Destination: Rwanda
Places: Congo Nile Trail & Nyungwe Forest National Park
Overview
The 10 days Rwanda Congo Nile Trail hike, rewards you with a great African authentic experience of Rwanda, with a great hiking adventure across the rural setting, under the guidance of a local community guide, who knows the village, as the back of his palm. The experience is magical, and this trail can as well be done on bike, and this takes roughly 5 days of biking. On addition to the beautiful hike, you will enjoy a coffee tour, chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park, along with museum visits. The 227km trail passes alongside Lake Kivu on Rwanda’s soil, from Gisenyi to Rusizi, strolling along the hills and valleys that Rwanda is known for. Travelers have four options of completing the trail – by car, motorcycle, bike and walking. Each method has its own advantages. Walking and biking may be tiring but are the best ways of completing the trail. On this 10 days trip, we shall go with the option of walking across the Congo Nile trail.
Trip Highlights
- Congo Nile Trail Hiking
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Community experience
- Boat ride on Lake Kivu
- Canopy walk
- Kigali genocide memorial
- Coffee tour
- Cultural experience
- Kigali city tour
Day 1: Kigali City Tour and transfer to Gisenyi
Day Itinerary
Today, after having your breakfast in your hotel in Kigali, you will be met by our guide at your hotel in Kigali, later head for the Kigali city tour, where, you will visit Nyamirambo area, explore the area on foot, get to know about the livelihood the people, visit the Belgium museum, and later catch up with lunch and head to Kigali genocide memorial ground, before transfer to Gisenyi, where you will spend the overnight, as you prepare for you Congo Nile trail hike. Your local guide will meet you this evening, and share with you a short briefing on what to park, so as to prepare you for the hike. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation: Inzu lodge
Meal: Lunch & dinner
Day 2: Hike to Cymbiri
Day Itinerary
Today, have breakfast, park light for the hike, ready to explore the Congo Nile, meet you hiking local guide, who will share with you a short briefing, about the Congo Nile hiking and later drive off to the starting point, where you will later, start your hike to Cymbiri and start to explore the Congo Nile trail, as you stroll around the local community areas, meet the locals and children who will occasionally wave at you, with a smile. Today you will cover roughly 18km. Relax at your guest house and share some stories with your guide, as he becomes your hiking companion. The first Congo Nile Trail base camp is a church-built guesthouse on the sand beach of Cyimbiri.
Distance from Gisenyi: 18 km
Accommodation: Cymbiri Guest House
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3: Hike to Kinunu
Day Itinerary
Wake up and have your breakfast, grab your back bag and set off, for a superb hiking adventure, with a great opportunity to explore the banana gardens and tea estates. You’ll pass a small fishing market, Maziba, and continue through some coffee plantations on the path to the second base camp in Kinunu. You will be able to visit the coffee gardens and learn about crop to cup coffee experience. The coffee tour rewards you with more knowledge of the coffee farming, from seedling to processing, as you will later enjoy a taste of Rwandan coffee. You can as well be able to buy yourself some packed coffee beans, to carry home with you. You will continue with your hike to your next stop over, as your local guide explains to you, whatever you encounter on the way.
Distance from Cymbiri: 15 km
Accommodation: Kinunu Guest House
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4: Hike to Bumba
Day Itinerary
The hike continues, as today, you will wake up so early, as you continue to explore the trail, with a beautiful view of Lake Kivu, and on a clear day, you can as well view the Congo side, which gave birth to the trail name. There is so much to meet and learn from, as you interact with your guide, get to know and understand the local community and the countryside of Rwanda. You will know much about the life of the local community, as you stroll and visit their homes, along the trails. Bumba is another basic place but the beautiful stunning views are something else! You will be able to admire the bay of Kibuye/Karongi, and plot new adventures as this one is about to end. The view will leave your mind blown away, with a cool breath.
Distance from Kinunu: 29 km
Accommodation: Bumba Guest House
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 5: Hike to Kibuye
Day Itinerary
Have breakfast, on time, meet your guide and descend down to the lake level, proceed with your hike to Kibuye, which is 17 Km away from Bumba with a beautiful view of Lake Kivu and Congo view from a distance. View of the 3 fishermen boats. You will have an afternoon boat ride on Lake Kivu, to explore numerous islands here along the way, which is roughly 2 hour’s boat ride. You will as well take a nature walk on Napoleon Island, and later return and head to your lodge, for dinner and overnight.
Distance from Bumba: 17 km
Accommodation: Bethany Hotel
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 6: Hike to Mugonero
Day Itinerary
Wake up early, have breakfast, and set off early, as you have another long day hike. Sorghum experience, along the way as you explore this area. Just like any other day, you will enjoy endless stories, and if you like local fruits like yellow bananas, pineapples, and sugarcane, your guide will be able to arrange for you a stopover for a bite.
Distance from Kibuye: 22 km
Accommodation: L’ Esperance Orphanage Guest House
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 7: Hike to Karengera
Day Itinerary
As usual, wake up and have breakfast, hit the road, as you hike around the village. Explore the village on foot safari to your next destination, enjoying the real African authentic village experience.
Distance from Mugonero: 16/ 20 km
Accommodation: Peace Guest House
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 8: Hike to Kumbya
Day Itinerary
You’re winding it down today, so you will meet your guide, after breakfast, and later set off, with a beautiful view of the tea gardens. You will be at your last point. Your driver guide will later meet you, and drive you to your accommodation in Gisakura close to the park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Distance from Mugonero: 14km
Accommodation: Gisakura Visitor Center
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day Itinerary
Today, you will head for chimpanzee trekking at Nyungwe National Park. An hour, will be allocated with the chimpanzees, where an hour will be allocated with you, upon finding the chimpanzees and later you will return and have lunch before heading for canopy walk, experience in the forest of Nyungwe, on a 70 meter’s suspended metallic bridge, which is rough 2 hour’s experience. After the canopy walk, you will return and transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation: Gisakura Visitor Center
Meal: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 10: Transfer to Kigali
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, you jump into your jeep and find your way to Kigali, with an en route visit to King Palace museum, and Ethnographic museum, and you will reach Kigali in the afternoon, drop at your hotel. End of service!.
Meal Plan: Breakfast & lunch.
This safari package includes.
- Transportation in a 4×4 Jeep safari vehicle
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- Service of the hiking local guide
- En route tour
- Coffee experience
- Boat ride on Lake Kivu
- Chimpanzee permit
- Museum visit
- Kigali city tour
- Canopy walk
- En-route lunches
- Soft drink during the meal
- Services of an English speaking driver/ guide.
- Bottles of mineral water during safari
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like:
- Visa Fees & flights
- Optional activities
- Tips & gratuities
- Laundry
- Alcoholic drinks
- International vaccinations
- Health test requirements
- Porter fees while trekking
- Personal travel Insurance
- Personal shopping bills
- Phone call bills
- Extras while at the hotel
- Items of personal nature