Hike Nyiragongo Volcano

Safari summary

Lakes of hot lava are one of the most spectacular forms of volcanic activity, but they are very difficult to see since there are only a few of them in the world at any given time. So, if you want to see a really impressive lava lake, you have only one option left: Nyiragongo.

Lakes of hot lava are one of the most spectacular forms of volcanic activity, but they are very difficult to see since there are only a few of them in the world at any given time. So, if you want to see a really impressive lava lake, you have only one option left: Nyiragongo. Nyiragongo Volcano is located in the east of Congo DRC, at around 19 km from Goma and is the most active volcano in the world. In 1997 and 2002, flows of very liquid lava broke out from cracks in the volcanic slopes. The lava covered 17 km reaching the town of Goma in just a few minutes, killed dozens of people living in refugee camps, and left hundreds of thousands homeless. The eruptions temporarily drained the lava lake in the summit crater while volcanic gases suffocated the heather forests on the upper slopes. Now the forest is recovering, and the wildlife is beginning to return. The climb up to and down from Nyiragongo is strenuous and takes about 4-5 hours in often hot conditions, but the path is relatively easy and not excessively steep; there are a lot of rare birds and small mammals along the trail.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Primate trekking
	Activity level	Moderate activity
	Best months	January, February, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
	Countries	DR Congo
	Parks	Virunga