Best of The Congo Nile Trail Rwanda 2024 | Map, Activities, & Gear
The Congo Nile trail is a 227km trail starting in the northern shores of Gisenyi , passing through Lake Kivu and ends in the southern shores of Rusizi district. Despite its name, the trail doesn’t pass through Congo or anywhere near the Nile River but it is named after the watershed that lies in between Nile River and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congo Nile trail is one of the best and longest biking trail in East Africa preferred by biking enthusiasts to Rwanda. It is featured with different stunning scenery, taking you through different rolling hills of Rwanda, local villages, different tea and banana , small towns, local markets, plantations beaches of Lake Kivu, fishing villages, waterfalls, farms Nyungwe forest National park and so much more making it one of the best ways of exploring and experiencing Rwanda’s natural beauty.
Travelers can navigate through the trail either on foot, car, motorbike or by cycling. Each form comes with a different unique experience but for a more immersive and adventurous experience, we recommend walking or cycling though they seem tiring, they are very rewarding because they draw you close to the natural beauty and the local people.
It takes 5 days to cycle through the trail and 10 days on foot. It is very challenging and rare to complete the within 0ne or two days cycling, therefore it can be completed in different sections. Rainy seasons make the trail very challenging to navigate through as some parts of it become flooded, muddy and slippery therefore travelers are advised to take note of these seasons.
Rwanda Development Board offers free maps to its visitors to guide them while on this adventurous activity. These maps clearly indicate time and distance covered between different sections on the trail, they also show different physical attractions expected to be encountered, different landscapes to maneuver through, small towns to get supplies, lodges, hotels and camping sites to hold you in comfort during the course of your journey.
A traveler from Rwanda planning to embark on the trail, he/she will need a map, personal supplies, a guide and a porter for the best experience. A first time visitor to Rwanda is advised to use the services of a local tour operator so that he has everything well arranged before your arrival.
Travelers should note that the Congo Nile trail is featured with different challenging terrains, filled with ups and downs, taking you from dusty roads, to rocky and hilly areas, narrow to shallow trails, crossing different junctions and joining different roads used by the locals. Therefore travelers should take caution by ensuring their safety and the well being of others they meet on the roads.
How to get to the starting point of the Congo Nile Trail
Traveling from Kigali to Gisenyi, the starting point of the Congo Nile trail , is approximately a 4 hour drive, covering a distance 0f about 155km. It can be accessed using public means of transport or a private car arranged by a tour operator to drop you at the starting point then pick you up when you are done. The journey from the finishing point back to Kigali is much longer covering a distance of about 242 km in 5 hours.
Renting or Purchasing a bike
Traveling with a personal bike as an international traveler is costly and inconveniencing therefore you may need to buy or hire one from different outlets in Kigali or at Gisenyi. The Congo Nile trail requires a durable and a strong mountain to get over it as it is a long distance covered featured with different challenging terrains.
We recommend a mountain bike, which is in a perfect condition and must come with essential spare parts like a pump and tire patches.
Levels of difficult on the Congo Nile trail
Walking or cycling along the trails demands a reasonable level of fitness and one needs to be a good mountain biker for the best experience.
However, you can take your time and decide to complete the trail in sections depending on your level of fitness.
You can rest as much as you wish, make stop over at captivating spots, relax and refresh, swim, have boat rides along lake Kivu, take pictures, wander off to the local markets, engage with the locals, try to make it as fun as you can for a relaxation and the best immersive experience.
How to get water and food along the trail
The Congo Nile trail was well planned, passing through trading centers, local markets and major villages availing adventurers with lots of options on where to get food, water and snacks. All they have to do is to have enough pocket money on them to pay off for the food supplies and other basic necessities like medical fees in case of an emergency.
Accommodations along the Trail
The trail is equipped with a variety of accommodations ranging from hotels, lodges to camping sites suiting all travelers budget needs.
Some visitors can decide to camp near schools, villages or worship centers that’s it if they are equipped with the camping gear.
The Rwanda development board has also tried to build several camping sites along the trail to accommodate the adventurers during the course of their cycling or walking safari.
They are well equipped with the tents and washrooms and can easily be traced by help of different signposts put on the trail. A traveler will only need his personal items inclusive of bedding so that he enjoys a night at these camp sites.
Some budget accommodations along the Congo Nile trail include Moriah Hill Hotel, Cormoran lodge, paradise in Gisenyi and Lake Kivu Serena hotel.
Traveler Gear for the Congo Nile Trail
This is for the travelers planning to cycle or walk through the trail which is going to take them a number of days. They have to be well prepared and equipped for a perfect adventurous experience and below are some of the essential items that they should think of adding to their Congo Nile trail gear;
- A good breathable dust mask
- Light and comfortable biking shoes
- A pair of strong biking gloves
- A biking suit
- An helmet
- Sun glasses
- Camera
- Portable first aid kit
- A bike pump and extra bike tire
- Energetic snacks and fresh drinking water
- A bike headlamp
- Personal items like clothing, body oils, toothpaste, towels, sleeping bags, among others
Combining the Congo Nile trail with other adventurous activities;
Besides cycling along the trail, a traveler may decide to make it more fun by combining the trail with other different adventurous activities which can be done before or after the congo Nile trail. Some of these include;
- Cultural encounters at Iby’iwacu cultural village
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National park
- Golden monkey tracking
- Chimpanzee tracking at Nyungwe forest.
- Visiting the tombs of Dian Fossey
- Visiting Karisoke Research center
- Exploring Kigali Genocide Memorial center
- Hiking Mount Karisimbi or Mount Bisoke
- Game drives and birding at Akagera National Park
Map of the Congo Nile Trail
