6 Days Ngila Classic

6 Days Ngila Classic : Six days in Virunga, including three mountain gorilla climbs and an overnight walk to Mount Nyiragongo, make up the six-day Ngila Classic. The last mountain gorillas in the world are found only in a select few national parks, including Virunga. A significant portion of the volcanic eruptions in Africa are thought to have been caused by the still-active summit of Nyiragongo.

Day 1: Drive from Kigali to Bukima. 

On the first day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic. Your driving guide will pick you up to begin your 6-day safari in Kigali at the pre-arranged pick-up location and time, preferably by 8 am. To get to the Goma Grande Barrier border building to check in and receive your permits for the following day’s activities, you must travel six hours from Kigali.

You will go in a vehicle with the Virunga security crew to the Bukima ranger post, where your hotel is located, after all protocol has been followed. After checking in, you’ll eat a late lunch and unwind while you wait for night to fall. The first night will be spent at Ngila Lodge after dinner is served.

Day 2: Mountain gorillas trekking in Virunga national park.

On the second day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic. Get up early to see the dawn, eat a quick breakfast, grab your packed lunch, and then find your driver-guide, who will be waiting to take you to the Bukima ranger post where the briefing for the walk is delivered. Find the mountain gorillas in the jungle and spend the permitted hour with them just before leaving the park to get your lunch boxes.

Drive back to your hotel to spend the remainder of the evening at leisure while you wait for dinner to be served at Ngila Lodge.

Day 3: Second mountain gorilla trek.

On the third day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic. Wake up early in the morning and be served with a hearty breakfast. And get ready for a second chance to encounter mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park, get up early. Grab your packed lunch at the lodge before heading back to the Bukima ranger post for the pre-tour briefing. Drive with your driver guide. Depending on how far into the forest the gorillas are, set out on a 2- to 5-hour journey through the jungle.

Virunga National Park

After your hike, leave the park and return to your lodge. Spend the evening there as you want, perhaps reading a book or engaging in an activity like visiting a community project. Make sure to arrive back before it gets dark so you can have dinner and spend the night at Ngila Lodge again.

Day 4: Third mountain gorilla trek.

On the fourth day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic. Wake up early in the morning and be served with breakfast. After breakfast, you will leave the park early the next morning in anticipation of your third opportunity to see a mountain gorilla family. Participate in the pre-tour briefing before following the rangers into the forest.

After the gorilla hike, have a break at the lodge as you wait for dinner before driving to your hotel for lunch. Evening dinner and accommodation at Mikeno Lodge

Day 5: Hike up Mount Nyiragongo.

On the fourth day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic. Wake up early in the morning and have breakfast. After breakfast, your driver guide will be there to take you to Kibati Ranger Post, where the Nyiragongo walk begins. You’ll spend roughly 6 hours hiking uphill with 2 breaks before reaching the summit in the early evening.

On a clear night, take in the sunset from the top while watching the lights of Goma illuminate the night from a distance. The Nyiragongo top will be where you eat and spend the night.

Day 6: Connect back to Kigali.

On the fifth day of the 6 Days Ngila Classic.  Just before you start your descend back to the volcanoes trailhead, eat a straightforward Congolese breakfast. You can choose to be dropped off at your hotel or the Kigali international airport by your driver guide, who will be waiting to transport you back to Kigali.

You can opt to add on a visit to Tchegera Island to cool off from the trip.

End of the 6 Days Ngila Classic