Mount Mikeno

Mount Mikeno

Mount Mikeno : The Virunga Conservation Area is made up of eight Volcanoes. Mountain Mikeno is among the dormant ones with just three out of eight still active.

It is located in the Virunga national park along with Nyiragongo, Nyamulangira, Karisimbi and Bisoke. Mikeno means “poor” is so named due to its harsh slopes.

Location

It’s In the Democratic Republic of Congo and stands at 4,437. Mikeno lies completely in the Virunga National Park and is home to the Mountain Gorillas that inhabit its fertile slopes.

Getting there

Getting to the mountain Mikeno is easy if you use the Kigali airport. The mountain is not far from the Rwanda-Congo Boarder and since the country is large the driving distances within can be long. Its just about 3-4 hours from Kigali to this Mountain.

Most tourists fly into the Kigali international airport and take a 3-hour taxi ride to the border crossing at Gisenyi, Rwanda.

International flights often arrive in the evening, so we recommend spending the night in Kigali and leaving for Virunga the next morning.

Most Kigali hotels will arrange an airport pick up for a small additional charge. Taxis typically charge $100-$120 from Kigali to the border.

Hotels can arrange the taxi for you. Domestic airlines in the DRC fly into Goma, but the airport is not up to international standards.

Please note: A Visa and Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Climate

The best time to visit this mountain is December to Feb and June to August but this being a tropical area you would expect it to rain anytime of the day so be on the watch. You must carry rain gear at all times

The temperatures at the base are ideal all year round, thanks to the altitude. In Goma (1500m), Musanze (1800m) and Kisoro (2050m), they range between 20°C and 28°C during the day, and 10°C and 15°C at night.