Cycle the Congo Nile Trail
Overview
Get ready to pedal your way through one of Africa’s most scenic cycling routes – the Congo Nile Trail. This adventure will take you along the stunning shores of Lake Kivu, through lush green hills, past tea and coffee plantations, and into local villages where you’ll experience Rwanda’s rich culture firsthand.
The journey starts with a visit to Kigali’s Genocide Memorial and a tour of the vibrant Nyamirambo Women’s Centre before heading to Gisenyi, the gateway to the Congo Nile Trail. Over the next few days, you’ll cycle through picturesque landscapes, meet local farmers, and learn about coffee production, all while soaking in the beauty of Rwanda’s “Land of a Thousand Hills.”
But it’s not all about cycling. You’ll also kayak on Lake Kivu, hike through tea plantations, and even track the famous chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park. Whether it’s watching the sunset over the lake, chatting with friendly locals, or taking a dip in the hot springs, this trip combines adventure, culture, and stunning landscapes for a truly unique Rwandan experience.
Whether you’re an avid cyclist or just looking for a new way to explore, the Congo Nile Trail offers something for everyone, including plenty of off-the-bike moments to connect with the heart and soul of Rwanda.
What's Included?
- Airport Transfers & Private Local Transport
- Expert Local Guides
- 10 Nights' in Hotels & Guesthouses
- Daily Breakfast & 10 Dinners
- Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe National Park
- Kayaking on Lake Kivu
- Kigali City Tour & Genocide Memorial Visit
- Nyamirambo Women’s Centre Community Tour
- Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park
- All Park Fees & Permits
- And Loads More!
- International Flights
- Travel Insurance
- Soft Drinks, Alcohol or Drinking Water
- Tips for Guides
- Personal Equipment & Clothing
- Souvenirs
Trip Highlights
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Kigali & Genocide Memorial: A powerful start that helps you understand Rwanda’s past and the incredible resilience of its people. It’s an emotional and important stop before hitting the trail.
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Cycling the Congo Nile Trail: A thrilling ride through Rwanda’s ever-changing landscapes—pedal past banana plantations, lakeside trails, and rolling hills. Along the way, expect spontaneous encounters with locals who might wave you over for a chat or even a cup of tea.
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Lake Kivu: After days in the saddle, the calm waters of Lake Kivu offer the perfect escape. Paddle through the bays, visit fishing villages, and relax in the hot springs—ideal for sore muscles.
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Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe: One of the last mountain rainforests in Africa. You’ll hear the hoots and calls of the chimpanzees before spotting them, swinging through the treetops and playing in the forest below.
Nyamirambo Women’s Centre: Meet and support local women, explore their community, and shop for handmade crafts that support literacy and empowerment initiatives.
Daily Itinerary
As you land in Kigali, you’ll quickly understand why Rwanda is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills.” Settle into your hotel and enjoy a traditional Rwandan dinner with your guide. Get ready for the adventure ahead!
Meals included Dinner
We'll start at the Genocide Memorial for a powerful reminder of Rwanda's history - an important and emotional visit that sets the stage for understanding the country’s incredible resilience. In the afternoon, head to the vibrant Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, a community project that empowers women through literacy classes, sewing programs, and guided tours. All profits go back into the local community. Don’t miss the chance to shop for beautiful, handmade crafts.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Start your day with a glass of fresh milk at one of Kigali’s popular milk bars - milk is a big deal here! After fueling up, hit the road toward Gisenyi, passing through lush plantations of coffee, tea, and bananas. Take in the stunning scenery as you drive to the majestic shores of Lake Kivu. Settle in for the night at your lakeside hotel, where you can watch the fishermen sing as they head out for a night of fishing on Lake Kivu.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Spend the day on Lake Kivu, paddling through serene bays and visiting local fishing villages. Relax at the hot springs, then cap off the day with the fishermen returning from a night on the water. The perfect way to prepare for hitting the road tomorrow!
