Our DR Congo holidays & tours
Art Deco buildings in Bukavu; gaseous waters at Lake Kivu; and climbs up the side of Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most active volcanoes: our Democratic Republic of Congo holidays are full of unexpected encounters. There’s no finer example than Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a haven for the world’s rarest animals, including eastern lowland gorillas. On our holidays, the money you put into national parks and permits for gorilla tracking makes all the difference towards wildlife conservation. But our holidays also focus on people, and thanks to longstanding relationships with communities, and our use of local guides, porters, drivers and boat operators, we can ensure your visit with tribal communities here is mutually rewarding.
Congo River Expedition, DRC
Join a pioneering boat trip down the Congo River
From
£8245
4 weeks
ex flights
Democratic Republic of Congo tour
Encounter gorillas, chimps and meet pygmies on Idjwi island.
From
£5699 to £5899
14 days
ex flights
Trans Africa overland expedition, 23 weeks
Overland camping adventure: Gibraltar,West Africa to Cape Town
From
£7995 to £8495
164 days
ex flights
Complete Africa overland expedition, 47 weeks
The ultimate Trans African overland camping adventure
From
£10995
300 days
ex flights
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
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DRC map & highlights
It’s tricky to know where to start on a country of this size, but conveniently, most of DRC’s highlights are clustered along its eastern edge, bordering Uganda and Rwanda. This means that you don’t need to contemplate travelling across this vast state, and also means you can get here easily from Kigali, the Rwandan capital. Kigali is around a four to five hour drive from Goma, which is the gateway to Virunga National Park, home to habituated mountain gorillas, chimps and Nyiragongo Volcano. Just south of Goma is Lake Kivu – an attraction in its own right, as well as being the best way to reach Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Western DRC, meanwhile, has little tourist infrastructure, but who needs roads and hotels when you can cruise up the Congo River, sleeping on board a cosy wooden boat?
1.
Congo River
2. Kahuzi-Biega National Park
3. Kinshasa
4. Lake Kivu
5. Nyiragongo Volcano
6. Virunga National Park
2. Kahuzi-Biega National Park
3. Kinshasa
4. Lake Kivu
5. Nyiragongo Volcano
6. Virunga National Park
Congo River
1. Congo River
This mighty river carries more water than any other on the continent, and stretches, in an enormous arc, 4,370km from source to mouth, crossing the equator twice. A cruise will take you upriver from Mbandaka to Kisangani, pausing at villages that see few if any western visitors, navigating the widest section (20km) at Bumba, and passing through Yangambi Biosphere Reserve. The full voyage takes a month, or opt for half the route.
Kahuzi-Biega National Park
2. Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Named after two dormant volcanoes that slumber within its 6,000km2 of forest, this national park protects mountains, rainforest, bamboo forest, marshland and rivers, providing rich habitat for a huge variety of wildlife. Eastern lowland gorillas are its most famous inhabitants and the largest gorilla species; you can track them in the rainforest. Chimps live here too, along with bush elephants, buffalo, hippo and bush babies.
Kinshasa
3. Kinshasa
DRC’s capital is often bypassed on tours, but Africa’s third largest city, with over 11 million inhabitants, gives an important insight into urban Congo, far from the forests and volcanoes of the east. Once called ‘Kin La Belle’, Kinshasa has certainly lost much of its former splendour, but it has a fascinating history, thriving markets and a huge dependence on the Congo River. Don’t miss Lola Ya Bonobo – the world’s only bonobo sanctuary.
Lake Kivu
4. Lake Kivu
Forming the border between DRC and Rwanda, Lake Kivu’s jagged shoreline gives way to dozens of islands. Tiny, c-shaped Tchegera is a stone’s throw from Virunga National Park, and an idyllic place to rest after gorilla tracking. Idjwi is Kivu’s biggest island, and despite its large population, the lack of infrastructure gives it a laidback atmosphere. Meet villagers, head out on the lake with local fishermen and soak up glorious views.
Nyiragongo Volcano
5. Nyiragongo Volcano
This volcano is one of the world’s most active, with a lake of molten lava in its crater. Overnight expeditions can take you to the 3,470m summit. The four to six hour ascent passes through four vegetation zones, and the summit offers astounding views of Goma and the surrounding landscape, plus the lava lake. After a night in a mountain hut on the rim, watch the sun rise between Karisimbi and Visoke Volcanoes.
Virunga National Park
6. Virunga National Park
Some 1,000 mountain gorillas roam the forests of the Virunga Mountains along the borders of DRC, Uganda and Rwanda. Expert trackers will take you into the forest here to spend an hour in the company of a habituated group – a truly magical encounter. You can visit a nearby gorilla rehabilitation project, too. This forest also shelters habituated chimps, so you can track two great apes in one park.
Our Democratic Republic of Congo holidays reviews
5
1Democratic Republic of Congo holidays reviews
Debra Allen19 Aug 2019
The Congo River Expedition the was the most memorable part of the holiday. read more
