The gorilla tracking day in Virunga National Park starts after having spent a memorable night at Bukima Tented Camp which sits at the ends of the forest at the starting point for the gorilla trek that offers you a spectacular view of the Virunga Mountains. Or you may opt to have a night at Mikeno Lodge that offers breathtaking views from the hilltop over the sweeping forest plain and it offers a refuge for Sykes monkeys, baboons, Vervet monkeys and a variety of birds that situated inside the Park headquarters at Rumangabo.

After having morning breakfast at either of the two lodges of your choice, you will embark on a briefing point about the dos and don’ts while tracking gorillas. Thereafter you embark on a morning gorilla trek through the tropical rainforest. The distance you walk depends on which gorilla habituated family you are tracking and where it’s found. Good enough there is an advance team of Park rangers that go first and find them and later communicate with your ranger guide through radio call in order to make tracking easier rather than moving without following the right trail which may lead to spending over a day while tracking gorillas. The tracking is adventurous since you pass through forest and you expect to find through different species animals, birds, butterflies, and reptiles along the way.

After finding them, you will have an awe-inspiring hour with them eye to eye at a close distance of about 3 meters. See how they play as young gorillas pumping their chests, mothers tenderly feeding their young ones and watch baby gorillas gleefully play-fighting, somersaulting and leaping from tree to tree in their natural home. You will have an opportunity to take pictures and videos as much as you can as long as the camera flash is off. Thereafter walk back to the lodge for lunch and then in the afternoon, you may opt to relax visit the Senkwekwe gorilla orphanage center or visit a local village. Mountain gorilla tracking in Virunga National Park is done all year round