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Saddle up for your first full day of biking, covering 41km along the lakeshore. You’ll pass Nkora fishing village, where you can stop to see traditional fishing boats in action and kids playing by the water. Expect stunning lake views as you ride through coffee and banana plantations.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Today’s route takes you through banana plantations and up into the hills, with a visit to Musasa’s coffee washing station. You’ll cross the Koko River before reaching Bumba, which sits at around 2000m in altitude. The ride covers 29km and takes about 6 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Spend about 6 hours in the saddle today, biking through community fields and plantations. The terrain is more forgiving, and the views of rolling hills are spectacular. After reaching the Rubengera asphalt junction, enjoy a smooth descent into Kibuye.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Take a picnic and visit the famous islands on Lake Kivu, including Napoleon Island. Afterward, witness the fun spectacle of cows swimming before transferring to Nyungwe for an afternoon canopy walk through the jungle. Suspended high above the forest floor, this walk offers a bird’s-eye view of the treetops, where you might spot primates like colobus monkeys, along with a host of bird species.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today is all about the chimpanzees! Wake up early and set off for your chimpanzee trekking adventure in Nyungwe Forest. You’ll likely hear them before you see them - hoots and calls echoing through the trees. Once you find them, spend an unforgettable hour watching these fascinating primates swing through the trees and interact with each other. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for other monkey species like golden monkeys and blue monkeys, as well as a variety of forest birds. Afterward, relax back at the lodge or take an optional nature walk to soak in the beautiful surroundings.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
As you make your way to the King’s Palace in Nyanza, prepare for a step back in time. The palace itself is a stunning example of traditional domed architecture, but the real stars here are the royal cows. Known for their impressive long horns, these cows are treated like royalty, with their caretakers singing to them in a way that keeps them calm and docile. It’s a fascinating glimpse into Rwandan royal traditions, and you’ll even get the chance to be crowned as a king or queen for a moment - perfect for a memorable photo op!
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After breakfast, we’ll take you to the airport for your departure. Hopefully, your bum has recovered from 3 days in the saddle in time for the return flight, but we hope you’ve had an unforgettable adventure in Rwanda. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another Earth Dog Travel experience - maybe on foot next time?
Meals included: Breakfast
Where We'll Stay
We’ve taken on the tough task of staying at some of the best hotels and guesthouses around the world to hand-pick those that we think you’ll love. For this trip, we‘ve carefully selected a range of accommodation options, offering a mix of locally-owned guesthouses and scenic hotels that we’re sure you’ll love.
In Kigali, you’ll be staying in a centrally located hotel that provides a relaxing escape from the city’s vibrant energy. As we venture along the Congo Nile Trail, you’ll find yourself in welcoming guesthouses in rural villages, where the warmth of the local hospitality will make you feel at home. By the shores of Lake Kivu, you’ll enjoy peaceful lakeside retreats, the perfect place to unwind after a day of cycling. And in Nyungwe National Park, you’ll be close to nature, surrounded by stunning views of the rainforest and all the tranquility that comes with it.
While we can’t promise the exact accommodations each night, we can guarantee that every place will be clean, comfortable, and ready to welcome you after your day of adventure.
Calendar & Price
Like the sound of this trip, have a question or want to check something before you book? Maybe even have a great idea to customise this itinerary? Get in touch and start your adventure!
Interactive Route Map
Check out the interactive map of this trip below. You can simply zoom in and have a look at the route.
Or, if you’re wanting to get a feel for the route or to dive into the daily details then click on any of the steps and you’ll be redirected to our Polarsteps page.
What is Polarsteps?
We’ve loaded all of our itineraries onto Polarsteps. It’s an app that can help you plan, track and relive your travels. We’ve used it to display our trips in all their glory but anyone can easily create on-the-go mementos of their adventures.
Carbon Emissions
This trip emits approximately 416 kg of carbon per person. This includes emissions from accommodation, transport, food, activities, and the operations behind the scenes to run the trip.
What does this mean?
This is roughly equivalent to driving a typical petrol car about 1,330 miles.
It’s similar to the carbon emissions from heating an average UK home with a gas boiler for about 19 days during winter.
Our Approach
We are mindful of the environmental impact of travel and are committed to supporting conservation efforts in Rwanda. By choosing this itinerary, you contribute to community projects and wildlife conservation initiatives that aim to preserve the country’s unique natural heritage. This carbon estimate helps you make informed choices about your travel footprint and consider ways to offset it responsibly.
More Information
What's the fitness level required for this trip?
We grade all of our trips to try and make it easy to understand the fitness levels required. These are broad guidelines however so you’re welcome to chat to us about any specific concerns you might have.
You’ll find more information about these levels here and you can find the difficulty rating for this specific trip at the top of the page.
Is travel insurance mandatory?
