The 5 best places to visit in Rwanda on a safari

Rwanda is an incredible country to explore. Although it is smaller than neighboring Uganda and Tanzania, it is packed with amazing places to visit. Even better, most attractions are only a few hours’ drive apart. That means you spend less time on the road and more time exploring. Whether you love wildlife, culture, history, or breathtaking scenery, Rwanda has something for everyone. Here are the five best places to visit in Rwanda.

1. Kigali

You will most likely begin your tour in Rwanda in Kigali, the country’s clean and welcoming capital city. While it is often seen as just a starting point for exploring the national parks, Kigali is worth spending a night or two discovering. The city has a relaxed atmosphere, beautiful views, excellent restaurants, and a fascinating mix of modern life and rich history.

One of the most important places to visit is the Kigali Genocide Memorial. A visit here helps you understand Rwanda’s recent history and the events that shaped the country today. The memorial tells the story of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, when almost 1,000,000 people lost their lives in just 100 days, almost 20% of Rwanda’s population. Your visit begins in the peaceful gardens outside, where around 250,000 victims are laid to rest. Inside, an audio guide takes you through the exhibitions, helping you understand the history, the suffering, and Rwanda’s journey of healing and rebuilding. The displays are deeply moving and provide an important reminder of the consequences of hatred, while also showing the strength, unity, and resilience of the Rwandan people.

Beyond its history, Kigali is a beautiful city to explore. The city’s famous hills create incredible viewpoints, and places like rooftop cafés and restaurants offer great spots to enjoy the scenery. You can enjoy a cup of locally grown coffee while looking over the green hills, or spend an evening discovering Kigali’s growing food and nightlife scene.

For a peaceful escape from the city, visit Nyandungu Eco Park, a restored wetland area that shows Rwanda’s strong commitment to conservation. You can walk along the bamboo trails, cycle through the park, enjoy the gardens, or simply relax in the natural surroundings. To experience everyday life in Kigali, make time for Kimironko Market. This lively market is full of local energy, with colourful stalls selling fresh produce, fabrics, handmade crafts, and many other goods from across the region.

2. Volcanoes National Park

This is Rwanda’s most famous national park. And for good reason. Volcanoes National Park is one of the few places on Earth where you can see endangered mountain gorillas in the wild. For many travelers, it is the main reason to visit Rwanda.

The park lies in the country’s northwest, about 2 ½ hour drive from Kigali. It is named after the five magnificent Virunga volcanoes that rise above its forests: Mount Karisimbi, Mount Bisoke, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Muhabura. Together they create one of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes of rainforest, bamboo forest, open grasslands, and wetlands.

The highlight is, without doubt, gorilla trekking. You hike through the forest with experienced ranger guides in search of a mountain gorilla family. Once you find them, you spend one unforgettable hour watching them in their natural habitat. Seeing these gentle giants up close is an experience you will never forget. They share about 98% of our DNA, and their behaviour often feels surprisingly familiar. Volcanoes National Park is also home to the rare golden monkey, which can also be tracked through the bamboo forest. If you enjoy hiking, you can climb one of the Virunga volcanoes or visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund to learn about the remarkable conservation work inspired by the famous primatologist Dian Fossey, who dedicated her life to protecting Rwanda’s mountain gorillas.

One of the reasons gorilla numbers continue to grow is Rwanda’s strong commitment to conservation. Every gorilla trekking permit helps protect the gorillas, supports scientific research, and benefits the surrounding communities.

Planning tip: Gorilla trekking is extremely popular. Only 96 permits are available each day, so we recommend booking well in advance, especially if you plan to travel during the high season.

3. Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park in Eastern Rwanda is the country’s only Big Five national park. It is the place to go if you want to experience the classic African safari landscape. The park feels very different from the green hills and forests that Rwanda is famous for. Here, you find wide open savannahs, acacia trees, wetlands, and beautiful lakes filled with wildlife.

As you explore Akagera, you can expect to see elephants walking through the grasslands, giraffes feeding from the treetops, zebras moving across the plains, and large herds of buffalo. Lions are now back in the park, and if you are very lucky, you may also spot a leopard hiding in the bush.

