Things To Bring For a Virunga Tour

If you are planning for a tour to Virunga national park, you need to pack necessary items to run your safari smoothly. Below is a list of things you should bring for different excursions;

Things To Bring For a Volcano trek Tour in Virunga.

Mount Nyiragongo is located 20 km (12 miles) north of Goma near Kibati where the trek begins. The journey to the top is 4 – 6hours and involves walking through lush forest and lava fields with a steep incline near the top. Please note that travelers should be physically fit to challenge this mountain.

Most visitors take a night at the rim of the volcano, although a 1-day trip may be organized on a request. However, the overnight stay is highly recommended because the view of the lava lake at night is spectacular.

The only available accommodation on the volcano rim are the cabins which are well maintained by thoroughly cleaned by the porters. Porters can be hired from Kibati ranger post to carry up luggage for tourists at a cost between $10 to $15. The maximum weight that porters are authorized to carry up to the summit is 15kg. Let us look at the list of things to bring for Mount Nyirangongo hiking tour in Virunga national park;

Sleeping Bag

Rain gear

Good walking shoes

Hat

Torch

Food (lunch, dinner, breakfast)

Water (3 liters p.p. minimum)

Sun cream

Any other drinks required

Change of dry clothes (pack clothes a plastic bag)

Warm Clothes (sweater, jacket) since it is very cold up there.

Things To Bring For the Gorilla Tour in Virunga

Visiting the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural setting by trekking into the deep African jungles in small groups and across the steep slopes of volcanoes in Virunga national park is a life time experience. Virunga National Park is home to about 200 of the world’s remaining 790 mountain gorillas.  Most gorillas live in the Mikeno Sector, forested area located at the edge of a range of most dormant volcanoes of Virunga massif.

Tracking starts from one of three patrol posts, led by a number of ranger guides. Bukima post is the most popular starting point for gorilla tracking activities with basic tented camps for overnight stays and its very close to Goma town. Treks take approximately 1 to 2½ hours each way hence some reasonable fitness is required if you intend to book for this tour to Virunga national park. The gorilla trekking tour takes you through dense forest and across steep hills therefore, expect to meet several forest primates, birds and at times forest elephants if you are lucky. The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Virunga national park DR Congo is 15 years. Weather conditions can range from sunny and warm to cold and rainy, therefore if you are traveling to Virunga national park for gorilla trekking tour, please endeavor to bring the following things;

Good walking shoes

Rain gear

Long trousers & sleeves

Insect repellent

Sun screen

Camera

Snacks (in case of a long trek)

If you intend to support Virunga National Park’s work of protecting the mountain gorillas, there are a number of ways you may choose from;

You can become a gorilla guardian, donate, fundraise, buy artwork from the print store, shop clothes and chocolates and personally protect a 30-acre plot of land in the Mikeno Sector or Virunga National Park where the mountain gorillas live.