The 12 Best Things to do in Rwanda on a Roadtrip
There are some things that I never expected to do or see in my life. One of those was exploring Rwanda. But hot damn, when things present themselves, you just can’t say no.
And my gosh, getting to spend 11 days winding my way through their hills, forests, and all the best things to do in Rwanda was mesmerizing.
This will go down as one of the most incredible trips I’ve ever taken. I’ve really started to love wildlife photography, and getting the opportunity to photograph gorillas, primates, and big game blew me away.
If you are in the early stages of planning a trip, I hope this guide helps. However, if you just want to browse through all the pictures, thank you for being here.
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Don’t Miss These: The Best Things to Do in Rwanda on Your Trip
I had the best time in Rwanda and believe that if you focus your time on the majority of these things to do in Rwanda, you will too!
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1. Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
There are many reasons to visit Rwanda, but the biggest one is trekking to see rare mountain gorillas. They are found only in one area, the Virunga Massif, which is split between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. Due to regional issues, Rwanda is the safest place to visit and see gorillas.
The first thing to know about trekking for gorillas in Rwanda is that it is not cheap. Each permit costs $1,500 per person. This helps fund conservation efforts and support the local community. (15% of the cost goes back to the area; 10% for infrastructure, and 5% direct monetary transfer. This helps show that keeping gorillas alive is better than poaching them.)
Book your gorilla tour – includes trekking permit, village visit, and driver 2,700 per person (Viator link)
Gorilla Trekking with Permit and driver ($2,200 per person)
Gorilla permit + driver in Volcanoes National Park (GetYourGuide link)
I know the price is steep and likely cost-prohibitive to many. But if you have the resources, this is a must-do. Forty years ago, many people expected the mountain gorilla to be extinct. As of 2025, there are now over 1,000 thanks to conservation efforts across the region.
Yes, it’s pricey, but this is hands down the best thing to do in Rwanda. It’s 1000% worth it and will create lasting memories.
What else to know:
- 12 groups see gorillas each day
- 8 people max per group
- Trackers follow them daily, and a guide takes you to them each morning
- You only get 1 hour with them
- Everyone must wear a mask around the mountain gorillas
Hire a driver to bring you to Volcanoes National Park
2. Safari in Akagera National Park
It might surprise you, but Rwanda offers a Big Five Safari.
After the genocide, some of the Big Five were poached and killed due to human/animal conflict. However, since 2010, they’ve refocused on conservation and reintroduced lions and rhinos. A good way to think about Akagera National Park is to think of it as a baby safari that is still trying to find its legs after years of neglect.
This was my first safari, and I had a blast, though it was slightly overwhelming at times. Due to it being the end of the dry season, parts of the game drive were totally empty. Maybe that’s standard anywhere, but I figured we’d be constantly seeing things.
While we didn’t get to see all five, we did see elephants, lions, and Cape buffalo. We also saw hippos, giraffes, zebras, and baboons.
3. Ziplining in Nyungwe National Park
Prior to this trip, I had done some low-key ziplining. But I had never done ziplining.
In Nyungwe National Park, on the western side of the country, they have a brand new ziplining course that is seriously awesome.
Starting from the visitor center/meeting place, the course has three increasingly longer experiences. The first time I launched off was a little nerve-racking. The second was much more fun. But once you come to the third, the distance starts to get into your head.
It’s more than half a mile of soaring over the lush green forests hundreds of feet below. Invigorating is an understatement. Just keep your momentum, or else you’ll end up drifting towards the center, as one of my friends did. (Don’t worry, they eventually got him.)
4. Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park
After your ziplining, head over to the three canopy walks 200 feet above the valley floor. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the forest and see the beautiful sights of Rwanda’s rolling hills.
To reach the canopy walk, you’ll have about a mile walk down and up. It’s pretty steep, and because you’re at altitude (around 7,500 feet), you’ll be breathing heavy.
You don’t have to do the ziplining beforehand, but I recommend it! If you’re here, might as well get the whole experience.
Book a trip to the national park for a canopy and waterfall trek
5. Visit the King’s Palace Museum
Let’s step back into Rwanda’s past. The King’s Palace offers a fascinating history lesson on past Rwandan Kings, both before and during colonialism.
It’s a really well-done tour, with parts of it taking place both outside and inside. You’ll get to see what traditional houses (huts?) were like, visit the Royal Cows and see their massive horns, and then transition into more modern times with the palace from the 1950s.
It was a nice place to stop and break up the drive to Nyungwe National Park, where we could learn more about the country’s history.
Book your tour and driver for the King’s Palace here.
6. Pay Your Respects at the Kigali Genocide Memorial
Boy. This was heavy – as expected.
It’s a fantastically done memorial and museum. Over 250,000 people, a chilling number, have been laid to rest on the grounds, most of them unnamed.
The unguided tour, if you want to call it that, is broken into two parts. An outdoor section, which includes visiting the mass graves, and then an inside section which delves deeper into pre-genocide, the build-up, the three months of horror, and life after the Rwandan genocide.
My words simply won’t do justice. Like any site honoring the lives of those lost, you have to visit to truly feel the power and grief that it holds.
7. Chimpanzee Trekking
I’m recommending it, but I’m not sure it’s one you’ll want to do for reasons I’ll cover below.
Chimpanzees are humans’ closest cousin, sharing 98.5% of our DNA. While I was more excited for the gorilla trek, I was looking forward to seeing how chimps would act in the wild.
