Congo Gorilla Tracking Expedition

Virunga National Park, DRC · DRC

Challenging7 daysAfrica~£2,800 est.

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Overview

An hour with a habituated gorilla family in Virunga is the same electric privilege as in Rwanda next door, at a fraction of the permit price - and with a rawness Rwanda polished away long ago. Rangers walk you into the Mikeno sector's forest until, suddenly, a silverback is browsing an arm's length away, infants tumbling through the vegetation around him. The park's other headline, Nyiragongo, lost its famous lava lake in the 2021 eruption; the lake has been slowly rebuilding since, and the brutal, spectacular crater-rim climb reopens only as conditions allow. Be honest with yourself about risk before you book. Eastern DRC's security situation shifts month to month, and Virunga has suspended tourism repeatedly in recent years - sometimes for long stretches. Book only through the park's official channels, follow FCDO advice, treat any itinerary as provisional until the week you travel, and carry comprehensive medical and evacuation cover. Logistics run via Goma, usually crossed on foot from Gisenyi in Rwanda. Around £2,800 covers a week with a gorilla permit (about US$400), park lodges and transfers - money that funds the bravest conservation project in Africa.