Best time to hike mount Nyiragongo in Virunga national park
Planning for the Nyiragongo hike tour? The most asked question by the hikers about Nyiragongo hiking tours is when is the best time to visit Mount Nyiragongo for a hike in the eastern part of DR Congo. The answer is that you can go at any time of the year but it’s better for you when you hike in the dry season.
Nyiragongo can be hiked at any time of the year because Virunga national park is always open. However, the dry seasons is the best time to visit Virunga national park and hike Nyiragongo because during this time there is little and sometimes no rainfall which makes the roads leading to the park passable, the hiking trails less slippery, and the vegetation in the park is short giving clear views of the animals. When you hike the Nyiragongo volcano in the dry season, you don’t get so much coldness like in the rainy season and you are able to see the summit clear.
Because the equator crossed DR Congo, Mount Nyiragongo doesn’t experience summer and winter weather but it gets dry and wet season. The dry season that comes with warmth and less rainfall tends to be the best time to visit Virunga national park and hike Mountain Nyiragongo.
During the rainy season, there are chances that you will not be disrupted by rainfall that can affect the whole hiking activity. The rainfall can slow down the hiking because of slippery slopes and unclear views at the summit. Too much rainfall in the wet season tends to attract mad, snow, ice, and coldness that can be strenuous on the human body. When the weather is nice, the chances of making it to the summit in the estimated time are high because nothing will lower the speed.
There are two wet periods in Virunga national park – The long rainy period and the short rain period. The long rain period starts in March and stops in May while the short rain period starts in October and ends in November. During these months, expect heavy rainfall at any time of the day whether morning, mid-morning, or in the afternoon. The rainy season is good for those that want to do birding because during that season, there are plenty of birds in the park including the migratory ones.
When to climb Mount Nyiragongo?
Most hikers climb Mount Nyiragongo in June, July, August, and September. The mother months are December, January, and February. The dry season is considered a season when most of the hikers come to Virunga national park to make it to the summit of Mountain Nyiragongo. The time when a few hikers visit the park for Nyiragongo hiking is the rainy season of March, April, May, October, and November and during this time, the permits are on a discount as well as accommodation facilities.
Hiking Mount Nyiragongo in the dry season.
Hiking Mount Nyiragongo in the dry season is always the best time because you stay dry and free from dirt or muddy all day. Virunga national park having tropical rainforest means that it can rain at any time of the year but in the dry season, the expectations are low. With the hiking trails being dry and less muddy, the hiking activity becomes faster and more fun. During the dry season, the views while hiking and at the summit of the Nyiragongo volcano are clear since the sky is not cloudy.
Hiking Mountain Nyiragongo in the rainy season. The discounted permits and the cheaper hiking permits might attract you to hike Mountain Nyiragongo in the rainy season. During the rainy season, the hikers are very few and it’s possible to hike to the summit 3 or 5 people and this might find you lonely at your camp. During the rainfall, it does rain at any time of the day, and this affects the hiking trails by making them muddy and slippery which in the end makes you wet and dirty throughout the hike.
Hiking Mount Nyiragongo
Hiking Mount Nyiragongo starts early morning with drivers transferring the hikers to the park offices where they meet the park wardens. The park wardens do teach the hikers different rules and regulations of the hiking activity and armed ranger guides are assigned to them to lead them throughout the hike.
Hikers with heavy luggage can hire porters and also pick walking sticks to help them during the hiking activity. The hiking takes 5-6 hours with stopovers at different points to relax and have a view of the surrounding areas. The hikers get opportunities of meeting park animals on the slopes such as buffaloes, chimpanzees, gorillas, blue monkeys, red colobus, elephants, duikers, birds among others.
When others reach the summit, they are able to have great views of the summit, lava lake, Lake Kivu, Goma town, Kahuzi Biega national park, Virunga national park, vegetation, Virunga volcanoes, and Mountain Rwenzori. At the summit are cabins where hikers will stay for the night and the next morning wake up to stunning views of the surroundings as they descend the Mountain.
How to get to Nyiragongo?
To get to Mountain Nyiragongo, you need to drive to Gisenyi town from Kigali and cross to DR Congo using the Goma border. At the border, you will have to present your yellow fever card, Congo Tourist visa, and hiking permit to be able to enter the country. The Park authority will give you a military convey to lead you to the park.
Accommodation facilities to use during the Nyiragongo hike.
There are so many accommodation facilities for you to spend a night in Virunga national park and they range from budget to mid-range to luxury options such as Lulimbi Tented Camp, Nyiragongo Volcano Summit Shelters, Bukima Tented Camp, Mikeno Lodge, Tchegera Island, Kikumba Tented Camp, and much more.
