The Perfect 9 Days Congo Nile Trail and Nyungwe Tour Itinerary
The 9-day Congo Nile Trail and Nyungwe Tour traverses the Congo Nile Trail, a trail that runs along Lake Kivu from Rubavu to Rutsiro via the Karongi and Nyamasheke districts and ends in Rutsizi District. 227 kilometers (141 miles) of breathtaking scenery, including undulating terrain and clear water. The entire journey can be accomplished in ten days. However, if travelers do not have the opportunity to complete the entire trail, the trip can be completed in sections. Trails provide breathtaking views of the Lake Kivu coastline and provide intrepid tourists with a thrilling way to explore Rwanda.
Bikepacking the Congo Nile Trail: Kibuye to Gisenyi
Itinerary Details: Congo Nile Trail and Nyungwe
Day 1: Kigali City Tour
When you arrive at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda, one of our tour guides will meet you and convey you to your hotel. Have a briefing regarding your trip to the land of a thousand peaks.
Day 2: Kigali – Rubavu
Have breakfast at the Hotel; Transportation from your Kigali hotel. Take a City Tour of Kigali that includes the Genocide Memorial, a somber reminder of the 1994 massacre of innocents. Afternoon journey to Rubavu, circumnavigating Lake Kivu. Spend the night at the Soeurs Benedictrides Guesthouse Drive to Rubavu city, which is located on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu, the largest of the lakes that occupy the valleys of Rwanda. Upon arrival in Rubavu city, you check into your hotel and embark on an afternoon tour of the city.
Day 3: Gisenyi – Rwinyoni ( Kimbiri )
After an early breakfast at our hotel and a pre-departure briefing by your guide, you will make your first trek overland to the village of Rwinyoni, northwest of Lake Kivu, for the beginning of an extraordinary four-day adventure. From this location, you can experience the sun’s majesty on the lake’s shore. When we reach Kimbiri, we will take a short walk to the village to explore its environs.
Day 4: Rwinyoni – Kinunu
This morning, you can walk for two hours to reach the renowned fishing village of Nkora. From this vantage point, you can view the surrounding area, including fishermen returning from nighttime fishing and children playing in the lake. The path then leads to tea and banana plantations; we reach our lodging at 1:00 p.m. After lunch, we will conduct a guided tour of the Kinunu washing station, where you will have your first taste of coffee. Overnight at The Senators Guest house in Kinunu
Day 5: Kinunu – Congo Nile via Musasa
Today, you will walk for eight hours along Lake Kivu, interact with the locals, take in the views and banana plantations, and visit the renowned Kinunu Catholic Church. Stop for a picnic by the lake en route to the coffee cleansing station in the village of Bwimana Musasa. At 17:00, a 4×4 vehicle will convey you to Congo Nile for the night.
Day 6: Congo Nile to Rubengera Junction
That day, you will rise early because you will have to travel for at least seven hours to reach the Rubengera junction, following the path between the community’s fields and climbing the trail to the main road leading to Rubengera. At the bitumen Rubengera intersection, the best option is to reach the city center of Kibuye. We take public conveyance to Kibuye. This day concludes four days of trekking and hiking. Stay at the Hotel Bethany.
Day 7: Kibuye – Nyungwe
Inside Africa – Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park
After breakfast, we’ll take you to Nyungwe National Park to do the canopy walk.
Day 8: Chimpanzee and Waterfall
We will go on a chimpanzee trip in the jungle very early in the morning. After lunch, we’ll hike to a waterfall, and then we’ll return to your guest house.
Day 9: Departure to Kigali
Return to Kigali in the morning after breakfast, stopping in at the Butare Ethnographic Museum en route.
End of the 9 Days Congo Nile Trail and Nyungwe Tour