The Congo Nile Trail
The Congo Nile Trail Adventure
This 1, 2 or 3 day tour is a Rwandan Adventures speciality!
Important information:
• This tour is guided & available to couples, families (from the age of 13) and groups up to 12 people
• Groups with 3 or more people are required to include a support vehicle to carry your luggage
• A boat can be organised to transport you back to Rubavu or onward to your next destination along the lake (if you only want to do 1 day of riding)
• This tour can be done in reverese KIbuye > Kinunu > Rubavu
• Prices may vary depending on extra activities, bike choice (MTB or E-MTB), vehicle hire etc.
• This tour includes physical activity, E-MTB’s are recommended
• This tour is flexible and can be done in 1, 2, 3 or even 4 days, depending on your needs
• Please read our FAQ on the homepage for more information
Day ‘0’ – Your Arrival in Rubavu:
Once at your hotel, we will come to do a meet & greet as well as brief you on the coming day(s).
We also recommend doing a visit to our partners at Young Women Destination, a local cooperative that helps young girls and mothers with healing through artisanry & basketry. You can learn more here: www.the-artisan-lab.com
Hotel: Inzu Lodge / Serena Hotel
Day 1 - Kinunu
Day 1: Rubavu (Gisenyi) > Kinunu
Cycling Distance – 40 kilometres
Surfaces – Dirt roads & paths Duration (incl. breaks) – 4 to 5 hours
Hotel: Kivu Rushel / Kinunu Guest House / Umutuzo Lodge
Enjoy a big breakfast to ensure you’re energised for today’s 5-hour ride to the tiny coffee washing station at Kinunu on the edge of Lake Kivu. Your ride starts at the Rwandan Adventures office beside the brewery set up by the Belgians, using the lake’s methane gas to power the machinery, then onto tiny rural villages where the locals will observe you from a distance with fascination. Stop to take photos and enjoy the local tiny bananas before a freshly cooked lunch with Mama Nelly in the fishing village, Nkora. Just a few more hills until you reach your magical location for the evening, a tiny hotel set on a beach.
Note: if you are doing a 1 day tour, a boat or vehicle arrangements can be made to bring you back to Rubavu or on to your next destination.
Day 2*/3 - Kibuye
Day 7: Kinunu > Rusizi (Kibuye)
Cycling Distance – 61 kilometres
Surfaces – Dirt roads & paths
Duration (incl. breaks) – 4 to 5 hours
Hotel: Rwiza Village / Cormorant Lodge / Cleo Hotel
The second day along the lake is a real challenge, but there are options for easier routes that you can speak to your guide about. Again you are treated to wonderful views and plenty of curious children before beginning the final ride into Kibuye town. This small town is the capital of the province but with numerous bays and the sparkling water rarely out of view, you will feel well-rewarded after your cycling.
Note: The last 15km may be on tarmac road, depending on the weather, before arriving at your hotel.
Day 3/4 - Mugonero
Day 3: Rusizi (Kibuye) > Mugonero
Cycling Distance – 26 kilometres
Surfaces – Dirt roads & paths
Duration (incl. breaks) – 4 hours
Hotel: Esperance Guest House
From Kibuye it is a well beaten track, climbing to over 2000m at times. It runs along the lake and offers awe-inspiring views of the hundreds of islands that stand out against the shimmering surface. Lunch en-route. In the afternoon, pass through many traditional villages until arriving in Mugonero for the night before heading back to Kigali or going on to Nyungwe National Park for canopy walks or birding & chimpanzee treks.
