Virunga national park accommodates the "big three" great apes, such as endangered mountain gorillas, eastern lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees. Due to its unique landscape, Virunga National Park also protects other wildlife species such as lions, waterbucks, hippos, topis, kobs, forest elephants, buffalos, and antelopes, among others. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Virunga National Park protects over 218 mammal species, 22 primate species, 109 reptile species, 78 amphibian species, and 706 species of birds, of which 24 are endemic to Virunga National Park, such as herons, openbills, egrets, ibis, shoebills, ducks, skimmers, geese, cormorants, ospreys, francolins, and gulls. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

Mountain gorilla trekking 

Gorilla trekking is the best-done activity at Virunga national park as well as offering a great deal of reach diversified products. Virunga national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, and Volcanoes national park feature a total number of 480 mountain gorillas left in the world.

Virunga national park has over eight mountain gorilla families all habituated for trekking, ranging from the Kabirizi which is the biggest gorilla family with a total of 32 individuals while other gorilla families include; Rugendo gorilla family, Manyaga gorilla family, Mapuwa gorilla family, Lulengo gorilla family among others.

Trekking gorillas is so unique compared to any tourism activities, gorilla trekking starts in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations of the trek, a maximum of 8 members per group per gorilla family that take a time range of I hour to 4 hours daily depending on the location of the gorilla group, gorilla trekking in Congo cost $400 per person which is affordable.

Chimpanzee habituation

Just like gorilla trekking, Chimp Habituation is another dope thrilling tourism activity at Virunga National park. Chimpanzee trekking was pioneered by renowned zoologist Frank Frumpfirt, and it fosters a strong bond between humans and chimps because they were trained to become accustomed to human presence in their natural environment each time they are visited. The chimp habituation experience is unique in that it only allows a maximum of four people per group at a cost of $100 and allows them to spend four hours with the chimp family.

Hike to Nyiragongo peak

Although hiking to Africa's most active Nyiragongo volcano offers spectacular encounters to many mountaineers worldwide due to boiling lava within its lava lake at the peak, Virunga national park is not only blessed with wildlife species experiences. Hiking volcano takes about 24 people per group per day at a cost of $300. Virunga National Park’s other activities include nature walks and bird watching.

Virunga National Park is situated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the most evocative African gorilla safari destination, and the iconic features await travelers as they explore these vast landscapes, including impressive sightings of mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, the famous Nyiragongo volcano, and chimpanzees, among others.

 Virunga National park is the former “Albert National Park” that is classified for its magnificent tropical Rain forest, as well as for being among Africa’s first national parks. Virunga National Park occupies approximately 7800 square kilometers and is situated in the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo that extends from the Virunga chained mountains that are set in the southward and mountain Rwenzori in the northward. Virunga National Park borders Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda.

 Virunga National Park safari is a rewarding, one-of-a-kind outdoor experience that offers untouched tropical rainforest, golden monkeys, eastern chimpanzees, hiking trails, mountain gorillas, bird species, wildlife species, and wonderful ecological information that is important to the world.

Virunga National Park protects other important concentrations of wildlife species that are notable in the forest, such as forest elephants, lions, Okapi, buffaloes, Thomas kobs, and the largest population of hippopotamuses in Africa, with more than 20,000 individuals concentrated along the shores of Lake Edward, Bwindi, Rutshuru, and the River Semliki.

Virunga National park can be accessed by road transport, Air transport, and Water transport as one of the best ways to explore this African’s treasured national park. If you are pressed for time, one day at Virunga National park can cheer every traveler with a glimpse of untouched experiences waiting to be explored.