Due to extremely popular demand after my recent solo trip to D.R. Congo to do gorilla trekking, I’m adding it as a Gorilla trekking in Congo GROUP TRIP!
But first let’s take care of the elephants (in the room). YES, I know D.R. Congo has a bad stereotype. I know everyone says it’s dangerous and not to go. But, I went anyway, like I always do, and per usual, discovered a GORGEOUS part of Earth, with amazingly kind people!
You’ve seen my photos and videos, plus all of my Stories! It was one of my top trips ever! Of course, travel is always at your own risk…I am not responsible if you attempt to hug a gorilla….
Anyway, as this trip brand new, the itinerary doesn’t look as “pretty” as my others (I’m still traveling around Central Africa), but you can find all of the important info below!
**Please note: This trip costs more than my other trips because the permits and mandatory fees to see the gorillas are very expensive
*Another note: You can add Rwanda on as an optional 4 day/3night add on! See the last part of the itinerary for details!
Jump To:
DATES:
July 1-7, 2022 (2 spots left) and July 9-14 (7 spots left)
^OR limited space for an October 7-13, 2021 trip!
Cost:
$3000
Includes:
- 6 Nights Accommodation in luxury hotel or glamping lodges
- Ground transportation
- Gorilla permit
- National Park Fees
- Congo Visa
- Airport assistance and transfers
- 24/7 tour guide
- Rangers, guards, and trackers for Virunga
- 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners, 3 lunches
- Donation for purchasing water filters for the Virunga villages)
Does Not Include:
- International Airfare
- Covid tests (but we will take you to get them)
- Some meals and all alcohol
- Tips
Ready to Book?? Click below for the official booking form and options for sending your deposit and choosing your payment plan! Be sure to choose your preferred dates! Choices are on first come first served basis, so if you send your deposit and don’t get your preferred date, we will ask others if they want to switch or will fully refund you!
Gorilla Trekking in Congo Group Trip ITINERARY:
Day 1: Welcome to Goma, D.R. Congo!
We will all fly into Goma in D.R. Congo, and you will be greeted by one of our amazing drivers! They will assist you with immigration and whatnot, then transfer you just minutes away to Goma’s first and only 5 star hotel, the Goma Serena!
Enjoy your luxurious hotel, relax by the pool, or even check out the spa, while we wait for the rest of the group to arrive! Then, we’ll have our Welcome Dinner at Serena!
Day 2: Goma City Tour, Lava Fields, and Shopping
For the ladies coming on this trip, and the guys that are down to shop local too — brace yourselves, Goma has a lot of AMAZING clothing! From long flowy dresses, to locally made ensembles, there’s something for everyone!
We’ll have a local friend of mine take us around the bustling city, before we stop for lake-side lunch at one of my favorite spots! Afterwards, we’ll drive 1-2 hours to Virunga for the beginning of our Gorilla adventure!
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Congo Group Trip in Virunga National Park!
BOOM! Just like that, your bucketlist dreams are going to come true! We’ll wake up early for briefing with the rangers before starting our trek through the jungle to see our close-cousins!
We will send you a full packing list for this trek, and all of the rules beforehand! The trek is semi-difficult through jungles, but we will go slow, and the whole thing is absolutely beautiful!
Words seriously cannot explain how breathtaking this moment will be, so I’ll just show you in photos!
We will finish early, since the trek is a total of 3-4 hours. Rest up, then get ready to head into the local village, where we will deliver donations, and our water filters!
Day 4: Relax on Tchegera Island
Say “au revoir” or “kwegeri” to Virunga, then we’ll drive all the way back to Goma, then through another small village, to board a short boat ride to Tchegera Island!
This island is actually a caldera — which is the rim of an extinct volcano, that is now underwater! It’s seriously paradise! Even if it does have somewhat of a dark past (which I’ll make our guide tell you the story about!).
We can relax here, or hike, paddleboard, or kayak! If the weather cooperates, we’ll also have a stunning view of Nyiragongo Volcano (the one that just erupted).
Day 5: Back to Goma
We’llg head back to Goma very early because we need to get Covid tests for those departing tomorrow. Then we will go back to the 5 star Goma Serena for our last night, and spend the day either relaxing (they offer massages for $50!), or heading back into the city. Later we’ll have our last goodbye dinner, before we head off in different directions!
