The best time to visit Congo for tourists on East African safaris is during the dry months however, this travel destination remains open to visitors year-round. In this blog, you are to find out the best time to travel to Congo.

Before we go any further, I can’t forget to tell you that the Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the countries in Africa that receive the highest precipitation. The mentioned shouldn’t deter you from undertaking Congo tours because we are going to guide you about when to visit Congo for safaris, especially for Congo gorilla trekking safaris in Virunga National Park and Nyiragongo hiking adventures.

The fact that DR Congo experiences an Equatorial climate, it’s warm all year round and humidity levels are high as well. Congo’s annual weather forecast can be divided into four seasons: a long rainy season from October to December; a short dry season from January to February; a short rainy season from March to April; and a long dry season from May to September.

Being a vast country (2,345,409 km²) almost the size of Western Europe, Congo’s weather differs from region to region. Let’s focus on the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where prominent attractions and safari destinations- (Virunga National Park, Kahuzi Beiga National Park, and Nyiragongo volcano) are situated.

Guide on the best time to Visit Congo for travelers on Congo tours mostly those interested in tracking mountain gorillas and climbing Nyiragongo volcano;

Best Time to Travel to Congo- Month to Month Guide

Although Congo safari tours are open to visitors year-round, below we are going to find out the weather conditions in each month. By the end of this Congo travel blog, you’ll know the best time to visit DR Congo.

Traveling to Congo in March and April

During the months of March and April, DR Congo experiences a short wet season. Around these months in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it can rain almost every day. Even though it rains a lot, temperatures are always warm the fact Congo experiences an equatorial climate.

This time is ideal for budget gorilla trekking in Congo. Safari lodges are not so busy and therefore, most of the accommodation facilities give discounts to the few tourists in the country. Furthermore, if you visit at this time, most national parks in DRC are not as crowded as they can be during the busy season.

Remember to pack things that will work in wet weather, for instance, a rain jacket and waterproof hiking boots.

Traveling to DR Congo in May to July

In DR Congo, May is the first month of the long dry season. This is thought to be the best time to visit Congo to see Mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park or tracking Eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park. Nyiragongo hiking expeditions are also great since the hiking trails are dry and rains are minimal.

When you visit Congo from May to July, game viewing in savannah national parks like Odzala-Kokoua National Park and Garamba National Park is great. In the thin grass, you can easily spot wild animals.

May to July offer a rewarding experience for gorilla trekking in Congo and even hiking Mount Nyiragongo. The temperatures are normally pleasant and minimal rainfall is expected in most hours of the day unlike those in wet months.

According to weather conditions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, July is the hottest and driest month of the year.

Going for Congo Safari Tours from August to October

In the Congo, August is the busiest month, and it’s also the dry season. During this time, DRC stays pretty cool. Most travel destinations in Congo such as Odzala National Park, Kahuzi Beiga National Park as well as Virunga National Park in the eastern part of the country are dry. Therefore, it’s always easy to see wildlife without weather insolvencies including rainfall.

According to the Congo weather, September is the first month of spring. It might rain in this month, even though the long wet season doesn’t start until October.

The long wet season in DR Congo starts in October and lasts until the end of December. Most regions with tropical rainforests and other parts of the country receive rainfall. If you want to undertake Congo safari holidays during this time, plan well, considering some rainfall showers.

In the forests, October is a great month to go birding because you can often see; green pigeons grey parrots, & great blue turacos.

Visit Congo in November and December

DR Congo gets a lot of rain in November. The rainy season is over, but the summer rains are still going strong. Many people don’t think this is the best time to visit Congo unless you want to hike through the dense rainforests in the rain and mud on a gorilla adventure.

December is the start of summer in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This month is warm and receives slight rainfall. As December ends, there is a gradual decrease in rainfall, making way for a more dry start to the new year.

More to know about Congo Safari Tours

The Best Things to Do in Congo By Tourists

After deciding on when to visit Congo for a safari holiday, you should also find out some of the notable tourist activities in this country.

