The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the 3 only destinations to harbour mountain gorillas in the whole world. This makes the country more blessed on top of all the natural mineral resources it possesses in form of gold, diamonds, tungsten etcetera. DR Congo safeguards its mountain gorillas in the eastern part of its vast size in the Virunga national park. The park is Africa’s oldest national park and has a rich history to its name.

The Virunga National Park derives its name from the Virunga mastiff. This is a compilation of eight volcanoes running along the western arm of the Great eastern African rift valley and is shared among the 3 countries of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. Three of these volcanoes are active volcanoes with the most active Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira found in Virunga national park. Nyiragongo last erupted in 2021 leaving havoc in its path in the city of Goma.

Where to find the mountain gorillas in DR Congo

Although it’s a highly active volcano, Mount Nyiragongo is endowed with the blessing of harbouring some of the last surviving mountain gorillas on earth. These reside on its lower volcanic slopes and can be accessed by trekking through its lush montane forests. The experience is undoubted one of Congo’s best tourists experiences a guest can enjoy while in the country. This is topped up usually with a hike to the top of Mount Nyiragongo to view the world’s largest active lava lake and jaw-dropping views of its surrounding area.

Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the most expensive tourism experiences a guest can have on an African safari. This can be easily seen in the countries of Rwanda and Uganda which also offer this same experience. However, the Democratic Republic of Congo changed the trend by offering budget but excellent gorilla trekking packages. The country offers its gorilla trekking package at 400 US dollars, unlike its counterparts where Uganda charges 700 US dollars and Rwanda at 1500 US tee dollars.

Visitors should realize that there’s a huge difference between cheap and budget gorilla trekking. In this case, budget gorilla trekking in Congo means guests can enjoy this awesome priceless adventure at an affordable rate and good quality. While under cheap gorilla trekking visitors can have gorilla trekking but with greatly low-quality services from accommodation, guiding to mention a few. This would make the experience uncomfortable and unpleasurable taking away the essence of gorilla trekking of being a memorable and exhilarating experience.

When to go gorilla trekking in Congo

Gorilla trekking in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a year-round activity. This implies interested visitors can visit Virunga national park in any given month to have a taste of this grand experience. However, it’s also important to note that even though gorilla trekking is an all-year-round activity, a few months are more recommended than others for a wholesome experience. These are the months of December to January and June to early August.

These are the drier months and make the trekking experience a lot easier by providing cooler temperatures, drier trails for trekking, and clearer opportunities for great photo shoots. The rain period offers guests on the other side advantages of enjoying gorilla trekking more privately as fewer guests travel during this period giving you more privacy with the gorillas.

Other activities you can enjoy while on a budget gorilla trekking experience are Mount Nyiragongo hiking, birding, and chimpanzee tracking in Virunga national park. The hike to the summit of Nyiragongo gives you majestic views of the largest lava lake in Africa on top of views of the beautiful Lake Kivu and the far-off Virunga ranges. While for devoted birders the park has offered 706 bird species to explore including Albertine endemics such as the Rwenzori turaco and Rwenzori batis.

All these plus more exciting activities can be enjoyed on a budget gorilla trekking in Congo enabling a budget guest to have a chance to relish the same tourism experiences as a luxury traveler could get but at an affordable package. The Democratic Republic of Congo has over the years through consistent effort gradually become an awesome tourism destination by ensuring peace for its guests and initiatives like the budget gorilla trekking. This has seen it rise in the ranks in African countries to visit over the decade.

Book your budget gorilla trekking permit in Congo and get ready to experience an adventure of a lifetime.