11 Day Guided Congo Nile Trail Ride, Primate and Volcano Hike Tour Package

Package Overview

African Unique Safaris and Tours have partnered with the famous TEAM RWANDA (Rwandan National Cycling Team) to guide you on a thrilling mix of trail, road cycling, safaris & tours all with a professional from Team Africa Rising leading your rides and our driver/guide and 4WD support vehicle with you all the way.

Our 12-day tour traverses much of The Congo Nile Trail and covers 227km (141 miles) of beautiful landscapes, rolling hills and the clear vast waters of Lake Kivu.

Starting with a warm up ride on the way to Akagera National Park for a Safari, then on to the headquarters of Team Africa Rising and an incredible Gorilla and Golden Monkey Trek in the nearby mountains. Finally, on to the iconic 5 day ride along the Congo Nile Trail Lake Kivu extending from Gisenyi to Kinunu through Kibuye, Kymbya Peninsula and on to Rusizi. After 5 long but inspiring days on The Congo Nile Trail you arrive at the ancient Nyungwe Forest and National Park and a well-deserved rest. Your final adventure is here as you get to trek our closest living relatives the Chimpanzee before ending your journey back in Kigali.

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Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : TRANSFER TO TEAM RWANDA HEADQUARTERS IN MUSANZE. FIT BIKE GEAR AND RIDE TO GISENYI.

  African Unique Safaris and Tours will meet you at the arrivals hall of Kigali International Airport in the morning. Here they will introduce you to your driver/guide and Team Rwanda cycling guide before going over a quick briefing.
  
  We head off immediately on a scenic 2 hour drive to Musanze, Volcanoes National Park and the Africa Rising Cycling Center which is Team Rwanda’s home.
  
  Here we introduce you to any Team Rwanda members onsite and give you a tour of the facility before fitting you with your bike. We will have lunch at Muhabara Hotel where Dian Fossey used to stay and then head off on a 3-hour ride on paved road to the border town of Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. Like most of Rwanda it is hilly but there are more descents on this route as it goes from the Volcanoes Mountains down to the Lake Kivu. You will pass through several interesting trading townships.
  
  On arrival near Gisenyi, we will pack up the bikes and drive you to your hotel of choice on Lake Kivu for dinner and overnight.

• Day 2 : CROSS IN TO DR CONGO AND VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK.

  Take your time to enjoy Lake Kivu and your breakfast at a leisurely pace as we will check out late morning at go to the nearby border crossing. Here your driver/guide from DR Congo will be ready to assist you across and then you will drive through Goma for 20 minutes before a further 90-minute transfer via dirt road to your accommodation of choice in Virunga National Park.

• Day 3 : MOUNTAIN GORILLA TREK

  Today you have a unique and privileged experience to trek and meet at close quarters the rare Mountain Gorilla. There are only around 1000 of these magnificent creatures left in the world with around 327 found in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo.
  
  Early in the morning after breakfast you will transfer to the starting point of the Mountain Gorilla Trek and be introduced to your park ranger and guide. Here you will be briefed on Gorilla ettique and the rules of the encounter before heading off across some farland before entering the rainforest and up the mountain in search of your Gorilla troop.
  
  There are advanced trackers in the forest who can give an indication of where the Gorillas where last seen, however Gorillas are highly nomadic, moving regularly to find new food sources so the trek can take between 2-6 hours depending on their movements.
  
  Once you come across the Gorillas your excitement levels will peak as you spend an hour with them in what is often described as one of the world’s great animal encounter experiences.
  
  After the trek return to your lodge and share stories across the lodge fire on your incredible encounter.

• Day 4 : MT NYIRANGONGO ASCENT AND OVERNIGHT AT CRATER EDGE.

  So many unique once in a lifetime experiences during this tour and climbing the live Volcano Mt Nyiragongo is a highlight.
  
  After breakfast and a relaxing morning, we head off for the ascent starting point which leaves at 11am. The hike is not difficult in terrain but it is 6 hours of ascent which requires good fitness and strong calves and legs. There will be several rest stops along the way you we recommend hiring a local porter to help carry your clothes and refreshment up the mountain. A porter is $25 USD plus tip and well worth it.
  
  You will reach the summit shelters before sundown and first get to take in the magnificent views of the surrounding Virunga’s before making the very short final climb to the craters edge. Looking over the edge in to the large lava lake is stunning and a photographer’s dream.
  
  We’ve included in your package a sleeping bag and food. Dinner will be at the shelters just below the crater’s edge. Remember it’s cold up here so add layers of clothes.

• Day 5 : MT NYIRANGONGO DESCENT. TRANSFER BACK TO GISENYI, RWANDA.

