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Trip · Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu road trip

Kigali to Rubavu, the shore road to Karongi, and on to Nyungwe or home — the self-drive route our clients come back for.

Lake Kivu road trip
3 to 5 days, self-drive or with a driver
Duration
On request
Quoted for your dates
Starts
Kigali — car delivered to your hotel or the airport
Lake Kivu
Destination

The classic Rwanda self-drive: north-west to the lake, south along the shore, and back through the hills.

How it runs

Day one, Kigali to Rubavu via Musanze (or with a detour to Gishwati-Mukura), for a night on the beach. Day two, the lakeshore road south to Karongi — coffee stations, hot springs, and the best views in the country — for two nights on the bays and islands. From Karongi, continue to Nyungwe or return to Kigali via the Museum of the Environment and the western hills. Walkers can leave the car with us at Karongi and hike a section of the Congo–Nile Trail; we bring the car and your bags to wherever you finish.

What we handle

A RAV4 or Prado delivered with a full tank, a local SIM and offline maps, and a route sheet for your dates. Add a driver-guide if you would rather look out of the window. Quoted per day; send your dates for a written price.

The vehicle

This trip runs in the Toyota RAV4.

The one people ask for by name. Light, economical and easy to park in the city, yet capable enough for the hills — a favourite for self-drive couples doing Kigali, Lake Kivu and the northern parks on tarmac. Fourth-generation cars, automatic, all-wheel drive.

Vehicle details
Toyota RAV4
Self-drive favourite

Toyota RAV4

Light, thrifty and easy to park in Nyamirambo. The car self-drive couples ask for by name.

  • 5 seats
  • Petrol
  • Automatic
  • AWD
$100 / day, driver included
Reserve
Destination
Related
Good to know

Good to know before you book a trip

Can you arrange permits and lodges too?

Yes. We book gorilla and chimp permits, park fees and lodges at the operator rate, so the car, the permit and the room arrive as one written quote.

How do I pay, and how much to reserve?

30% holds the vehicle and lets us buy permits the same day. Pay by card, mobile money or bank transfer. No payment is taken online through the site.

Can I take a self-drive car into the national parks?

Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Lake Kivu are fine for self-drive in any of our 4x4s. For Akagera game drives we provide our own safari Land Cruiser with a driver-guide, which is what the park tracks and the sightings deserve — ask us before planning a self-drive game drive.

Are permits and park fees included in tour prices?

Tour prices are per person and include the permit or park fee, the vehicle with a driver-guide and the nights shown. Meals, tips and international flights are not included. We list every line on the written quote.

More trips

Pair it with another park.

The same car and driver-guide carry you across the whole route — most itineraries combine two parks with a night on Lake Kivu between.

Lake Kivu road trip

Send your dates. We reply the same day.

Permit availability checked, lodge held, vehicle and driver-guide confirmed — on one written quote.

Request this tripCall the office