How to get to Virunga National Park
One of the sites in the globe where tourists get the chance to go trekking with some of the last remaining mountain gorillas is Virunga National Park. There are just three nations in the world where mountain gorillas are still in existence. These include Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Mgahinga gorilla park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in Congo.
The earliest national park on the African continent is Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, founded in 1925. The national park covers an area of 8090 square kilometers and is situated in the eastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was declared a national park in an effort to safeguard the area’s critically endangered fauna, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, and the highly sought-after Okapi species, among other animals.
The best ways for visitors to reach the Virunga Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are via the air or road transport. Road travelers who choose to visit the national park have better possibilities to take in the stunning beauty of the Congo during the journey.
By air
One can fly to Kigali International Airport and drive from Kigali airport to Virunga National Park through Gisenyi and cross the border to Goma and continue to Virunga. This will take about 4 hours’ drive.
Travelers can as well fly directly to Goma international airport in DR Congo using Ethiopia airways, Kenya Airways among others. There are direct flights from Entebbe and Kigali International airports to Goma. From Goma to Virunga national park its 32km and one can be transferred to the park by trusted tour operators like adventure in the wild safaris.
By road
Tourists in southwest Uganda who want to prolong their trip to the Virunga National Park can spend the night in Kisoro and then travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo via Bunagana border the next day. From Bunagana to Bukima the park headquarters is approximately 4 and half hours’ drive.
Lastly, visitors can travel to Virunga National Park via boat from Bukavu. Speed boats can cover the distance in about 2-3 hours, whilst conventional boats need about 3–4 hours to travel the length of Lake Kivu.
Popular Safaris
- 10 Days Kibale Forest Chimp Trek
- 15 Days Kibale Primates Safari
- 20 Days Unique Primates Of Kibale
- 8 Days Chimps & Red Tail Monkey
- 7 Days Kibale Birding In The Forest
- 25 Days Colobus Monkey Kibale
All About Kibale
- History Of The Park
- Things To Do
- Places To See
- Getting There