Top 5 reasons to visit Rwanda

Rwanda is described as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ due to its hilly landscape dotted with lakes and volcanoes rising above dense forests. It’s one of the best places in the world for primates. In Volcanoes National Park, live your dream of seeing mountain gorillas in the wild on a guided trek. Spot energetic chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park, and look out for baboons, colobus and golden monkeys. 

On a holiday in Rwanda, you can pair primates with the Big Five on a game drive in Akagera National Park, the country’s only big game habitat. Explore the clean and safe capital, Kigali, relax on the beaches of Lake Kivu and stay in remote luxury camps and lodges hidden among mountain forests. Take a look at our five reasons to visit Rwanda. 

Why you should visit Rwanda

1. Book a bucket list gorilla trek

Rwanda is one of the few places in the world where you can see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. 12 habituated families live in the forest-covered mountains of Volcanoes National Park, and you can do a guided trek to spend an hour with one family. 

Gorillas are one of our closest living relatives, sharing around 98.4% of their DNA with humans. It’s a profound experience to watch them interact and observe behaviours that feel uncannily similar to our own. You might see mothers cuddling their babies while juveniles tumble together under the watchful eye of a silverback male.  

The tours we recommend are led by experienced rangers who know each gorilla like family. They’ll help you choose a trek that suits your fitness level, and you’ll have the option to hire porters to carry your bag – or even carry you! Gorilla trek permits are limited to 96 a day in Rwanda, and we can arrange them for you, so don’t wait to book your once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter. 

“When living in Rwanda, managing a luxury safari lodge, we were lucky enough to trek and see the gorillas on multiple occasions. We loved hearing our guests return with tales of baby gorillas playing and sightings of mighty silverback gorillas. If you’d like to go on a safari in Rwanda, we’re happy to share our advice and recommendations!”

Wendy Hunter, Co-owner of The Safari Edit

2. See chimpanzees and golden monkeys 

Mountain gorillas aren’t the only primates to see in Rwanda. In Nyungwe National Park, you can track wild chimpanzees. Guide treks run in the morning and evening when they’re most active, and it’s exhilarating to hear them calling to each other as they crash through the trees. Loud and boisterous, they can come rushing past you in a blur of excitement. 

In contrast, the golden monkeys of Volcanoes National Park are smaller and gentler. You can see groups leaping and playing through the bamboo forests, pausing to feed or peer curiously down at you from the branches. Throughout your trip, you might also spot colobus, blue, vervet and owl-faced monkeys, as well as baboons, making Rwanda one of the best places to visit if you love primates. 

3. It’s the Land of a Thousand Hills 

Rwanda is described as the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills,’ as its landscape is lush and hilly, with towering volcanic peaks covered in dense, misty forest. The landlocked country is dotted with vast lakes, including Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes. Here, you can relax on one of its four sandy beaches or take a boat out on the water to look for cattle egrets and African fish eagles. 

In Nyungwe National Park, get a different perspective of the forest by exploring the treetops on a canopy walk or visit a tea plantation and see rolling, terraced hills on a tour. Swap forests for open savannah and wetlands in Akagera National Park and walk in the footsteps of ancient kings while spotting birds in Buhanga Eco-Park. Whether you’re driving between parks or simply standing on a hillside, the views are always spectacular. 

4. Experience a big game safari 

Did you know you can do a classic big-game safari in Rwanda? On the eastern border with Tanzania, Akagera National Park has the only savannah habitat in the country. After reintroducing lions in 2015, it’s now home to all of the Big Five, including leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo. You’ll also find giraffes, zebras, antelope, waterthogs, hyenas, primates and 500 bird species.

The national park’s Lake Ihema is the largest protected wetland in Central Africa and has a healthy population of hippos and Nile crocodiles. Glide past them in the shallows on a boat or watch them from the back of a safari vehicle. For a different perspective, see Akagera from above in a hot air balloon and return when the sun sets to observe leopards on their nighttime prowl. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a gorilla trek trip. 

5. Explore the safe and sustainable capital 

Rwanda is widely recognised as one of the safest and cleanest countries in Africa, so we think it’s an excellent choice for families, solo travellers and first-time safari goers. Kigali, the capital, is modern and well-organised, with clean tree-lined boulevards and squares. You can explore the Kigali Cultural Village, a traditional market space for artisans and food vendors, and tee off at the 18-hole golf course on the shores of Nyarutarama Lake. 

Relax in lush cafe gardens, browse vibrant art galleries and stroll down the car-free zones of Biryogo and Imbuga City Walk in search of colourful murals and places to eat. We recommend following your nose and seeing what you find. For a more sobering experience, visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to learn about the 1994 genocide. In the evening, wander over to the Kigali Convention Centre to see its famous beehive dome lit up in a dazzling display of colour.