Virunga national park is located in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is part of the greater Virunga Mountains, a conservation area that also stretches into Uganda and Rwanda. The park is home to the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys amongst other species.
The national park is located close to the border of Rwanda and Uganda and Virunga national park shares the Virunga ranges with Mgahinga national park in Uganda and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda which are also destinations for gorilla trekking.
It is also among the oldest national parks in Africa and was established in 1925. The national park is home to numerous wildlife species including mountain gorillas, black and white colobus monkeys, African bush elephants, hippos, chimpanzees, okapis among others.
Tours to Virunga national park can be booked through local tour operators who book the different activities to at the destination including gorilla trekking and also hiking. For visitors engaging in gorilla trekking, it is advised that they book permits for the activity in advance to avoid missing out on the experience of looking for the gorillas.
There are many other attractions found in Virunga national park which is located in the Albertine rift valley and they include Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamulagira which are active volcanoes.
During tours around Virunga national park, there are different options of accommodations including Kibumba tented camp, Mikeno lodge, Lac Kivu lodge among others. Booking of these lodges varies on the visitors preferences who can choose to stay in budget, midrange or luxury accommodations around the national park.
What to do and see in Virunga national park
There are various activities which are carried out around Virunga national park and they include the following;
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is among the activities which are carried out around Virunga national park and a permit costs 400 USD per person. There are 10 habituated gorilla families which are found around the national park that can be visited during gorilla tours in Congo.
During gorilla treks in Virunga national park, visitors are accompanied by ranger guides who are allocated during briefings done at the park headquarters. Gorilla trekking in Congo is done in groups of 8 people who track a gorilla group a day.
Porters can also be hired to help with the gorilla trekking experience in Virunga national park because of the steep slopes and strenuous hikes in the forests. Hiking sticks are also provided for the extra support during the search for the gorillas in their natural habitat.
One hour is the amount of time that tourists spend with the gorillas in Virunga national park after finding them in the forests of Congo. During this time, visitors can watch as the tourists feed, play and do other things.
Visiting the gorillas in Virunga national park is done by individuals above the age of 15 years. Many other rules and regulations are communicated to the visitors before they take part in the gorilla trekking experiences in Congo.
The gorilla groups which can be visited in Virunga national park include Rugendo gorilla family, Kabirizi gorilla family, Bageni gorilla family, Humba gorilla family, Lulengo gorilla family, Mapuwa gorilla family, Nyakamwe gorilla family and also Munyaga gorilla family.
Some of the items to pack for the tours around Virunga national park include long sleeved shirts and long trousers, insect repellant, sun screen, hiking shoes, sunhat, rain jackets, sun glasses, camera, drinking water and snacks among others.
Climbing Mount Nyiragongo
Another activity which is carried out during tours in Virunga national park is climbing the Mount Nyiragongo.
Mount Nyiragongo is known for being an active volcano and summiting the mountain involves visiting the lava lake found on top of the mountain. The lava lake is considered the largest lava lake in the world and is among the attractions of Virunga national park.
The mountain is at an altitude of 3470 meters and ascent of Mount Nyiragongo starts from the Kibati ranger post. The hike to the summit of the mountain takes about 4 to 6 hours and a night can also be spent on the crater rim while enjoying views of the lava lake.
During the climb, hikers go through forest which is the 1st section and other sections that visitors go through to get to the summit of Mount Nyiragongo and these include the 2nd section which offers views of the valley below, the 3rd section which passes through old lava flows and the 4th section which goes through high montane forest and the final section goes through a steep hike to the summit for about 300 meters.
Visiting Chimpanzees
Visitors can also spend time with the chimpanzees during tours in Virunga national park. These chimpanzees can be seen around the Mahura forest and this activity involves a habituation process during which tourists spend time observing the chimpanzees and observing them.
Going to the Senkwenkwe orphanage located around Rumangabo is another activity which can be carried out when visiting Virunga national park.
Best time to visit Virunga national park
The best time to visit Virunga national park is during the dry season in June, July, August, September and also December, January and February when it is easier to trek through the forest and explore the trails in search of the gorillas.
Virunga national park can also be visited in the rainy season although conditions for gorilla trekking are unfavorable due to the slippery trails.
How to get to Virunga national park
There are different ways to get to Virunga national park during tours in Congo and they include flights and also driving to the national park.
Using the route from Rwanda, visitors can drive Gisenyi town which takes about 4 hours and proceed to Goma where they can continue their journey to Virunga national park.
Another route used to access Virunga national park during tours in Congo is the Uganda-Congo route via the Bunagana border in the western part of Uganda.
Virunga national park can also be accessed by flights to Goma international airport followed by driving to the national park. Flights to the Goma airport can be booked using Ethiopian airlines.
