Virunga National Park is located in Eastern DRC on the border with Uganda and Rwanda covering an area of 7,800 sq km.
To enter into Democratic Republic of Congo on your gorilla trekking safari to Virunga National Park, you must have DRC visa, passport and yellow fever vaccination card.
DRC is accessible by both air travels with fly in charter planes from Rwanda to Goma airport for those who have limited time but still want to do gorilla trekking in DRC. There are also connecting flights from Entebbe to Goma airport in DRC.
Road trips from Rwanda go through the Gisenyi border post where tourists are verified and registered from and later continue to Goma city. Alternatively, tourists can access Virunga National Park via southwestern Uganda at Bunagana border post.
By Road
The Southern part can be accessed through Uganda on Bunagana border which is easy to cross and a one hour drive will be enough to usher you on gorilla tracking of Jomba and Bikenge gorilla families.
The park can also be accessed overland through Rwanda crossing via Gisenyi/Goma border which is also very easy to cross. The visa entry has to be pre-arranged with the Virunga National Park.
By Air
The park can also be accessed by air through Goma Airport. You will fly into Goma from Kinshasha or Entebbe and this is near the park. The Visa also has to be prearranged.
International Airline Travel
Most tourists fly into the Kigali international airport and take a 3-hour taxi ride to the border crossing at Gisenyi, Rwanda. International flights often arrive in the evening; you can spend a night in Kigali and leaving for Virunga the next morning. Most Kigali hotels will arrange an airport pick up for a small additional charge. Taxis typically charge $100-$120 from Kigali to the border. Hotels can arrange the taxi for you. Domestic airlines in the DRC fly into Goma, but the airport is not up to international standards.
Please note: A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Transportation to and from Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park is offering one-way and round trip transportation for the following locations. You can also find transportation options specific to the various lodging and activities from within their booking pages. All pricing reflects per seat booking.
Goma – Bukima
Goma – Kibati (Nyiragongo volcano)
Goma – Mikeno Lodge
Bukima – Mikeno
Bukima – Kibati (Nyiragongo Volcano)
Bukima – Bunagana
Kibati (Nyiragongo) – Bunagana
Kibati (Nyiragongo) – Mikeno Lodge
Mikeno lodge – Matebe
Mikeno lodge – Bunagana
Bunagana – Jomba
Goma – Tchegera Boat Pick-up
Kibati (Nyiragongo volcano) – Tchegera Island
Tchegera Island – Mikeno Lodge
Tchegera Island – Bukima Camp