Destination: Rwanda
Places: Congo Nile Trail & Nyungwe Forest National Park
Overview
The 6 days – 5 nights cross countryside Rwanda Congo Nile Trail hike, rewards you with a great African authentic experience of Rwanda, with a great hiking adventure across the rural community settings, under the guidance of a local community guide, who knows the village routes, 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. In addition to the beautiful hike, you will enjoy a coffee tour, waterfall hike and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park. The 227km trail passes along 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 6 days trip, we shall go with the option of walking across the Congo Nile trail, whereby we shall cut the hike short, by only doing the 4 days hike, with 3 nights along the trail and combine it with a night in Nyungwe forest. For those seeking for more Congo Nile Trail adventure, can look at our 10 days Rwanda primate and Congo Nile trail hike.
Trip Highlights
- Congo Nile Trail Hiking
- Community experience
- Waterfalls hike
- Canopy walk
- Coffee tour
- Cultural experience
- Kigali Genocide Memorial
- 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 and transfer to Nyungwe for Canopy walk
Day Itinerary
Have an early morning 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 however, cut your hike short today, meet your drive guide who will transfer you to Nyungwe, catch up with lunch and later head for a canopy walk experience in the forest of Nyungwe, on a 70 meter’s suspended metallic bridge, which is roughly 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 6: Waterfalls hike in Nyungwe forest and transfer to Kigali
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, head for a waterfall hike, which rewards you with a beautiful nature walk in the Nyungwe forest, where you will be able to spot a number of primates as well as bird species. You will visit the waterfalls’, as you explore the trails. Later return and drive for lunch. After lunch, you jump into your jeep and find your way to Kigali, 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