Twin Lakes Musanze: Guided Hike with Views and Culture

While around the Twin Lakes in Musanze, a guided hike is a great way to get incredible views of the area. Along the way, you’ll walk through communities and learn about life in Musanze from local guide, Norbert.

Not only does Norbert have a lot of information about life in the Rwandan hillside, but he is also an avid birder and knowledgeable about the different agricultural practices in the area. We learned so much about everyday life, growing food, fetching water, education, and more. Each of his answers was thoughtful, and it’s clear he has a lot of information to share. My mother-in-law Lena was visiting, and our hike was near the end of her 10 days in Rwanda… So we had amassed a lot of questions by then, and Norbert answered them all!

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The Basics

• Half-day or full-day activity, starting before 10 am
• 5 km of walking around. Some steep portions, but generally okay for all.
• 35 USD per person/ Pay via momo or cash
• Bring water and a snack (if you get hungry)
• Extras: transportation, lunch, boat rides.
• Book with Norbert directly on Instagram, or you can WhatsApp him at +250786797771

How I Customized the Hike

The Twin Lakes Musanze hike can be a half-day or full-day activity. We opted for a full-day activity because it was the only thing we had planned for the day. We started at 8:00 am, and Norbert met us at our hotel. Because I had rented a car from Kigali, we did not require transport. However, if transport is required, he will organize a taxi or moto for you. With Norbert as my co-pilot, I drove about 30 minutes to the start of the hike. Here we paid 2,000 RWF to a local woman to watch our car for us.

We also asked to include a boat ride and lunch at My Hill Eco Lodge. We visited the lodge in 2022, though now the hotel has expanded to a new location (with similar amazing views and fish). To do this, we paid an extra 15,000 RWF for the boat ride and 25,000 RWF per fish (we got two—though it was A LOT of food).

What are the Twin Lakes in Musanze

The Twin Lakes in Musanze consist of Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo. Although twins in name, Lake Burera is larger (and cleaner) than Lake Ruhondo. However, Lake Ruhondo is the more developed of the two lakes because it has perfect views of the entire volcano chain.

The Twin Lake Musanze Hike

Lake Ruhondo

We learned a lot of interesting facts when we went on the hike with Norbert. Right after we parked, he pointed out an oddly shaped rock that is used when passersby want to sharpen their machetes. I never would have noticed that without him.

Then he pointed out a pile of bricks. This turned out to be a recurring sight throughout our walk. People leave them out so that others can buy them. We saw a few brick ovens too.  

Throughout the hike, Norbert would stop and teach us about the agricultural practices and the crops grown in the area. One of the most interesting crops we came across while on our hike was beans. Honestly, I’d never seen so many beans before, and I don’t know if I would have identified the crop otherwise. We also saw lots of plantains and bananas. Norbert also stopped to share some local herbal remedies, like plants used to deter fiery ants.

This was our first taste of the view over Lake Ruhondo.

There are a few small inclines as you hike your way up, but nothing that lasts for more than a minute or two. It just means you’ll get even better views.

From this vantage point, Norbert could point out some of the community buildings, churches, and schools— he even pointed out where he went to boarding school!

Part of this walk is learning about the community. We went down to the water pump, where we saw some young girls collecting water for their families.

We saw this very beautiful bicycle that was just waiting to be photographed.

There were lots of kids on the hike (considering it was a Saturday), so they were out of school. Some of them ask and say “give me money,” but for the most part, you can ignore them. Usually, I just ended up waving.

Lake Burera

Then we crossed over to see Lake Burera.

While on our hike, Norbert was telling us about the different local drinks that are made, including banana beer and sorghum beer. I was intrigued with the idea of sorghum beer…

Norbert was able to take us to a small bar, and we bought a cup for 1,000 RWF. You can pay by Momo if you’re lucky (as we were), but you may want to bring some cash for this, just in case. There is no way we would have known this was a bar if it wasn’t for Norbert! Fair warning the the bar doesn’t have exact opening hours so it’s possible that it’ll be closed when you visit.

The cup of sorghum beer was humongous. I just had a sip and it was super grainy (as it looks in the pictures), but it was fun to try.

Be sure to tell Norbert if you want to try banana or sorghum beer while on your hike.

Soon after we passed one the most gorgeous views of Lake Ruhondo.

Then we walked through a forested area and down to the shore of Lake Burera. You can swim here if you want. If you’re doing a half-day trip, then this is where your trip will end.

Lunch at My Eco Lodge

From the shore, we walked back to the car and drove to the boat launch for My Hill Eco Lodge. It was a quick 10-minute boat ride across the lake, and then a short walk up to My Hill Eco Lodge.

Although it seems really tiring after all the hiking you’ve done, the views are amazing at the lodge. It’s totally worth the extra time and effort.

Our visit was about an hour and a half, and over that time, we saw the different volcano peaks as the clouds passed.

We got a sneak peek at some of the rooms at My Hill Eco Lodge—if you’re interested, you can learn about where to stay in Musanze in my post.

Then we took the boat back!

Twin Lakes in Musanze Hike Review

I really enjoyed this hike, and even though we had seen some of the views before from our bike ride with Norbert in 2022, it is actually a very different experience because you are able to climb up to great vantage points.

Also, because of the nature of walking, Norbert is able to tell you a lot of different information. On the bike ride, I was huffing and puffing most of the time and not able to absorb information and stop all the time to learn about the different plants and agricultural practices.

So if you’re staying in Musanze for a couple of days, I would honestly recommend both the bike ride and the hike to take advantage of all the town has to offer.

Tours with Norbert Umizeyimana – Instagram

Norbert almost exclusively gets his business from Instagram, so feel free to reach out to him directly. Or you can WhatsApp him at +250786797771.

Norbert and his wife also run a homestay in Musanze. You can stay in a double room or a triple room.

I first went on a tour with Norbert to the Twin Lakes in 2022 when Wilhelm and I visited Rwanda for a 10-day adventure. We have kept in touch, and I was excited to go on another tour with him!