National park · Bukavu

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, on the western shore of Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, holds a distinction no other protected area on Earth can offer: it is the only place where you can track Grauer's gorillas—the world's largest primate, also called the eastern lowland gorilla—in the wild. Set beneath two dormant volcanoes that lend the park its name, Mount Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Mount Biega (2,790 m), the park was created in 1970 and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 for its Outstanding Universal Value.↗↗↗

Spanning nearly 6,000 km² across three provinces, Kahuzi-Biega shelters an estimated 23% of the planet's remaining Grauer's gorillas, alongside forest elephants, chimpanzees, pangolins, grey parrots and hundreds of endemic bird and plant species. For a traveler willing to venture into the Albertine Rift, it rewards with an encounter that is intimate, rare and genuinely once-in-a-lifetime—followed by volcano hikes and jungle trails that open onto sweeping views of Lake Kivu.↗↗

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National park · Bukavu

Kahuzi-Biega National Park

Bukavu, CD 4.3 (165 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Kahuzi-Biega National Park, on the western shore of Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, holds a distinction no other protected area on Earth can offer: it is the only place where you can track Grauer's gorillas—the world's largest primate, also called the eastern lowland gorilla—in the wild. Set beneath two dormant volcanoes that lend the park its name, Mount Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Mount Biega (2,790 m), the park was created in 1970 and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 for its Outstanding Universal Value.↗↗↗

Spanning nearly 6,000 km² across three provinces, Kahuzi-Biega shelters an estimated 23% of the planet's remaining Grauer's gorillas, alongside forest elephants, chimpanzees, pangolins, grey parrots and hundreds of endemic bird and plant species. For a traveler willing to venture into the Albertine Rift, it rewards with an encounter that is intimate, rare and genuinely once-in-a-lifetime—followed by volcano hikes and jungle trails that open onto sweeping views of Lake Kivu.↗↗

The only place to meet Grauer's gorillas

The heart of any Kahuzi-Biega trip is the gorillas. A handful of families are habituated to human presence—among them the silverback-led Bonane group and the thirteen-member Mpungwe family—while park teams monitor around ten groups each day. Some of the trackers come from the Wambuti Indigenous community and carry an intimate, generational knowledge of the forest that they share with visitors.↗↗

The day begins at the visitor centre at Tshivanga, the park headquarters about 30 km from Bukavu, where you receive a briefing on gorilla behaviour, safety and health rules over breakfast. While trackers set out at dawn to locate the animals, you can take in the scenery from Tshivanga, with views drifting toward Lake Kivu. Once the gorillas' position is confirmed, your trek starts: a short 4x4 drive of 20 minutes to an hour to the trailhead, then a one- to two-hour walk through dense, vivid rainforest. When you finally catch sight of a silverback or young gorillas playing behind a curtain of foliage, you spend a maximum of one hour quietly observing their family life.↗

This is not a manufactured attraction. Kahuzi-Biega was the world's first park to offer gorilla trekking, back in the 1970s, and visits are kept strictly to protect a critically endangered species—no more than eight people per group per day, masks worn in the animals' presence, and a firm one-hour limit. The restraint is part of what makes the moment feel so special.↗↗

Volcanoes, jungle trails and Lake Kivu views

Beyond the primates, the park's two extinct volcanoes are the other great draw. Climbers can ascend the summits of Kahuzi and Biega for extraordinary panoramas over vast tracts of forest, ridgelines and the shimmering water of Lake Kivu beyond. The terrain is wonderfully varied: high-altitude rainforest gives way to bamboo thickets, swampy peat bogs and waterfalls, stitched together by a network of trails.↗↗

For a deeper immersion, you can spend a night camping in the park to soak up the sounds of the jungle, or turn out early for birding among the Albertine Rift's hundreds of species. On the trekking walks themselves, look up as well as down: colourful birds, small primates and a remarkable diversity of vegetation reward patient eyes, and the journey through the forest is every bit part of the experience.↗↗

Getting there from Bukavu

The park's headquarters and main tourist area at Tshivanga sit roughly 30–40 km west of Bukavu, about a one- to one-and-a-half-hour drive from this lakeside city, the capital of South Kivu. The most common route heads toward Kavumu Airport and turns left at Miti, continuing straight to the visitor centre.↗↗

