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Congo


DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - A GREAT GORILLA TREKKING DESTINATION FOR LOWLAND AND MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREKKING.

Unlike other gorilla trekking destinations in Africa like Uganda and Rwanda where only the mountain gorillas can be tracked, the Democratic Republic of Congo is richly endowed that both the eastern lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas can be tracked in both of its gorilla trekking spots that include Virunga national park and Kahuzi Biega national park.

Congo is one of the only three countries that host the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. There are about 350 gorilla individuals in Congo and the chances of sighting mountain gorillas are very high, especially in Virunga National Park.

VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK.

Congo’s Virunga National Park is the leading gorilla trekking destination, especially for mountain gorillas in the country and one of the most popular ones on the African continent and the whole world at large. The park is one of the most visited tourism destinations in Congo and shelters several other mammal species including elephants, zebras, buffaloes, duikers, bush backs, to mention but a few.

Situated in the eastern part of Congo, Virunga National Park covers about 7800km square miles and shelters about 200 gorilla individuals in the Virunga ranges. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Congo are very high and Virunga National Park allows its visitors to track about 11 habituated gorilla families in their natural habitats.

Gorilla trekking in Congo starts at around 8:00 am after a small briefing that involves proper guidance from the tour guides to the visitors on what to do for a full ultimate experience while on the activity and what to avoid.

The informative knowledge, history and all about the mountain gorillas are also shared during the briefing process.

Participants are then divided into groups of eight members and each group is assigned to trek one particular gorilla family that can be tracked between 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on its location as mountain gorillas tend to move in deeper forests in search of food and water, especially during the dry season.

Once the mountain gorillas are located and spotted, participants can only spend about 1 full hour with them while learning about their behaviour, breastfeeding and feeding habits while having the best memorable shots of these beautiful human-like species. While in search of mountain gorillas, several other animals, birds and plant species can be sighted in the park hence giving a full gorilla trekking experience.

KAHUZI BIEGA NATIONAL PARK.

Kahuzi Biega is the second leading gorilla trekking destination in Congo and only the Eastern lowland gorillas can be tracked from this park. Eastern lowland gorillas are the largest of the gorilla subspecies and very closest in appearance to the mountain gorillas.

The first gorilla trekking activities in this park occurred in 1973 and up to date, the park has always been registering progress as far as tourism is concerned. While at the park, all gorilla trekking activities start from Tshivanga station at the park’s headquarters where briefing is carried out by the park’s professional tour guides and rangers.

Gorilla trekking will then commence at about 8:00 am and there are about 4 Eastern lowland gorilla family groups in Kahuzi Biega National Park. The park is arguably recognized as one of the best places on earth to see the Eastern lowland gorillas.

One of these groups can be sighted right close to the park’s office and the rest tend to move longer in dense forests in search of food. Gorilla trekking of Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega takes about 2 to 4 hours and involves hiking steep slopes and getting through deeper forests in search of gorillas.

GORILLA TREKKING FEES IN CONGO.

Gorilla trekking charges in Congo are quite fair compared to her counterpart in Rwanda. Depending on the season, gorilla trekking permits in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be secured at 600 USD and sometimes 400 USD during the low season.

Visitors on a budget safari yet to wish to have a touch of this lifetime experience can opt for a low season period.

HOW TO BOOK CONGO GORILLA PERMITS.

Booking a Congo gorilla trekking permit requires visitors to call or send an email to the Virunga National Park’s office for proper legal means of accessing the gorilla trekking permits and visitors are advised to book in advance for the ultimate full experience and better preparations.

Another alternative and the most convenient way is through a trusted tour operator. Tour operators are licensed and therefore have the right to book the permits on your behalf and the whole experience is less stressful and less challenging.

Our Partners

utb

Uganda Tourism Board

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uwaw

Uganda Wildlife Authority

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buhoma

The Buhoma Gorilla Camp

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thk

The Bwindi Kids Charity

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What our customers Say ?