Day 6: Departures or Extensions
If you’d like to end your trip in Congo, we will provide you with your airport transfer plus personal assistance at the Goma airport!
If you’re continuing, we’ll start our journey into Rwanda after breakfast!
RWANDA ADD-ON
Since you are just next door to beautiful Rwanda, and since Kigali airport is a bit easier to fly out of, we are offering a 4 day/3 night Rwanda add-on! You will start on the last day of your Congo trip dates.
*NOTE: If you choose this option, you CANNOT travel with a drone!
Day 1: Land Border Crossing to Gisenyi
Wake up early to get to the land border crossing of Congo and Rwanda. It can get very busy, so we must plan for a couple of hours waiting to cross!
Once we cross, we’ll get picked up by our Rwanda driver, and head just a few minutes into the town of Gisenyi, where we will stay at an adorable lodge right on Lake Kivu! Depending on time, we can spend the rest of the day doing water activities like kayaking, or just relaxing by the lake!
Day 2: Transfer to Kigali and Cultural Tour
We’ll wake up early again because it’s a 4 hour drive to Rwanda’s capital city; Kigali. Don’t worry, it’s a really beautiful and scenic drive before reaching the city!
Once we arrive, we will go straight to the Kandt Museum to learn about pre-colonization and the colonization of Rwanda by the Germans the Belgians. Afterwards, we will go to the Rwanda Genocide Memorial for a harsh lesson on why the horrifically brutal genocide of the Tutsi happened, how it ended, and what’s happening now in Rwanda.
We will then try to make it to the Protest Against the Genocide Museum, which is also where the Rwanda Parliament is. It is here that the RPF essentially stopped the genocide, and won back power of Rwanda.
After a rough day of realizing realities, we will finally head to our hotel for dinner, drinks, and some rest.
Day 3: Game Drive in Akagera National Park!
If you asked for Gorillas AND a game drive safari, you’re going to get it! Today we will do a day trip to Akagera National Park, where you can see hippos, zebras, crocodiles, giraffes, and if we’re lucky, elephants, lions, and perhaps even a rhino (they are the hardest to spot).
Once we finish searching for our animal friends, we’ll head to a safari lodge for the night!
Day 4: Airport Transfers
One last game drive out of the park! Then we will transfer you to the airport depending on our flight time, and make sure you have no problems going through security! If you’d like to extend your time in Rwanda, just let us know and we will help you out!
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Trust us, we know we are living in strange times right now! But not to fear, our cancellation policy has you covered! Since these trips all require travel insurance, your trip will be covered should you need to cancel for any of the included reasons with your plan (death in the family, injury, illness), including if you get sick with COVID, or test positive after signing up for the policy. This means you would get a full refund including the deposit! Your travel insurance will also cover trip interruption or cancellation, should something happen like a hurricane or sudden closure of borders.
If you would like to cancel for personal reasons, you can get a full refund up to 3 months before the trip, and less the $500 deposit up to 2 weeks before the trip date, and if we are able to fill your spot, you can move the deposit to a future trip. If you need to cancel less than 2 weeks before the trip, you will only get the refund of payments less the deposit if we are able to fill your spot.
COVID POLICY:
After going through a pandemic and traveling amidst country closures and new regulations, we are now basically pros at all things related to staying safe from the contagion!
While we know some may frown upon traveling still right now, after having traveled to SO MANY countries since lockdown ended, and seeing safety standards and protocols, we are confident In keeping you and others safe!
Here are some safety measures we will personally be taking, and what you can expect to see in the places we are going:
- Every guest will have unlimited access to face masks and hand sanitizer. Sanitizer will be given before and after getting on the van, and meals.
- Face masks must be worn inside restaurants/shops, while walking in crowded places, and at heritage sites (except for photos)
- Temperatures are checked upon arrival and before entering any restaurant, bar, and heritage site
- Limited amount of people on each group trip
- Increased sanitary measures and cleaning at all accommodations and restaurants
- Thoughtfully planned schedule to avoid peak crowds
- Health monitoring must begin 2 weeks before your departure date (you must sign a form confirming you did not have any symptoms during this period)
- Should you get COVID while on the trip, your medical costs will be covered by your required travel insurance less a $250 copay
- Flexible cancellation if you get COVID before the trip