Many visitors arrive through Rwanda, crossing at Cyangugu (Kamembe) via the Ruzizi I or Ruzizi II border posts; the road from Kigali takes around 5 to 7 hours. From Goma in North Kivu, allow 5 to 6 hours along the difficult but spectacular track that hugs Lake Kivu, or take a speedboat (about 3 hours) or slower ferry between the two towns. The nearest international gateways are Goma, Kigali and Kamembe in Rwanda and Bujumbura in Burundi, with domestic flights landing at Kavumu north of Bukavu. Helicopters can also fly directly into Tshivanga for those who want to save time and enjoy the view from above.↗↗

Bukavu itself, perched on the border with Rwanda and right on the lake, offers a useful base: a choice of hotels and restaurants, lakeside relaxation, and a famously warm, lively and welcoming local spirit before or after you head into the forest.↗

When to go and what to expect

The climate is tropical with high humidity, temperatures ranging roughly from 15°C to 30°C and cooling noticeably with altitude. The park sees two rainy seasons (the long March-to-May rains and a shorter spell from September to December) and two drier windows—January to February and June to August. The best time to track gorillas is often cited as mid-December to mid-June, when their favourite lianas, leaves and fruit are plentiful, though the dry season is also good and the forest is, of course, green and atmospheric year-round.↗

Be aware that this is eastern DR Congo, a region with a long and complex conservation history: the park was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1997 following decades of conflict, and it remains a place where tourism directly supports rangers, the Wambuti community and the surrounding villages. Check current security and travel advisories before you set out, and let the park's own team help coordinate your visit; in exceptional circumstances activities may pause, but confirmed reservations are typically rescheduled without penalty.↗↗

Planning a gorilla trek

The single most important step is securing a gorilla trekking permit well in advance—demand is high and slots are genuinely limited, with only around sixteen permits available each day across the two habituated families. The park's booking office in Bukavu (190 Avenue Patrice Emery Lumumba, Nyawera) can arrange everything, and permits are commonly quoted at around US$450, though you should confirm current pricing directly with the park before travelling.↗↗

Health and entry rules matter here. All visitors must be vaccinated against yellow fever, measles, polio and COVID-19 (or sign a declaration), have their temperature checked on the day, and wear a mask near the gorillas; anyone showing signs of illness will be turned back to protect the animals, who are highly susceptible to human disease. Trekking the gorillas is restricted to visitors aged 15 and over, while volcano hikes are open to children from age 10 with an accompanying adult.↗

For entry, the park can arrange a 14-day tourist visa (around US$100) via a letter of invitation, obtained by submitting visitor and application forms ahead of your crossing at the Rwandan-Congolese border—note that a CEPGL travel permit alone is not sufficient. In the park, US dollars (bills of $5 or more, dated 2017 or later and in good condition), euros, Congolese francs and mobile money are accepted, so bring clean, recent dollar notes for the border.↗

What makes it special

01

The only place in the world to track Grauer's gorillas—the largest primate on Earth—in the wild.↗↗

02

A UNESCO World Heritage Site named for two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi (3,308 m) and Mount Biega (2,790 m).↗↗

03

Volcano climbs, jungle trails, bamboo forests, waterfalls and camping all open onto views of Lake Kivu.↗

04

Roughly 30–40 km and about an hour and a half from Bukavu, making an accessible gateway into Central Africa's rainforest.↗↗

A little planning goes a long way

Book your gorilla permit months ahead—only about sixteen are available per day across the two habituated families, and dry-season dates fill fastest.↗
Wear sturdy boots or Wellington boots for steep, muddy forest trails, plus long sleeves, long pants and high socks; neutral colours help you blend into the vegetation.↗↗
Bring a raincoat or poncho, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, at least a litre of water and a snack; flash photography is prohibited, so set your camera before you approach.↗↗
Carry clean, recent US dollar bills (2017 or later, $5 or more, undamaged) for the border and park payments.↗
Take malaria prophylaxis on a doctor's advice and use repellent regularly—malaria is present across the park.↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

Find your way

Tshivanga, Quartier général, Bukavu, Congo - Kinshasa

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Opening hours +

As reported by Google Maps. Confirm holiday hours before you go.

Friday: Open 24 hours
Monday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours

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