Overview
Take a trip to Kigali on your Rwanda Vacation
Few people travel to Rwanda without passing through Kigali, the country’s largest and capital city. Located in the geographic centre of Rwanda, Kigali has been the economic and cultural hub since it became the capital in 1962.
Kigali was founded under German colonial rule in 1907. It was chosen as the country’s capital because of its central location after Rwanda achieved independence. Kigali came to international attention as a result of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 which saw the slaughter of approximately one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu by Hutu militia as well as some members from the Rwandan army. The city was greatly affected by this tragedy but has worked hard to recover. The Kigali Memorial Centre opened on the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide and has been built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried.
Today Kigali is a clean and comfortable city that is popular with ex-pats and hosts numerous aid workers. Many people come to visit this attractive city on their way to visit the country’s famous gorillas at the Parc National des Volcans on the Rwanda safari. Tourism has increased in recent years and since 1994, the city has been rebuilt and continues to look forward without forgetting its past.
At a Glance
Languages
English, French, Kinyarwanda, SwahiliCurrency
Rwandan Franc (RWF)What do the experts say?
Globetrotters should try to experience The Gorilla Naming Ceremony : Culturally, the naming of an infant is a big affair, and Rwanda has adopted the same cultural event with the New-born Mountain Gorillas, as way to highlight the need to protect these gentle giants that were on the verge of being hunted to extinction.
Rwanda is always a surprise; especially for a 1st time visitor to Africa. The beautiful landscape (hills, mountains and rivers), is accentuated by the clean and organised infrastructure. Being a small country with shorter drives between parks, Rwanda offers superb photography experiences.
I love Rwanda’s stunning natural beauty, peaceful atmosphere, vibrant culture, and the unforgettable experience of meeting mountain gorillas in their lush habitat.
Kigali is typically the start of your Rwanda sa...
A young child in Kigali makes for a great photo...
A water well in Kigali
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
KigaliMostly Sunny
29°C / 84°F
11mm / 0.4"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
-
Travel Stories
Get Inspired About Your Trip to Rwanda
Unlock more by subscribing to our newsletter.
With our newsletter, you’ll get access to regular communications that inspire you and help you explore the world your way.Exclusive Savings
Insider Benefits
Trending Stories
ExcellentBased on 5,211 ReviewsWe enjoyed our trip very much. I was very pleased by the hotel, tours, and itinerary selections that Alice Teramoto made for us. It was all well organized and easy to follow.
Thank you very much for helping us have a great experience in Peru.INEverything was planned perfectly. The excursions were so small and personal. ClaireGoway planned a custom 2 week safari trip for my wife and I which was beyond perfect. Extremely satisfied with the entire process from planning, booking and follow up. Special thanks to my Travel Specialists, Brooke Theron and Angela DonnellyNeil RWorking with Allan is absolutely a dream. He is one of the most responsive people I’ve had the pleasure of working with and his attention to detail is unmatched. I truly wish I could just use him for every single trip I need to book.Liz PooreKimberly Brown from Goway Travel made my trip to Australia & New Zealand a very memorable and remarkable experience. Every step and detail was fantastic and I will never forget the trip of a lifetime and it was because of the experience of Kimberly. If you are thinking about taking a trip to New Zealand and Australia, I highly recommend contacting Kimberly from Goway travel. David KleinWe had a blast and felt covered by GoAway throughout. This was our first time using a travel agent and Melissa and her team made it easy. I also appreciated the quick communication while on our trip. I only wish that we got our official itinerary and tickets sooner as we did not receive them until a week prior. But it is busy season so I understand. Courtney McCarthyElise created a fantastic trip to South Africa. Our experience could not have been better. Thank You so Much!!Dave McVayOur trip to Japan was great. All our Goway arrangements preformed like clockwork and the guides for the tours were wonderful. Unfortunately, Mt. Fuji was in total fog but at least the lunch was very good and so was the drum solo, also our tour guide kept our spirits up ( she was the best).
Taryn picked hotels that were very convenient to the meeting point of our tours which was much appreciated and organized all aspects of our trip perfectly. So from our airport pickup to our last day in Tokyo everything ran very smoothly so we have used Goway before and will certainly use it again and reccommend Goway to others.JWWe had a great experience with Goaway travel our travel agent,FARNAZ. was very helpful and patient with us in planning our vacation to Greece. She was very thorough and professional and excellent with laying out our flights and our itinerary for our trip would highly recommend her very professional. Thank you again Franaz for your help and for me and my wife to have experienced a wonderful time in GreececustomerFarnaz booked Greece and Italy - she is fantastic! She listened to our needs and planned a beautiful itinerary that everyone enjoyed. All transfers went smoothly and I am looking to book more trips with her! Amy
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified
Verified