4 daysPrivate tourMid-rangePermits included

4-Day Lake Kivu & Nyungwe Forest

4.9(38 reviews)·Lake Kivu → Nyungwe·Offered by Kivu & Forest Journeys

Western Rwanda in one unhurried arc: two days on and around Lake Kivu — sunrise kayaking past singing fishermen, cycling a stretch of the Congo Nile Trail through hillside coffee farms — then south along the lakeshore road into Nyungwe for the canopy walkway and a dawn with the chimpanzees.

It is the itinerary for travellers who measure a trip in texture rather than checklists: paddle strokes on glass water, coffee cherries drying on raised beds, the sudden scream of a chimp community waking up. Everything is private, and the pace flexes to you.

Sunrise kayak on Lake Kivu among traditional fishing canoes
Cycle the Congo Nile Trail through lakeside coffee farms
Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe, permit included
The canopy walkway above Africa's oldest rainforest

Duration4 days

Tour stylePrivate tour

ComfortMid-range · Lodge

Park permitsIncluded ($250 pp)

Minimum age12 years (RDB rule)

Solo travelersWelcome

CustomizableYes — request changes with a quote

RouteLake Kivu → Nyungwe

Day by day

1
Day 1Lake Kivu
Kigali to Karongi & sunset on the water
A morning drive west through switchback hills to Karongi, where Lake Kivu first appears through the eucalyptus like a sheet of hammered silver. After lunch, a boat trip to Napoleon Island's fruit-bat colony, returning as the fishermen paddle out in their singing trimaran flotillas at dusk.
Cormoran LodgeTimber cabins right on the Karongi waterfrontLunch & dinner included
2
Day 2Lake Kivu
Sunrise kayak & the Congo Nile Trail by bike
On the water at 5:45am when the lake is glass and the light is honey — the guided kayak hour that ends up as everyone's phone wallpaper. After breakfast, mountain bikes and a support vehicle for a 25km rolling stretch of the Congo Nile Trail, stopping at a coffee washing station to follow a bean from cherry to cup.
Cormoran LodgeSecond nightAll meals included
3
Day 3Nyungwe National Park
Lakeshore road to Nyungwe & the canopy walk
South along the lakeshore road — one of Africa's great drives, water on one side, tea on the other — reaching Nyungwe by midday. In the afternoon, the Igishigishigi trail to the canopy walkway, sixty metres above the forest floor with great blue turacos crossing beneath your feet.
One&Only Nyungwe HouseSet in a working tea plantation at the forest edgeAll meals included
4
Day 4Nyungwe National Park
Chimpanzees at dawn & return
The 4:30am start earns you the forest at its loudest: tracking a habituated chimpanzee community through Cyamudongo as they wake, feed and squabble overhead. Late brunch, then the drive back to Kigali, arriving by early evening.
No overnight — tour ends or day tripBreakfast & lunch included

Rates per person

Group size	Price per person (USD)
Solo	$1,830
2 people	$1,420
3 people	$1,375
4 people	$1,340
5 people	$1,315
6+ people	$1,280

US$250 of the pp price is the fixed RDB chimpanzee permit — group-size savings apply to the rest.
Rates are per person in USD and vary with group size — everyone in the vehicle shares the guide and transport costs.
A 50% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 30 days before the trip starts.
Cancellation follows the operator's platform-standard policy shown at checkout.

What's included

Included

Chimpanzee tracking permit (US$250 per person)
Guided sunrise kayak session
Mountain bike hire and support vehicle on the Congo Nile Trail
Napoleon Island boat trip
Canopy walkway entrance
Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Airport pick-up and drop-off
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Meals as listed in the itinerary
Bottled water throughout the trip
All taxes and VAT

Excluded

Porter for the chimp trek (US$10, recommended)
International flights
Rwanda visa (US$50 on arrival for most nationalities)
Travel insurance
Tips and gratuities (guide, trackers, porters)
Drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary
Personal items and souvenirs

Getting there

Fly into Kigali International Airport (KGL) — it is served by direct flights from Brussels, Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
This tour starts and ends in Kigali. Airport pick-up and drop-off are included — your guide meets you in arrivals.
Most nationalities receive a Rwanda visa on arrival (US$50). The East African Tourist Visa also covers Rwanda if you are combining countries.
Arriving early or leaving late? Extra nights in Kigali before or after the tour can be arranged with your quote.

Traveler reviews

4.9

Based on 38 traveler reviews

Reviews are verified — only travelers who completed this tour can leave one.

“Texture over checklists — exactly right”

The sunrise kayak alone justified the trip. Fishermen singing across the water while the sky went pink — I put the camera down and just floated. Chimps on the last morning were the exclamation mark. Superbly guided throughout.

Naomi & Dave · New Zealand · Traveled February 2026

“The lakeshore road is criminally underrated”

Cycling the Congo Nile Trail was harder than advertised (those hills!) but the support vehicle meant my partner could hop in whenever. One&Only was a splurge-level finish. Only quibble: I'd add a third Kivu night.

Felix G. · Switzerland · Traveled August 2025

Showing recent reviews. The full review history arrives with verified post-trip reviews (Milestone 4).