Planning for a Congo safari to visit the mountain gorillas in Virunga and Nyiragongo volcano hiking? Eco Tours Congo is known for crafting & tailoring safaris to Congo for all independent travelers on private guided adventure or escorted tours. Enjoy Customized gorilla trekking tours to Congo to watch the mountain gorillas & Nyiragongo volcano hike for group or private individual tours.

Going on a gorilla trek is a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it is at the top of many people’s bucket list. There is nothing as thrilling as being amidst the great apes, which share 98% of human DNA, in the middle of an impenetrable jungle. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been affected by conflict, especially in the eastern part of the country, so travelers are advised to check the situation before traveling there. This conflict has also greatly affected the number of gorillas due to habitat destruction and poaching. However, for the past three years, there has been a semblance of peace and Virunga National Park is open for tourism. This year, the park has attracted a good number of tourists who go trekking with gorillas and hike up Mt. Nyiragongo.

Gorilla trekking in the D.R.C involves hiking deep into the mountain jungles to observe a gorilla family in the wild. Visitors will be led by guides and national park rangers who keep records of the gorillas for conservation purposes and help protect them from poachers. They can determine the general area where a gorilla family will be and are skilled in tracking them.

Your gorilla trekking adventure in the D.R.C will begin early in the morning and you will be driven up to the gorilla trekking starting point at Bukima – a ranger’s station in the mountains of the Virunga National Park, outside the city of Goma. The small agrarian villages you’ll pass, and the people who run to the road to wave at you, will give you a glimpse of a different way of life.

The length of the trek is entirely dependent on the gorillas — sometimes the guides can track them down in less than two hours, other times it takes much longer. Mountain gorillas are nomadic, traveling the jungle in families and staying in an area just long enough to clear it of food. They also don’t follow a clear path, and you’ll realize when tracking them that they like to meander.

Mountain Nyiragongo Offers some of Africa's best climbing and hiking opportunities, Mount Nyiragongo stands 3,470 m (11,380 ft.) tall and boasts one of the world's largest lava lakes. This mountain makes up for a considerable percentage of volcanic eruptions in Africa. The last one was in 2002--despite this violent history, adventurers continue to flock here for a chance to peer into or photograph the lava lake from the rim.

Mount Nyiragongo is a magnificent active volcano that features the world’s largest lava lake making it one of the few volcanoes in Africa that offers some of the top hiking and climbing possibilities. Standing as one of the great geological mysteries in the history of volcanic expedition is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo inside the greater Virunga National park about 20kms north of the town of Goma and lake Kivu just on the western border of Rwanda. Goma is lies on the northern shores of Lake Kivu only one kilometer from the Rwandan border next to the town of Gisenyi.

The beautiful strata volcano is famous for persistent active volcanic activity in its huge crater lake on top of the summit any volcanic enthusiast would look no further but to peer down into the churning lava lake and see, hear hot gases exploding up gives you a chance of rare photography. Although predictable and safe for tourists, the time required to reach the summit depends on the normal fitness of each group of visitors. The topography changes in stages right through the climb, thick jungle filled with very big ant colonies and open out trees that house some reptiles.

The hike takes about 4 to 6 hours to climb the summit that begins at an altitude of about 1,989 meters to 3,470 meters above sea level. Guaranteed by experienced guides who will lead all your treks after checking your complete hiking and cold weather gear including packed meals, proper hydration and take preventive measures from your physician for those prone to Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) because of the change in altitude. Before you make the climb, make sure you have packed accordingly since there is no food service on top of Nyiragongo to be rewarding as it is demanding.