Headspun
Headspun
2023-07-16
Unforgettable Rwanda Emerald tailored our 5 day trip to Rwanda to all our many and frequently changing requests without any fuss. Chris, our driver/guide for the duration, could not have been more helpful and professional
Nic
Nic
2022-10-25
Amazing holidays! Great holidays! Even my special wishes were included into the planning although time was short. Our guide and driver City Tyson Magezi was caring and responsible. We traveled for four weeks and stayed in different accommodations from hut to tent to amazing hotels.
Susanne
Susanne
2022-08-19
Just amazing It felt so safe and comfortable and exciting to travel with emerald. Our guide was so caring, so experienced and always friendly and an a great mood. He showed us so many animals included lions and leopards. That was just amazing . We saw wonderful landscapes like waterfalls and had contact to people . No Uganda or Eastern Africa without emerald . I m deep in love with Uganda and will come back as soon as possible.
Jose Murta
Jose Murta
2022-05-13
Memorable Family Trip in Uganda Fantastic Trip that exceeded our expectations! Travelled to Uganda with wife and 2 children (9 and 10y old) for 7 days. Since the start (at planning stage) got a great support from Bob (company owner) and Edmund (our guide) via WhatsApp. They tailored a program to our needs including the unforgettable mountain gorillas hike, general hikes to waterfalls, safari including boat trip to see hipos!! Edmund, our guide, always super polite and the kids enjoyed him a lot! All our hotels, meals included in the package so no hassle on this….we just paid for drinks! The only regret I have is not staying one extra day in the Mburo National Park to explore a bit more ;) Memorable trip with so much nature and a super-humble people that made the experience even more enjoyable!! Super recommend!! The whole family just feeling we need to get back to explore more ;)
Dwayne B
Dwayne B
2022-05-13
Great Experience With Emerald!! It was an amazing experience! My guides Lucky and Hillary made me feel as if I was family and took care of everything I needed. They were very knowledgeable as we trekked to gorillas in Bwindi and a ride a wildlife safari through Queen Elizabeth. I learned so much from them about the animals, the terrain and the surrounding people. They we also incredibly helpful in helping me find activities around Buhoma, where I stayed, all of which were great. By the time I left I knew I had made friends who I will continue to stay in touch with. Can’t wait to come back with my family!
Dávid B
Dávid B
2022-05-12
Feeding python - 9 lions on a tree - leopard vs. lion We saw all animals and extremely special situations in a short period of time, good organization and friendly guide Paul with lots of knowledge.
Rachmurta
Rachmurta
2022-05-10
Unforgettable trip! We spent one week in Uganda travelling by the guidance of Gorilla Experience safari. The whole experience were definitely above our expectations. Edmand was a friendly, polite and kind guide the whole time!
Vit Siv
Vit Siv
2022-04-22
Ultimately Unique Experience of Uganda! It was unbelievable unique experience, one in a life time. Everything right from arrival to minor ditals was taken care of, too service! Itinerary was compiled/tailor to our wishes and needs as well as to include as much activities as possible. Tyson was our guide. He is an amazing guide, but even better person. He did an incredible job to put this all together, and make it all happen. We managed to do everything we wanted and even more. Definitely a trip to remember!!
Emmanuel OKalany
Emmanuel OKalany
2022-01-08
A rewarding experience for a family visit to queen Elizabeth National Park My family and I had an excellent guided tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The itinerary planning provided was good and the costing of items was realistic. The care and hospitality of the team was excellent. They were also flexible to make time adjustments brought about because of traveling with children
Gordon Y
Gordon Y
2021-06-23
Trip to Kaiso Tonya Game Reserve The guide/driver was too keen to find out my interests. That way, we always had something to talk abouts. Thank you

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A unique Tours and Agency operating under Emerald of Africa Safaris ltd. We Specialize in East African Wildlife Safaris, Gorilla Tracking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Birding, and Cultural tours. Each East African safari with Emerald of Africa Safaris ltd is personalized, memorable and budget friendly. Expect to explore the most exciting and exclusive destinations, with experienced & creative guides. Emerald of Africa Safaris ltd operates in partnership with top Tourism organizations in the region to ensure a perfect experience for you.

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