Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Bukavu
On the first day of the 17 days Rwenzori Congo safari, you will be picked up from Kigali by your guide/driver and transfer to Bukavu, the perfect route for travelers heading to Kahuzi Biega national park Congo. In this route, have perfect views of the beautiful scenery of Rwanda and the drive will take between 7-8 hours and then about 30 minutes from the border to the lodge/hotel.
Day 2: Eastern gorilla trekking
After your early morning breakfast, you will transfer to Kahuzi Biega national park headquarters for registration and pre trek briefing about gorilla trekking experience. Once done with the briefing, you will be led by the park ranger through the tropical forests in search of the eastern lowland gorillas. When allocated, you will be allowed to spend a maximum of an hour with them as you enjoy their daily like feeding, breastfeeding, playing and others. After, you will return to the lodge for your free evening as you wait for dinner and overnight
Day 3: Mount Kahuzi climbing
Have your early morning breakfast and drive to Mount Kahuzi hiking starting point by the lead of the park ranger. During the hiking experience, you will go through several mini habitats and vegetation types. For the physically fit and experienced hikers, reaching the top of the mountain is about 4 hours. While at the top, you will have amazing views of the surrounding areas.
Day 4: Descend and transfer to Goma
Wake up for your breakfast and check out of the lodge for your transfer to Goma having a speed boat across Lake Kivu to Goma. The boat ride will take you about 3 hours as you travel across Lake Kivu and feel its cool breeze. After, you will meet your driver who will drive you to Mikeno lodge for your lunch and refreshment as you wait for dinner and overnight
Day 5: Nyiragongo Volcanic hike
After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to Nyiragongo hiking starting point where your guides brief you about the entire hike. You will as well be assigned guides and porters. After, you will transfer to the starting point of the hike.
The Nyiragongo hike takes about 6 to 8 hours depending on your speed and fitness. You will hike through the forested areas, lava flows and the open space. When you reach the summit, you will have the opportunity of watching the wonderful views of the boiling lava with red glow from the crusted lava. Such experiences are a lifetime memory to the travelers and adventurous lovers. You will spend this night at the crater
Day 6: Descend and cross to Volcanoes national park
Wake up early for the beautiful sunrise on the top of Nyiragongo volcano and have amazing photos. After, you will have your breakfast as you prepare for the slopping down the hill up to the base. You will have some relaxations when you reach at the base and then start off your journey to Gisenyi/Goma border as you cross to Volcanoes national park. Dinner and overnight at Da Vinci lodge.
Day 7: Hike Mount Bisoke and cross to Uganda
After your delicious breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to Mount Bisoke hike starting point where you will be assigned the hiking guides and also be briefed about the activity. As you hike to the top, expect to spot several species including bird and monkey species. After, you will move back to the lodge for lunch and refreshment as you prepare for your transfer to Kisoro through Cyanika border. Arrive in the evening and check in at Countryside guest house for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Mountain gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park
In the morning after your breakfast, you will transfer to mount Mgahinga national park headquarters for registration and briefing about gorilla trekking experience. After, you will move through the forests to look for the mountain gorillas. The activity will take around 3-5 hours depending on where the gorillas will be that day. When you find them, you will be given an hour to watch the gorillas as they go about their daily life, and also take photos. Return to the Countryside guest house for lunch as you wait for dinner and an overnight at Ikoro lodge
Day 9: Transfer to Kaseese
After breakfast at the lodge, you will check out and then transfer to Kasese. This journey will take around 5-6 hours with a stopover along the way for lunch. You can either pass via Kisoro- Ishaka- Kasese route or you can choose to pass through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park and do a fast game drive to look for the tree climbing lions. Dinner and overnight at your lodge/hotel of booking
Day 10: Transfer to the base in and start the hike. Kilembe to Kalalama
In the morning after your breakfast at the lodge, you will head to the camp base where you will be briefed about the hiking experience. The hike will involve walking through the mountain forest zone, where you might have encounters with species of monkeys like the colobus monkeys and the blue monkeys, then birds like the Rwenzori Turaco. Before reaching Sine Hut, the arrival point of the day at 2.585 meters altitude, you stop over at Enock’s fall, beautiful scenery. The Sine Hut is located between forest trees. You will be served the dinner and spend the night. The first day involves a long steady climb through montane forest and bamboo to a campsite at Kalalama in the heather zone.
Day 11: Kalalama Camp to Mutinda Camp
After breakfast, trekking starts at 8.30 Am and you soon enter the bamboo-mimulopsis zone, which is steep climb with many high steps. After about 1.8 kilometers you reach Kalalama Camp (3.147 meters), which is located in the heather –rapanea zone. At this point, you will have some rest and then continue along the heather zone passing by various streams and waterfalls that are covered by the typical green moss vegetation. You will also see lots of Giant Heather trees during the hike till your arrival to Mutinda camp which is named after the Mutinda peaks.
Day 12: Mutinda to Bugata Camp
You will wake up for your breakfast and cross the Mutinda valley through the tussock grass and everlasting flowers interspersed with many Giant Lobelias before climbing a steep section up to the Namusangi Valley (3,840 meters), with sheer waterfalls and looking back you get fantastic views of Mutinda Peaks. You will climb steadily to Bugata camp since Namusangi valley is wide enough with many ups and downs.
Day 13: Bugata to Hunwicks
Trek to Hunwick’s Camp via Bamwanjara Pass. As you leave Bugata Camp you pass up a ridge then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjara Pass at 4,450 meters where we have a hut should the weather turn bad. From the pass on a clear day you get excellent views of the three main peaks. The trail passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs and thick ever green vegetation, moss, Giant groundsel and lobelia. Here is possibly the best place in all the Rwenzori to observe the Malachite Sunbird as it feeds on the many lobelia flowers and a known breeding site. Farther on there is some steep sections before a steady climb up and over a ridge to Hunwick's Camp which is situated on the top of a deep valley and has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismann’s Peak and McConnell’s Prong.
Day 14: Hunwicks to Margherita camp
From Hunwick's you pass down and across the valley floor to Lake Kitandara which is very stunning with deep water and beautiful vegetation. From here you climb up Scott Elliott's pass then up the ridge to Margherita Camp 4,485 metres which is situated between some huge rocks and offering some shelter from the strong winds. This is the very spot where the Duke of Abruzzi camped when making his climb to Margherita Peak in 1906. Dinner and overnight will be at Margherita camp
Day 15: Margherita to Hunwick
The hike to Mount Stanley summit, Margherita peak will start in the early morning hours at around 2:00am. You will climb through the Stanley plateau and Margherita glaciers and later descend to Margherita camp for lunch. After, you will continue to descend to Kitandara through the Scott Elliot paas up to Hunwick where you will have dinner and overnight
Day 16: Hunwick to Kiharo
After your breakfast, you will start off your day to Kihari from Hunwick camp by climbing up a ridge towards a McConnell’s Prong where you will get the perfect views of all the three peaks. Dinner and overnight at Kiharo camp
Day 17: Kiharo to the base and transfer to Entebbe
Distance Kiharo Camp to the park gate 12.2km and another 2.8km down to Trekkers Hostel Time to walk 5 to 8 hours. The trail down the Nyamwamba Valley is mostly downhill and absolutely stunning with beautiful views, moss covered rocks along the river, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys and forests are possibly the best in the Rwenzori Mountains. At the bottom you meet the river where there is a huge rock shelter and a place to rest for a while.
From the base, you will transfer to Entebbe international airport where you will catch your departure flight.
