5 Days Great Ape Package
Welcome to the 5 Days Great Ape Package. The Great Ape trip is one of our numerous Virunga National Park packages and involves two Gorilla trekking tours and a single Chimpanzee habituation tour. It is conclusive that this safari offers the rare opportunity of coming face to face with two Great Ape species that call this outstanding Protected Area home.
This short trip is only five days but what you will see in these few days is unexplainable and worthwhile. There are four amazing nights in the Great Ape Package, the first being at the swanky Mikeno Lodge, the second at Ngila, and the last two nights at Mikeno Lodge. Expect double gorilla trekking tours and the Chimpanzee Habituation Tour that begins/ends in Goma Town.
Day 1: Goma Town to Virunga National Park, via Grande Barriere Border crossing
Grand entry into Grande Barriere Border Crossing by 11:00 am to finalize check-in at Virunga Tourism Office in an hour. This Office is strategically situated within this Border crossing building, adjacent to the passport Control office. Your gorilla trekking and Nyiragongo climbing permits will be provided by the tourism staff and will be required to be presented before embarking on each of the hikes. This is followed by a transfer to the swanky Mikeno Lodge for a cold bath and hot meal before relaxing.
Day 2: The First Virunga Gorilla Trek, from Bukima Ranger Post
Following a mouth-watering breakfast, you will leave for Bukima Ranger Post and on arrival, meet the experienced and enthusiastic Ranger guides. Be briefed on the guidelines to be followed before embarking on actual gorilla treks. This adventure calls for 1-3 hours of committed hiking, depending on the movement of the gorilla family being trekked as well as the level of terrain difficulty. Having spent the allocated one hour watching and taking photos, get back to the Bukima Ranger post. Later on, continue to check-in at Ngila Lodge for lunch then spend the remainder of the day leisure-touring the Park’s Bamboo project, birding, and guided walks
Day 3: Second Virunga Gorilla Trek, from Bukima Ranger Post
Like the first Virunga Gorilla trek, this day begins with a briefing by Park guides and allocation into a gorilla family (this time you will trek with another family). The actual trek starts at 8:30 am and is finalized by photography and watching of these giant Apes. A hefty lunch awaits you at Ngila Lodge, after which get transferred to Mikeno Lodge where you will spend the last two nights. Relax with an interesting activity of your choice.
Day 4: The Chimpanzee Habituation Trek at Mahura Forest
Early morning you will head out for the guided chimpanzee trekking tour that allows you to join a team of expert searchers in habituating the troop of these Great Apes living in Mahura Forest, enclosing Rumangabo Park Headquarters. Get back to the Lodge for brunch and later spend some quality and unforgettable time with the young gorillas of Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage or better still enjoy reading a book at the Lodge Lounge.
Day 5: Transfer to Goma Town, from Virunga National Park
After your last breakfast for this Park and safari, join the private safari driver for a transfer back to Goma Town, then be dropped off at Grande Barriere Border Crossing. This marks the end of our5 Days Great Ape Package.
A detailed introduction to 5 Days Great Ape Package
5 Days Great Ape Package is best understood as more than a name on an itinerary. It is a practical way to experience D.R. Congo through gorilla trekking, supported by local guiding and enough time to notice a guided forest trek and a carefully managed encounter with habituated gorillas. The page above explains the central subject; this planning section adds the decisions that turn that information into a workable trip. Travellers should think about the season, the length of each transfer, the amount of activity they enjoy, the standard of accommodation they prefer and how much unstructured time they want. A good plan protects the quality of the experience without making the journey feel rigid. In D.R. Congo, conditions can change between regions even during the same journey, so a route should be checked as a complete sequence rather than as a list of separate attractions. Start with the experience that matters most, then build transport, rest and secondary visits around it. That approach keeps 5 Days Great Ape Package rewarding for first-time visitors, experienced safari travellers, couples, families and private groups with different interests. For independent protected-area and conservation context, consult Virunga National Park travel updates, UNESCO’s Bwindi overview, IUCN mountain gorilla conservation information and confirm operational details again near the travel date.
How to plan the timing and route
Timing for 5 Days Great Ape Package is not only a question of choosing a month. It also involves arrival time, road or flight connections, permit availability where controlled activities are included, and the realistic pace of each day. Dry periods can make some roads and trails easier, while greener months may bring dramatic skies, fresh vegetation and fewer visitors in certain areas. Rain can occur in any season, particularly around forests and highlands, so flexibility remains useful. A local planner should confirm current park rules and access before final payment because official conditions can change. Use the Congo safari collection to compare journeys in the same region, then review the complete safari collection if you may want to combine countries. Arriving a night before a major trek or long game-drive day is often more comfortable than connecting directly from an international flight. When the route covers several borders, build in sensible buffers and avoid treating every transfer as guaranteed to take the shortest possible time.
What the experience may feel like
The character of 5 Days Great Ape Package comes from a guided forest trek and a carefully managed encounter with habituated gorillas. Some moments are active and focused, while others are quiet: listening to a guide, waiting for wildlife to move, watching light change across the landscape or sharing a meal after a long day. A private journey makes it easier to adjust stops and explanations to the group, although protected-area rules, ranger instructions and safety limits always take priority. Guides read tracks, weather, vegetation, road conditions and animal behaviour, then explain what those clues mean without promising a sighting that nature cannot guarantee. Travellers get more from gorilla trekking when they ask questions and allow time for observation rather than concentrating only on photographs. The route may include early starts, uneven ground or extended drives, depending on the subject, but these can be balanced with breaks and well-placed nights. Browse the signature experiences to see how different activities can complement one another, especially when one person wants primates and another prefers landscapes, birds, culture or classic wildlife.