Complete Rwanda Guide

Rwanda fits within a pocket handkerchief, 26,338 km², but concentrates a rare diversity in East Africa. From our agency in Kigali, we see travelers every week surprised by the cleanliness of the roads, the permanent altitude (almost the entire country is between 1,400 and 2,500 m) and the human density that shapes landscapes of hills cultivated right to the summit. You never cross an empty zone: villages, banana plantations, tea plantations and eucalyptus succeed one another.

Four regions structure a coherent itinerary. The North, dominated by the Virunga volcanoes, is home to the mountain gorilla families of the Volcanoes National Park, accessible from Kinigi. The West runs along Lake Kivu for 100 km, with Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu, and touches the primary forest of Nyungwe, refuge of chimpanzees and thirteen primate species. The South-East, around Akagera, offers the country's only savanna with reintroduced lions, black rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. Kigali, finally, serves as a logistical base and place of memory, notably at the Gisozi Memorial.

The country is traveled by car on paved roads in good condition, which changes radically from its neighbors. Plan 8 to 10 days to combine gorillas, Nyungwe and Akagera, 12 to 14 days by adding Kivu. We often guide travelers toward the dry season (June to September) for tracking, more comfortable on the slippery slopes of the Virunga.