Country: Rwanda
Destination: Kigali, Congo Nile Trail and Lake Kivu
Overview
This 7 Days Congo Nile Trail hiking and Lake Kivu adventure tour, 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. In addition to the beautiful hike, you will enjoy a coffee tour, as well as boat rides on Lake Kivu. 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, boat 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 7days trip, we shall go with the option of walking across the Congo Nile trail and wind up our tour, with boat transfer from Kibuye to Gisenyi.
Trip Highlights
- Congo Nile Trail Hiking
- Community experience
- Boat ride on Lake Kivu
- 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, 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: Boat ride on Lake Kivu and departure
Day Itinerary
As usual, wake up and have breakfast, your boat will be ready waiting for you by the lake. You will later get on board, and set off for a wonderful boat transfer from Kibuye – Gisenyi, exploring the beautiful Lake Kivu, which rewards you with the overview of Congo. The boat transfer takes roughly 2 hours. You will reach Gisenyi, meet your guide, who will transfer you to Kigali with an en route lunch. On reaching Kigali, you will either transfer to your hotel or airport for your evening flight. 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
- Kigali city tour
- En-route lunches
- Community experience
- 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