  Breakfast is served at the crater shelters at 7am. Then it’s time for the decent which takes around 4 hours. Most groups arrive back at the starting point by 11am.
  
  Return to your accommodation of choice for a hot shower, lunch and a great rest overlooking Virunga National Park after your strenuous and exciting trek. Then we transfer you back across the border to Gisenyi in preparation for your guided Congo Nile Trail mountain bike legs.

• Day 6 : MOUNTAIN BIKE CONGO TRAIL. GISENYI TO KINUNU - 40kms.

  After breakfast overlooking Lake Kivu we start the first leg of the Congo Nile Trail. The first leg is around 40 kms and will take you along the stunning Lake Kivu and through small villages on your way
  
  to Kinunu. There is a coffee washing station at Kinunu and we will stop for a crop to cup tour before embarking to your accommodation of choice:

• Day 7 : CONGO NAIL TRAIL. KINUNU TO KIBUYE 55 kms

  This is the big kahuna leg. After breakfast begin the 55kms on Mountain bike trail making your way to the picturesque town of Kibuye where you can relax after the hardest day of riding on this tour.
  
  Take a gentle canoe ride as the sunset to relax and wind down if you so choose. The support vehicle is with you all the way in case you want a break or catch a lift.

• Day 8 : CONGO NILE TRAIL. KIBUYE TO MUGENERO - 30kms

  Today we take a ride of 30 kms to MUGENERO.
  
  Here we will check you in to your accommodation of choice. Enjoy the views over Lake Kivu and the local villages.
  
  We have a sun downer organized in the late afternoon on Lake Kivu. Relax and let you imagination take hold as the sun sets of the lake, hills and Democratic Republic of Congo across the way.

• Day 9 : CONGO NILE TRAIL: 34 KMS. MUGONERO TO GISOVU TEA ESTATE AND RETURN. ROAD TRANSFER TO RUSIZI/NYUNGWE

  Your last day on the picturesque Congo Nile trail we take an uphill bike ride to Gisovu Tea Estate. En route we first take a break at Biserero Genocide Memorial. This is one the key memorial sites maintained throughout the country in order to ensure the memory of the tragedy is not forgotten and the same mistakes made once more. Over 40,000 people killed in and around this site are memorialized here.
  
  After this somber tour we ride on up the hills to Gisovu Tea Estate. Here we take lunch before embarking on an interesting tea tour. Tea is Rwanda’s no. 1 export and you will learn about growing, harvesting and production of the tea. Walk among the beautiful rows of tea and interact with the fit pickers.
  
  It’s a downhill 20 kms ride all the way on the way back to Mugonero where we will pack up the bike and drive you to Rusizi, the southern border town which is the gateway to Nyungwe Forest National Park

• Day 10 : CHIMPANZEE TREK & ISUMO WATERFALL TREK

  Wake at 5 am to leave for an exciting Chimpanzee Trek. We have a tea or coffee ready in the morning and pack breakfast for you to have along the way. We reach Nyungwe Park headquarters by 6am in time for the briefing, then we transfer 90 minutes to the starting point of the Chimpanzee Trek.
  
  Along with the Bonobo of Congo this is our closest living relative in the animal kingdom sharing 93% DNA. It may take a few hours trekking to locate the chimpanzees but once you find them the troop is quite large and normally more active than Mountain Gorillas. I’m sure you’ll recognize some behaviors and characters.
  
  After the trek return to your accommodation of choice for lunch and a refresh. In the afternoon you can either rest at your accommodation or we can head back to Nyungwe for a guided trek to Isumo Waterfalls if you didn’t get a chance to complete this yesterday. This track will show off the best parts of this temperate rain-forest and usually you can spot some quite unique and stunning bird-life.
  
  In the late afternoon we return to your accommodation of choice for dinner and overnight.

• Day 11 : NYUNGWE RETURNING TO KIGALI VIA THE HISTORIC TOWN OF BUTARE

  Check out of Emeraude Kivu Resort after breakfast and we take a 2-hour transfer to Butare and visit the Kings Palace. This great reconstruction is of the Rwanda King’s lifestyle and living conditions prior to colonial arrivals.
  
  Then we head to Huye Mountain Coffee for a coffee plantation tour that includes mountain biking.
  
  This 3-hour educational tour includes:
  
  Walking and biking through the coffee plantations acreage to experience the below stages of coffee growing.
  
  Scenic views atop Huye Mountain.
  
  A sample of the finished bagged product to take home with you.

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Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing

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Terms & Conditions

Payment Terms & Methods :
* Some Advance Percentage of total booking amount
* Airfare/Transport fare to be paid full at one time in advance.

Cancellation & Refund Policy :
* Upon cancellation, refund will be made after deducting the Retention Amount.
* Retention Amount varies as per the number of days left before your package start date.

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