In this article, we present the top things to do in North Kivu. North Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is home to Virunga National Park, the Africa’s old and most biodiverse national park.
1. Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Mountain Gorillas trekking comes first on the list. Mountain Gorillas are human closest relative sharing 98% of our DNA. They are a little bit more than 1000 and are found only in DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. To book the mountain trekking as one of your things to do in North Kivu, you need a reliable tour operator. The gorilla permit is around 400$, the experience comes with two compulsory nights in Virunga National park accommodation (400$ per night).
The experience in Virunga National Park comes one in a lifetime. Thousands of visitors come from all around the world to experience these great apes. The fact that Congo is not a population destination make it special as most of the time you will have the entire gorilla family for yourself.
2. Nyiragongo Volcano Hike
Second to mountain gorillas in your things to do in North Kivu comes the Nyiragongo volcano experience. Nyiragongo volcano is a stratovolcano located in eastern Congo. It boats the world’s largest lava lake. It is in Virunga National Park. To book an experience at Nyiragongo, you need to turn to a reliable tour operator. It takes 5 challenging hours to get to the summit of Nyiragongo Volcano, upon arrival at the rim of the Volcano you will enjoy the charming lava lake. The Volcano permit cost 356$ including accommodation at the summit.
3. Rwenzoris Mountains
The Rwenzori Mountains is a massif previously called the Ruwenzori Range (spelling changed around 1980 to conform more closely with the local name Rwenjura). It is a mountain range of eastern equatorial Africa. Rwenzori Mountains are located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These mountains support glaciers and are one source of the Nile river.
This is the most interesting hiking destination and Africa’s most beautiful mountain areas coming number three on the things to do in North Kivu. The Rwenzori mountains harbours 70 mammal species, 217 bird species and occupied with beautiful waterfalls, unique plat life, mountainous vegetation, snow fields and a couple of glaciers including Mt Stanley, Mt Gessi, Mt Baker, etc. A trusted tour operator like Kwafrika Travel will provide you some equipment necessary for the climb. Equipment like crampons, ropes, harnesses, carabinas, you need to bring good hiking boots, warm clothing warm sleeping bag, and rain gear. Sleeping bags are available for hire.
4. Ishango
Ishango is the place where the Ishango bone was discovered by the Belgian explorer Jean de Heinzelin in 1960. The bone was found among the remains of a small community that fished and gathered in this area of Africa. The Ishango bone is a possible mathematical object dated to the Uper Paleolithic and proof that mathematic as a science may have originated from Congo. Ishango is located at the shore of Lake Eduard around 300 Km away from Goma. It is an historic place but scarcely visited due to security concerns.
The experience is always coupled with a boat cruise on Lake Eduard. In the cruise, you will enjoy wildlife like Crocodile, Hippopotamus, hawks, heron,… Kwafrika Travel has started recolonizing the place with domestic visitors with a plan to roll it out to international visitors too. The place comes number 4 in the things to do in North Kivu province.
5. Goma Town
The city of Goma is an iconic city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cleanest city in the country, Goma is recognized as the tourist capital of the Congo. In an experience of the city, you will have the chance to visit 3 lakes in and around the city. The three lakes are lake Kivu, Black Lake and Green Lake. In your visit, you will have the chance to visit the lava irruption points of the Nyiragongo Volcano during the eruption of January 2002. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to visit the expanses of volcanic stones. As you mingle with locals while visiting markets, you might decide to go end the tour at Tchegera Islands. Tchegera islands is an iconic island located in the west of the City. It is an ideal place to escape from the noises and traffic jams in Goma.
If you decide to spend the night on the island, you will be in awe of the evening view of the two active volcanoes of Virunga National Park, including Volcan Nyiragongo and Volcano Nyamulagira. You will therefore see the red light and the rushes of smoke emanating from the craters of these respective volcanoes. The experience is not the least even if it comes last in the things to do in North Kivu. A reliable tour operator can organize the Goma city experience for you. It is an option for budget travelers not surpassing 350$.
