On an individual cycling trip you see Rwanda entirely in your own way. The routes and distances are matched to what you and your party want and can manage. You ride red roads and green hills, with views along the way over valleys, lakes, tea plantations and volcanoes.
Your own guide and driver travel with you throughout. Would you like to shorten a stage, skip a climb or get into the vehicle for a while? That is always possible. So you take in everything that makes Rwanda what it is at your own level and your own pace.
Along the way you get to know daily life in Rwanda. You ride through villages, pass local markets and are regularly greeted enthusiastically by people at the roadside. And then there is the landscape, with colourful birds, various species of monkey, chimpanzees and of course the mountain gorillas.
Rwanda’s nickname is not an exaggeration. Wherever you look, green hills run to the horizon. Riding, you alternate climbs and descents, but what your riding day looks like is decided together.
You may enjoy riding a longer climb entirely under your own power. Or you may want above all to take in the best parts of the route and skip a steep climb. The support vehicle is always close by, so you can easily leave out part of a stage. The guide can also adjust the route along the way when that suits you better. You ride a mix of surfaced roads and red gravel and sand tracks. The route runs past terraced fields, tea and coffee plantations, volcanoes and deep blue lakes. After every bend the landscape seems to change again. Because you travel by bike, you have all the time to take in the surroundings and to stop wherever you want.
One of the best-known routes for mountain bikers and walkers in Rwanda is the Congo Nile Trail. The full route runs some 227 kilometres from Rubavu to Rusizi along the eastern shore of Lake Kivu. On your individual cycling trip you do not have to ride the whole trail. We choose the sections that best suit your level, your wishes and your itinerary.
You ride unsurfaced roads and quiet tracks, at times high above the lake. On the far side you see the mountains of Congo. Along the way you pass coffee plantations, small villages and fishing settlements where daily life largely takes place outdoors. Children wave as you ride past, people work the land and fishermen prepare their boats for the night at the end of the day. So you do not have to ride the whole Congo Nile Trail to take in the atmosphere and the best of the landscape. Together we choose the sections that suit you and your party best.
Rwanda is small, but the variety of its landscapes is considerable. In the north lie the volcanoes of Volcanoes National Park, the habitat of the mountain gorilla. A gorilla trek can be added to your cycling trip as an extension. You leave the bike behind for a day and head into the rainforest with a ranger for an encounter that few travellers ever forget.
In Nyungwe Forest National Park you walk through one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. Chimpanzees and various species of colobus live here, among others. You can take part in a chimpanzee trek or walk high among the treetops on the suspension bridge of the canopy walk. That way you combine riding with distinctive activities out of doors. The bike is the thread running through it, but your trip through Rwanda is about far more than kilometres.
On the bike, contact with your surroundings happens almost of its own accord. You do not simply travel through Rwanda but see it at close range and become part of daily life for a while. You pass farmers working the land, stop at a local market and visit a coffee or tea plantation or a cooperative where local products are made.
Because you travel individually, there is every opportunity to stay longer at a place that catches your attention. Would you like to stop for a photograph, look around a village or have a quiet coffee somewhere? That is possible. It is your trip and your adventure, after all.
Rwanda has a difficult history, but also shows how much resilience a country can have. Kigali is often the start and end point of the trip. The capital is modern, green and easy to find your way around. A visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial gives more context to Rwanda’s past and the development the country has gone through since.
On an individual cycling trip through Rwanda you travel with your partner, family, friends or your own group of riders. You decide when you leave and we put the programme together based on your wishes.
In doing so we look not only at the number of kilometres you want to ride but at the trip as a whole. Would you like several long riding days, or shorter routes combined with landscape, culture and rest? Would you like an extra night on Lake Kivu, a gorilla trek or more time in Nyungwe Forest? Together we look for the right balance.
The programme stays flexible during the trip as well. The local guide keeps an eye on how the riding is going and discusses each day with you what is possible and sensible. A stage can be shortened, and a climb or even a whole riding day can be skipped. So you do not need to know exactly in advance how much you can manage and can keep choosing along the way.
A local guide and driver are with you and your party throughout the trip. They know the routes, speak the language and make sure everything goes well along the way.
* Your own cycling guide: the guide rides with you, knows the area and matches the route and the pace to you.
* Your own driver: the driver stays close by with the support vehicle and takes care of the luggage.
* Support vehicle: the vehicle carries water, snacks and spare parts. Would you like to skip part of the route or stop earlier? Then you can always get in.
* Flexible stages: distances and routes can be adjusted in advance and along the way.
* Mountain bike or e-mountain bike: you can see Rwanda on a mountain bike or choose the extra support of an e-mountain bike.
With a reasonable level of base fitness you can already see a great deal of Rwanda by bike. You do not need to be a very experienced or keen cyclist. We look above all at what you enjoy, what pace suits you and how much of a challenge you are after.
Because of the mix of surfaced and unsurfaced roads, the mountain bike is a suitable bike for Rwanda. Do you like riding under your own power and enjoy regular climbing? Then you can choose an ordinary mountain bike.
Would you like the climbing to be easier, or keep your energy for the surroundings and the rest of the trip? Then an e-mountain bike is a good choice. The electric support helps on the climbs while you still ride actively yourself.
Are you travelling with people who do not all have the same cycling level? An e-mountain bike helps there too. The guide matches the pace and, thanks to the support and the vehicle, everyone can take the trip in a way that suits them.
Rwanda lies close to the equator, but because of the altitude the temperatures are usually pleasant. During the day it is often warm enough to ride in short cycling kit, while it can be fresh in the morning and at higher altitude.
June to August is the longer dry period and a good time for a cycling holiday in Rwanda. The chance of rain is smaller and the unsurfaced roads and tracks are generally drier. The red sand and gravel roads can be dusty in these months. An extra layer of clothing is comfortable for the cooler mornings and evenings.
The shorter dry period from December to February is also suitable for seeing Rwanda by bike. The landscape is green and in clear weather you have fine views of the Virunga volcanoes. A shower remains possible, but riding is usually good in this period. The exact conditions differ by region and route.
Rwanda can be striking outside the dry seasons as well. The landscape is particularly green then and there are often fewer travellers. Unsurfaced tracks can become muddier and more slippery after rain, though. We therefore look for each trip at which routes best suit the period. We can ride more on surfaced roads, shorten stages or adjust the programme along the way to the weather and the conditions.
A reasonable level of base fitness is welcome for a cycling holiday in Rwanda. Train regularly beforehand and, where you can, include some routes with hills or longer climbs in your preparation. How much training is needed depends on the trip we put together and on the bike you ride. With an e-mountain bike, adjusted distances and the support vehicle at hand, the trip can be made accessible to different levels.
Before departure you receive full information about, among other things:
* the travel documents you need;
* current health advice and vaccinations;
* clothing and cycling equipment;
* the climate and the conditions to expect;
* luggage and personal items;
* the mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes available.
That way you leave well prepared and know what to expect along the way.
Would you like to see Rwanda by bike, but in a way that suits you and your party? We are glad to put a personal trip together for you. We look at your fitness and cycling experience, but above all at what you want to see, do and experience along the way.
From riding sections of the Congo Nile Trail and relaxing on Lake Kivu to a visit to Nyungwe Forest or an encounter with the mountain gorillas: together we bring together the parts that make this your ideal cycling holiday.
Get in touch with us without obligation for a personal travel proposal.
Itching to set off on an extraordinary ride? Can’t wait to hop on the saddle and explore your dream destination at your own pace? Take a look at all our cycling journeys below – or get in touch to request a tailor-made adventure designed just for you.
We hope to see you soon.
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