid-October.

The rainy season in Congo is also known as the low season where very few travelers are coming in the country to enjoy gorilla safaris, therefore during this season, Congo offers discounted gorilla permits to all travelers are interested in enjoying gorilla trekking in Virunga or Kahuzi national park. Whether in the low or high season, Congo remains the best gorilla trekking destination for all budget travelers due to the fact it has the cheapest gorilla trekking permit who would like to enjoy gorilla trekking in the Africa. Due to the fact it has the cheapest gorilla trekking permit at 400 USD in the peak USD and in the low season it costs 200 seasons.

How to book a gorilla trekking permit for Congo?

Congo gorilla trekking permit are sold and issued out by Virunga tourism headquarters offices in Goma. The permits can be booked directed at the headquarter offices, this is through contacting Congo tourism reservation office via an email or phone call so as they can book you a gorilla trekking permit according the availability in the month a traveler is planning to go gorilla trekking in Congo.

Booking with a safari expert or tour operator is another best alternative such as Adventure in the wild safaris that will assist to secure you a gorilla trekking permit in the time you are planning to enjoy your gorilla trekking adventure. We also organize and arrange safaris in other countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania among others. When you book with Adventure in the wild safaris, we will request you to avail us with the date and month of travel as well as your original passport details so that we can confirm the booking for the permit. After confirming your booking, we will send you an email of your receipts and gorilla trekking permit document as proof that your permit has been purchased.

Due to high demand for gorilla trekking in Congo we advise travelers to always make an advance booking of their gorilla trekking permit at least 5-6 months prior to the date of travel so as to avoid last minute inconveniences that might your trip into a hell safari.

Where to stay while on your gorilla trekking in Congo?

There is a wide range of accommodation facilities that are with in and outside Virunga National Park as well as Kahuzi Biega national park. The accommodation facilities range from budget options, mid-range options and luxury facilities such as Mount Kahuzi hotel, Bukima tented lodge, Kibumba camp, Coco lodge Bukavu, Lake side Hotel, Exodus hotel, volcano summit shelter, hotel Begonias, Orchids Safari Club among others. The accommodation facilities offer excellent services, the restaurants prepare both local and international dishes, they have scenic views to the forest as well as an incredible favorable environments for relaxing and having an ample time after the gorilla trekking adventure in the forest and many more other fascinating features that will offer you comfort during your stay in Congo. Contact us regarding your accommodation facility while on a gorilla safari in Congo and you won’t regret what un expected extraordinary treat we will offer on you on your safari.