RWANDA
Discover Rwanda “The Land of A Thousand Hills”
Situated at the heart of the Albertine Rift, Rwanda is one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions and a haven of rainforest endemism. Its most celebrated wild mammal is the iconic mountain gorilla of the Virunga Massif. A densely-populated country with most people living in rural areas, Rwanda has shown great courage in recovering from the memory of the 1994 genocide. Today, Rwanda is a stable, well-run and peacefully united country.
The optimistic energy of the people has earned their country the moniker ‘Remarkable Rwanda’ and it regularly features on ‘must-visit’ lists. some of the things to look out for, Volcanoes National Park is part of the larger Virunga Massif transboundary conservation area and a World Heritage Site. It is home to some 604 mountain gorillas, amongst a host of other rainforest species. Meanwhile, Akagera National Park has undergone a phenomenal transformation in the last eight years where poaching has essentially been eliminated and wildlife is now thriving.
Suggested itineraries for Rwanda
These itineraries give you a starting point for what your trip to Rwanda could entail. They cover routes we’ve found work particularly well and feature some of our favourite places to stay. Treat them as inspiration, as each trip is created uniquely for you.
Top Destinations in Rwanda
Featuring heavily on our itinerary ideas for visiting Rwanda, these places are destinations that we know prove consistently popular with our travelers. How you choose to include them in your trip can be tailored into a route that best suits your preferences.
Best Time To Visit Rwanda
The best time to visit Rwanda is during the drier period from June to September, when you have the best chance at spotting the country’s undoubted highlight: the mountain gorilla.
The rainy seasons, from March to May and in November, are the optimum times for tracking chimpanzees. It’s also quieter then.
Temperatures hardly vary throughout the seasons due to Rwanda’s position just south of the Equator. The days are warm, sitting comfortably in the late teens or mid-twenties depending on which area of the country you visit. The nights can be cool, especially at altitude
Accessibility
By Air
The national airline of Rwanda is RwandAir (www.rwandair.com), which connects the capital, Kigali, with international destinations including Brussels, London, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Mumbai, and Guangzhou in China. It also flies to several destinations within the Africa continent, including Cape Town, Harare, Lusaka, Dar es Salaam and Dakar.
Other airlines offering flights in and out of Rwanda include Ethiopian Airlines (www.ethiopianairlines.com), KLM (www.klm.com), and Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com).
Kigali International Airport
Code
KGL
Location
The airport, 12km (7.5 miles) east of Kigali (journey time – 25 minutes).
By Road
Rwanda shares its borders with Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the west. There are entry roads from all four countries, which can be used for entry and exit by international tourists. However, due to internal conflicts, many governments often advise against all travel to the DRC and Burundi.
Select your Destination by Mood
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About Rwanda Tourism: Best Rwanda Safaris Tours
Located in East Africa, Rwanda is the leading tourism destination in Africa where one can go and have a wide range of adventurous activities including those which cannot be experienced elsewhere in the world.
With its rapid growth of the tourism sector, the country is now undoubtedly the best option when it comes to a real safari experience.
Its tourism fraternities have greatly contributed to the ever-increasing attraction of people especially nature lovers from different corners of the world that come specifically to have a life-changing exposure to some of the hard-to-find nature wonders.
The country offers a wide range of thrilling activities including gorilla & chimp trekking, golden monkey tracking, Kigali city tour, nature walks, Dian Fossey grave hike, wildlife viewing and many more.
Below are some of the different tourism activities one can enjoy while on a Rwanda safaris holiday;-
Gorilla Tracking:- With mountain gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park attracting more than half of the total number of tourists who visit this “land of thousand hills”, there have been developments recorded especially in the tourism sector.
This country has one of the highest numbers of these primates and these are all found in one park, giving trekkers the best spot for the activity.
This interesting activity involves moving through the tropical rain forests of Volcanoes National Park in search for these endangered primates.
The trip is worth it as one spends a whole day with the gorillas and also gets a chance of taking clear photos with the great apes. Before going on a Rwanda gorilla safari tour, one should first book his or her gorilla tracking permit because failure to obtain it, he/she cannot be allowed to view the primates.
A gorilla permit in Rwanda costs USD750 and its issued by the Rwanda Development Board at their offices. It’s wiser for an intending visitor to use a credible tour company to obtain these permits in order to save time and also give room for better services.
Tourists are advised to obtain the permits in time (3 weeks before travel date) to avoid inconveniences and also avoid the competition which is associated with acquiring them.
Dian Fossey Grave Hike;
Found in Volcanoes National Park, the grave of the late popular primatologist, Dian Fossey is one of the key attractions in the country. These are found on a high altitude in the park calling for a hike and in most cases, it’s arranged as an additional tourist activity. This site has gained popularity and many people including tourists and researchers go to Rwanda with an aim of looking at these graves. While on this hike, one stands a chance of encountering some primates in the park including the gorillas, golden monkeys and squirrels.
Golden Monkey Tracking; – Just like gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking is carried out in the tropical rainforests of Volcanoes National Park.
This is a thrilling adventure that involves moving through thick forests searching for the primates in their natural habitats. Their uniqueness and hard to find behaviors make a trek even more interesting and breathtaking.
Chimp Tracking;- Chimpanzees in Rwanda are found in Nyungwe National Park and they are regarded as man’s closest mammals. These great apes are interesting to view in their groups as they have some characteristics and behaviors which are identical to those of human beings.
Kigali City Tour; – A safari to Rwanda comes to life with a Kigali City Tour. This city is one of Africa’s cleanest and well-planned cities and a drive through on some of its streets is a thrilling adventure as one gets to meet and greet some of the local people.
Other interesting tour activities one can enjoy while on a Rwanda Tour include;- Wildlife tour, nature walks, bird watching, boat rides and many more.
Trek Africa Expeditions offers a variety of gorilla trekking safari options at unbeatable rates. Contact us for the best rates at info@trekafricatours.com or call us /WhatsApp us +256705767137 to start planning your safari / tour today!
Suggested East African Safari Ideas
The tours featured throughout our website are intended to give you ideas for what’s possible when you travel with us. Treat them simply as inspiration, because your trip will be created individually by one of our specialists to match your tastes and budget.
