Western Province · Kivu and Nyungwe
Where the lake ends and the rainforest starts: tea estates, a border town and the finest road in East Africa.
Lake Kivu's southern shore near Rusizi
Map of Rusizi, Rwanda
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What it costs
Comfortable en-suite room, a mix of local and tourist restaurants, occasional private transfer.
Trip total, per person
$309
2 days at mid-range, plus the coach both ways. Extras: Nyungwe day entry USD 60; tea estate tour USD 10–20.
Fares and room prices: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
The plan
The southern tip of Lake Kivu and the closest town to Nyungwe Forest. Tea estates climb the hills behind it and the Congolese border sits at the end of the road.
Day 01
You can fly to Kamembe in an hour, but the road is the point. Leave early and stop often.
Bus or flight
Ritco and Horizon run the road, 7,500–9,500 RWF. RwandAir flies Kigali–Kamembe in an hour.
Open in MapsKivu Belt viewpoints
The corniche between Karongi and Rusizi hangs over the lake for a hundred kilometres.
Open in MapsGisakura tea estate
Rows of tea running straight into forest edge; the estate walk takes about an hour.
Open in MapsDay 02
The park gate is forty minutes from town. Book the walk the night before; the forest fills quickly in high season.
Rangiro or Uwinka entrance
Register at the gate, pay the day fee and pick a trail with a ranger.
Open in MapsBirding the forest road
The tarmac through the park is one of the best birding transects in Africa. Great blue turacos are common.
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