These are the most amazing things to do in the Congo Africa;

1. Hiking Mount Nyiragongo in Virunga National Park

Mount Nyiragongo Volcano is an active volcano with a boiling lava lake on its summit. An African safari in DR Congo without climbing Nyiragongo volcano (3,470m above sea level) is a great miss.

Congo Mount Nyiragongo hiking expeditions usually take 2 days. Travelers climb the volcano on the first day and spend the night in the shelters on the summit. The intention of spending a night at the wonderful summit of Mt Nyiragongo is to witness the breathtaking glowing views of the boiling lava in the crater at night.

While at the summit of Nyiragongo Mountain, you’ll view the magnificent views of most of the Virunga Mountain ranges including the active Mount Nyamuragira nearby.

Permits for hiking Mount Nyiragongo costs US$300 and the best time to visit Congo Mount Nyiragongo volcano is in the dry season.

2. Tracking Mountain Gorillas in Congo Virunga National Park

Mountain gorilla trekking in Virunga National Park is the main reason why most travelers come for Congo tours in East Africa. While on this stimulating adventure, you’ll get a chance to spend one hour with these majestic and cool giants in the misty jangle.

The endangered Mountain gorillas live in amazing family groups and each gorilla family is led by a dominant silverback which protects the family from any invasion.

It’s possible to go mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda but, tracking gorillas in Congo Virunga Park is cheaper. The permit for a gorilla trek in DR Congo is US$400.

3. Track Eastern Lowland Gorillas in Kahuzi Biega National Park

Eastern lowland gorilla trekking in Congo Kahuzi Biega National Park offers a similar wildlife viewing experience to mountain gorilla trekking.

Lowland gorillas dwell in lowland tropical rainforests and appear bigger than the mountain gorillas. If you have time and enough money, you can do both mountain gorilla trekking and lowland gorilla trekking expeditions to compare these two gorilla species.

Along the gorilla trek, always have an open eye to spot other wildlife species in the park such as primate species and colorful birds.

4. Visit Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage

Senkwekwe is the only gorilla sanctuary on Earth. This gorilla orphanage center can be visited free of charge by guests at Mikeno Lodge.

Over 7 gorillas live at Congo’s Senkwenkwe gorilla orphanage center. Most of them were brought after losing their parents by poachers.

The orphanage was named after the Senkwenkwe silverback gorilla, who was murdered by poachers while protecting his family and freeing a wildlife trafficker-held child.

Visitors on Congo wildlife excursions can see monkeys and birds like the African grey parrot because the center is in a forest. Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage has no Western lowland gorillas. The finest place to see or track western lowland gorillas in Congo is the Odzala Kokoua National Park.

Other tourist safari activities in the Congo

• Boat cruise on the Congo River
• Explore Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary
• Reach out to the National Museum of Kinshasa
• Try out local food and cuisines
• Explore Lwiro chimpanzee sanctuary

Safari Packing List for Congo Holiday Tours

Since you have now understood the best time to visit Congo, it’s time now to know the items you should travel with for a successful safari tour in Congo.

A summary of the African safari packing list in the Democratic Republic of Congo;

1. Safari hiking boots
2. Warm jumper
3. Rain jacket
4. Camera for taking photos
5. Personal items including towel, toothbrush, plus sanitary pads if you’re a lady
6. Travel documents ( a passport, and yellow visa card)
7. Insect repellants
8. Flashlight
9. Adaptors for charging
10. A safari day pack bag
11. Friendly safari clothes- mostly long trousers and long-sleeved shirts are liked during the gorilla trekking expeditions.
12. Sun protection jears- (sunhat, sunglasses as well as sunscreens)

The summary of the best time to travel to Congo Africa! From the discussion in this Congo safari blog about when to visit Congo, we can say that the dry months offer the best gorilla trekking and hiking experience in Virunga National Park. Months of December as well as January and February are the best months to visit Congo.

For more details about the best time to visit DR Congo, email the friendly team of Prime Safaris and Tours.