Yes, it is. We run adventurous trips and it’s mandatory that you have suitable travel insurance in place to cover overseas medical treatment as well as evacuation or repatriation.
We can’t recommend which provider you use but the main things we’d encourage you to look out for is that you’re fully covered for the activities you’re taking part in (i.e., covers you up to the altitude you’ll be trekking at) and that it covers cancellation in the event that illness or other circumstances prevent you from travelling.
How much should I tip in Rwanda?
Tips are not included in any of our trips. They are entirely discretionary but in most cases are expected by the teams that will be looking after you. We know it can be daunting to work out exactly what to give so whilst this guideline hopefully helps, please remember that it’s a completely personal choice and you should feel free to tip more or less based on the quality of service that you receive.
Trekking Guide: $10-20 USD per day
Porters or Support Staff: $5 USD per day
Drivers: $10 USD per day
Again, tipping is not compulsory and please only do so if the service you’ve received warrants it. It’s hugely appreciated and a way for the teams looking after you to supplement their income.
How do I find out which hotels, meals and activities are included?
Unfortunately we can’t provide an exhaustive list of everything included in the ‘What’s Included’ section of this page as we include a whole bunch of stuff on our trips!
If it’s in the itinerary and we’ve not explicitly said that it’s an optional activity, then yes – it’s almost certainly included. If you’re not sure, please ask.
The meals that are included are all listed on the daily itinerary.
For the accommodation, we’ve got a shortlist of properties that we use. You can get a sense of the types of accommodation we use higher up the page in the ‘Where We’ll Stay’ section. We cannot guarantee any specific properties for your trip as it’s based on availability. If you are wanting to specifically request a property then please get in touch as we’re able to customise our trips.
Which airport do I need to fly into and out of for my trip to Rwanda?
Kigali International Airport (KGL) is the only airport for trips starting and finishing in Rwanda.
What are your payment terms and is my booking financially protected?
Yes, absolutely. Here’s a link to where you can read more about how we are an ABTOT member and have an ATOL licence and what this means for your financial protection when booking a trip with us.
Deposits vary from destination to destination and from trip to trip. Generally speaking we require a deposit of 25%. This amount may be higher for certain trips where more services that usual need to be booked and paid for in advance (such as gorilla permits in Rwanda). Deposits are non-refundable.
Balance payments are required up to 70 days prior to travel.
If you need to cancel your booking, the following fees will apply based on the time before your scheduled departure:
- Immediate loss of deposit (25% of total cost) upon cancellation.
- 50% of the total cost if cancelled after the balance is paid and up to 45 days before departure.
- 75% of the total cost if cancelled 30 to 45 days before departure.
- 100% of the total cost if cancelled within 30 days of departure.
These fees compensate for expenses and bookings made on your behalf in anticipation of your trip.
Can I customise this trip in any way?
- adding in extra days or cutting out a day here or there;
- squeezing in other destinations or removing them;
- starting or finishing the trip in a different place;
- staying in a hotel or guesthouse that we don’t list as an option.
What if someone under the minimum age wants to travel?
It might not be an issue. Some destinations such as Rwanda have firm rules in place about how old people should be in order to visit the gorillas. In other destinations it’s more of a guideline.
Please do contact us and we’ll be happy to help.
What information will I receive after I book?
After you book, we’ll get to work confirming that the dates you’ve selected are completely available.
There are extremely rare circumstances that may mean we’re unable to confirm your booking. These circumstances are limited to events beyond our control or not being able to secure the services that you wanted to book.
In the extremely rare event that we’re unable to confirm your booking you will be offered an alternative itinerary or a full refund without any fees. Please do not book any non-changeable travel plans until you receive the confirmation from us. This will be within 72 hours.
A detailed Trip Dossier will then be sent to you after you make your booking. It’ll contain all the information you might need to help you pack and get prepared for your trip, including information on visas, vaccinations, packing and training.
We encourage you to refer to the UK Government’s official travel advisory service when planning your trips. You can find the FCDO advice here.
And when you travel, we work closely with local experts to put together the best itineraries. We’ve worked with them exhaustively to provide safe adventures at great value. They know their destination better than we ever could so you’ll be in good hands! You can read a bit more about why we will only ever have locally-led trips here.
Book Now
Whether you’d like more information about this itinerary or to customise it to exactly what you want to do, drop us a line and let us know your plans!