Rhinos have also been reintroduced, making Akagera one of the few places in Africa where you can look for all of the Big Five in one destination. Game drives are the main way to discover the park, but we also recommend adding a boat safari on Lake Ihema. It gives you a completely different perspective of Akagera. From the water, you can get close to hippos, watch Nile crocodiles resting along the shore, see elephants coming to drink, and enjoy the incredible variety of birds that live around the lake.

What makes Akagera even more special is its story of recovery. After the 1994 genocide, years of poaching and illegal hunting caused the disappearance of the park’s lions and rhinos. Through the hard work of the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks, these animals have been brought back, and the park has become one of Africa’s most inspiring conservation success stories. If you have time to stay overnight, a night game drive is a wonderful addition to your safari. Once the sun goes down, Akagera changes completely. Bushbabies, genets, jackals, civets, porcupines, and other nocturnal animals become active. With some luck, you may even spot a leopard or the rare pangolin moving through the darkness.

4. Nyungwe National Park

Nyungwe National Park is one of the places you should not miss during your tour of Rwanda. This beautiful rainforest in the southwest of the country covers 1,019 square kilometres of mountains and forest. It is the largest remaining montane rainforest in East Africa and is believed to protect the remote source of the Nile River.

The chimpanzee trekking – that is what many people come to Nyungwe for. And rightly so: it is one of the best wildlife experiences in Rwanda. You start early in the morning and enter the forest with a guide to search for chimpanzee families. Once you find them, you can watch them feeding, calling, and moving through the trees. Chimpanzees are always active, which makes the trek a very exciting experience.

But Nyungwe has much more to offer than chimpanzees. The forest is home to 13 species of primates, including the famous black-and-white colobus monkeys. Some groups of Rwenzori pied colobus monkeys can number more than 400 individuals. And seeing such a large troop moving through the forest is something you will remember. The park is also a paradise for birdwatchers, with around 345 bird species, including 29 Albertine Rift endemics.

Nyungwe is also a great place for hiking. The forest has several trails where you can take your time, enjoy the peaceful surroundings, and discover the incredible diversity of this ancient rainforest. For a different experience, try the famous Canopy Walk. The 160-metre suspension bridge takes you high above the forest floor and gives you a beautiful view of the treetops and surrounding hills. If you enjoy adventure, you can also add the 1,935-metre zip line through the forest canopy. Around Nyungwe, you can also spend time with local communities. A visit to a tea plantation is a wonderful addition to your trip. You can walk through the green fields, pick tea leaves, learn how Rwanda’s tea is produced, and finish with a tasting.

5. Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu is one of those places where you simply slow down. After the excitement of chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe or gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, it is the perfect place to rest for a few days and enjoy a different side of Rwanda.

The lake is huge, covering 2,700 km², and stretches along Rwanda’s western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. What makes it so special is the combination of deep blue water, green hills, quiet beaches, and small villages along the shoreline. It is a place where you can wake up slowly, enjoy the views, and forget about the busy pace of travel for a while.

Swimming in Lake Kivu is a favourite activity for many visitors because the water is warm and inviting. You can also take a boat ride, explore some of the small islands, or rent a kayak and spend time on the peaceful waters. Some of the islands are home to playful monkeys, which often add a little excitement to the experience.

If you enjoy being active, the Congo-Nile Trail is one of the best ways to explore the area. The 227-kilometre trail follows the hills around Lake Kivu and can be explored on foot or by bicycle, offering beautiful views of the lake and surrounding countryside.

Lake Kivu is also one of Rwanda’s most important coffee regions. The high altitude, tropical climate, and rich volcanic soils create excellent conditions for growing coffee. Visiting a coffee plantation is a great way to learn how Rwanda’s famous coffee is produced, from picking the beans to enjoying a fresh cup yourself.

For a more lively atmosphere, head to Rubavu (Gisenyi). This lakeside town is a popular place to relax, with beaches, palm trees, hot springs, and restaurants overlooking the water.

We are Greenway Nature Tours

A club of seasoned safari experts in East Africa working from Kampala, Uganda. We are builders. Entrepreneurs. Travelers. Adventurers. We love beautiful places. And those beautiful places become even more beautiful when we can share them with others. That is why we organize trips here in East Africa. So, if you are considering coming this way for your dream trip – call, text, or email us. We will help you on your way. Would you like more tips on your trip to Africa? Then you can browse through our blogs.