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
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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
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Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
KigaliMostly Sunny
29°C / 85°F
4mm / 0.2"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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ExcellentBased on 5,219 ReviewsThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison MAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke EcholsOur 2-week trip to Normandy, Switzerland and Italy after we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton in mid-May was superb. Michael Keon did an amazing job of putting together highlights for us to see and visit with the short time we had. All the train reservations, private and small group tours and transportations were very well coordinated, on time, and usually exceeded our expectations. Drivers were courteous and knowledgeable. Mike did a wonderful job getting everything coordinated, in spite of our almost “last minute” booking. I booked a month-long trip through GOWAY back in 1989 for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and they were superb then. So I tried them again, and found the entire organization to be even better. Mike was quick to respond to any questions that came up regarding booksings and times, regardless of the 6-hour time difference. Just superb! Although we had a nasty experience in Milan, GOWAY was very responsive and saw to our requests and our needs. Again, Michael Keon is the person who coordinated our travel. I will ask for Mike when I travel again with GOWAY. I recommend GOWAY highly. PJ WheelerA BIG THANK YOU to Goway Travel, Brooke Theron and all of the partners onsite. Our trip to Africa was incredible, memories that will last forever.
Everything planned and more went perfectly. The guides, the excursions, the accommodations, everything, was just spectacular. Fortunately, everything ran on time, no delays, no problems.
Thank you again!!
Linda IriasI have been blessed to have an amazing rep, Farooq Qaisar!
He has helped me find the best spots for my clients to experience and when I am looking for something and just can't figure it out, he is able to put together something better than I was thinking. He my go-to and I am thankful for all his help over the years!SherriGoway helped plan our two week trip to Peru and they (Virginia in particular) did a great job. The on-site logistics with Condor Travel went very smoothly, and the trip exceeded our expectations overall. They proactively suggested changes to our initial itinerary which were welcomed. I would recommend them and would work with them again in the future.Kate O'NeillWe entrusted Goway with every detail of our trip from start to finish and they came through for us superbly! Every single detail was smooth sailing. It was a joy to plan our travels with Goway!! We had an amazing trip of a lifetime!
E&DI recently went on an African Safari with my brother-in-law and sister and another couple who I knew. The entire experience was absolutely unbelievable. The complete details were flawlessly coordinated from the transfers to the breathtaking lodges. Our guides Peter showed us Kenya and Maulid Tanzania were very knowledgeable and very sharp eyes for finding the animals.
We were able to see the animals up close, learn a lot about the people, birds , vegetation etc.
We had several sundowners in the bush really added to a magical experience with beautiful sunsets.
I would highly recommend Goway to all my friends, they will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Bijal for the excellent African Safari that you put together for us. You were wonderful.Nancy HayWe 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. Ask for Mark! I have already planned another trip back to the Oregon wine country with Mark. Claire
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