5 Days Nyungwe Forest & Mt Nyiragongo Hike
5 Days Nyungwe Forest & Mt Nyiragongo Hike is an adventurous tour that starts and ends in Kigali Rwanda. The safari will take you to Nyungwe national park in the south western part of Rwanda where you will engage in an interesting chimpanzee trekking activity and canopy walk. From Nyungwe national park you will connect to Lake Kivu in Gisenyi for a boat ride, relaxation and later transfer to Virunga national park in Congo where you will take part in an adventurous Nyiragongo hike.
Highlights of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and Mount Nyiragongo hike
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Nyungwe forest national park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
- Day 3: Transfer to Lake Kivu Gisenyi
- Day 4: Ascend Mount Nyiragongo
- Day 5: Descend Mount Nyiragongo and departure to Kigali
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Nyungwe national park, depending on your arrival time on the first day of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike you will be welcomed by our driver guide, who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Nyungwe national park which is located in the south western part of Rwanda. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy spectacular views of the countryside, rolling hills, coffee plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Chimpanzee trekking, after an early breakfast on the second day of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about chimpanzees and also conversant with trails in the forest. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primates like l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, velvet monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabey, view different bird species, plants among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to observe their habits, behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, hunt, fight, mate, play, rest, take photos and record videos with a flash less camera. After the one hour with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Canopy walk, after lunch you will go for an interesting canopy walk which starts at Uwinka visitor’s center and goes through the steep and deep valley filled with thick forest. During the canopy walk which takes about 2 hours you will be able to view wildlife species including bird species, mammals, butterflies, primates like blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, different tree and plant species among others which gives you unforgettable experiences. After the canopy walk you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Gisenyi Lake Kivu
After breakfast on the third day of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Kivu which is the largest fresh water lake in Rwanda. Upon arrival you will engage in an amazing boat cruise where you will be able to enjoy great views of the beautiful scenery, steep terraced hills, water bird species like malachite kingfishers, majestic crowned cranes, see fishermen fishing in dugout canoes among others. After the boat cruise you will have lunch and after spend the afternoon relaxing at the beach or engage in optional activities like hiking, sport fishing, biking among others. In the evening you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Ascend mount Nyiragongo
Ascend mount Nyiragongo, after an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike you will cross to Democratic Republic of Congo via Goma Grande Barrier border and then connect to the trail head at Kibat patrol post for a briefing about the safety precautions, expectations, stopping points and what to carry during mount Nyiragongo hike. After the briefing you will be grouped and then start hiking Nyiragongo volcano which takes about 4-6 hours to reach the summit. During hiking you will pass through high altitude areas, lava rocks, slippery stones and enjoy great views of beautiful scenery, bird species, mammals, different plants, take incredible photos among others. When you reach on top you will have stunning views of the boiling lava lake, the volcano top can be freezing cold with strong winds therefore you need to be prepared with warm clothing. The cooks will help you to prepare hot coffee, dinner and you will spend an overnight in a cabin as you smell the boiling and bubbling lava.
Day 5: Descend from Nyiragongo Volcano and departure to Kigali
Descend from Nyiragongo Volcano, on the last day of the 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike you will have an ultimate breakfast where after you will start descending from the peak of the mountain to Kibat patrol post which takes about 3 hours. While descending from the Nyiragongo volcano, you will enjoy great views of Virunga national park, Rwenzori Mountain ranges, Lake Kivu, other volcanic mountains and many others. Upon arrival at the trail head you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer to Gisenyi for lunch via Goma Grande Barrier border. After lunch you will continue the journey to Kigali town and your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali international airport for your departure flight or at drop off at the hotel in Kigali depending on your schedule.
End of 5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike
5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Canopy walk
- Boat cruise on Lake Kivu
- Nyiragongo hiking permit
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
5 days Nyungwe forest and mount Nyiragongo hike excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, alcoholic drinks, juice, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