And I’m still looking forward to that day.
The original chimpanzee trek we were supposed to do got canceled because the group got into an altercation with another group. So, that was a bummer. However, we got another one scheduled two days later. Unfortunately, the one available/closest to us was a smaller, more shy group.
Since our hotel wasn’t as close this time, we had a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call to head into the forest. We hiked for about 30 minutes before seeing them…for two minutes. They quickly scampered off, and we trekked after them – up and down ravines on hardly more than a game trail. But we never caught up to them.
Sadly, I only got blurry photos through the branches and leaves. (I kick myself because I had one good opportunity and missed.
So, should you do this? Well, that depends. Do you like risks?
It costs $200, and you will likely work very hard to find them. And there’s also a good chance you’ll never see them. Some people say they have the best time, while others never even get a chance.
Honestly, this is one you can probably skip unless you get good intel that they are behaving well and won’t scare easily.
8. Trek to see Golden Monkeys
I’m not sure if there’s a 100% success rate, but our experience with the golden monkeys was just about perfect.
We walked about a mile through farmland into Volcanoes National Park and almost immediately had dozens of Golden Monkeys zipping around the trees and on the ground. I’d consider the walk to be pretty straightforward. We had approximately 300 feet of elevation gain overall, but the terrain wasn’t particularly challenging.
It was a fun and beautiful experience. There was even a baby in the group that mom held onto every so tightly.
Book your trek with a private transfer from Kigali
9. Trek to see Black and White Colobus Monkeys
This is definitely one of the best things to do in Rwanda. It’s not too pricey, only $100 per person, and you get the same one-hour experience with the monkeys. They were adorable and playful. And their two babies stole the show.
Take a look at the video below. Your heart will melt!
As for the trek, we drove into the hills and walked a mile through tea leaf farms before heading down a steep slope. Fifty yards down, we stopped, and right in front of us were a family of Colobus Monkeys.
10. Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
The day before our gorilla trek, we had the opportunity to take a tour here. It’s a remarkably well-done exhibit, highlighting Dian Fossey’s life and the work that she and those after her have done to protect mountain gorillas.
They’ve even recreated the house that she lived in for a decade in the mountains during her gorilla research—a truly incredible story and place.
I would recommend either reading Gorillas in the Mist or watching it.
11. Spend an afternoon at the Red Rocks Cultural Center
It was nice to have a low-key morning to explore a local village and marketplace, and see the Red Rocks Cultural Center.
Here, they offer a variety of local experiences to help you better understand Rwandan culture. We took part in the banana beer-making process. We peeled the bananas, squashed them, and filtered them. (Obviously, we didn’t wait days for it to ferment).
At the end, they brought out previously made banana beer. It… had an interesting taste and one I’m sure requires getting accustomed to. But seeing the process was fascinating, and the entire center gets my strongest recommendation!
12. Take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema
On our final day of the road trip, after our morning safari, we took a boat wildlife tour on Lake Ihema. It was about 75 minutes long, getting us out onto the water. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in Rwanda.
We were lucky to have a solo elephant hanging out 25 feet from shore. S/he was a good photography subject, just hanging around, letting us soak up the views. Once it wandered back towards shore, we continued with the trip out to an island.
Here, we got up close to various birds, baby Nile crocodiles, and then, at the end, a giant adult croc. Eighteen months earlier, I had the chance to see Australian saltwater crocodiles. Which, thanks to some research, are even bigger than these African ones.
After going most of my adult life without seeing crocs, getting a chance to see two of the world’s largest reptilian species is pretty cool!
Book a 6-day trip around Rwanda: Gorilla trekking and safari included
Where to Stay in Rwanda
As an American, I was curious about how the hotel stays would be. And I can only speak about where I stayed. But the hotels below are phenomenal and were nothing short of perfect for our trip.
Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali
The Radisson Blu is one of Kigali’s top hotels with modern rooms, a pool, and plenty of space to relax. It’s attached to the Kigali Convention Centre, making it a hub for events and business travelers. A great place to start or finish your trip in comfort.
Find it on Expedia | Book on Booking.com
Kivu Marina Bay Hotel, Rusizi
Kivu Marina Bay sits right on Lake Kivu and is a comfortable base after exploring Nyungwe National Park. The hotel has a pool, lake views, and good food. It’s a nice spot to recharge between activities.
Kivu Cleo Hotel
Kivu Cleo Hotel offers luxury comfort with access to Lake Kivu and water activities. The rooms are modern, the service is exceptional, and it’s a fantastic place to stay in Western Rwanda. This was probably the nicest place we stayed on the entire trip.
They even have kayaks you can rent down on the lake. Everything about this place was phenomenal.
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Lake Kivu Serena Hotel
Kivu Serena Hotel in Gisenyi is a bigger property with resort-style amenities. There’s a pool, beach access, and a mix of local and international food options. It’s a good choice if you want both relaxation and easy access to the lake.
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
Five Volcanoes is situated near Volcanoes National Park, making it a convenient base for gorilla and golden monkey treks. The hotel offers comfortable rooms and a helpful staff that knows how to cater to the needs of trekking guests. It’s close to the park entrance, so you don’t have to waste time driving in the morning.
Plus, the food was phenomenal. I HIGHLY recommend this as where to stay before and after gorilla trekking.
Find your lodging on Expedia | Use Hotels.com
Mantis Epic Hotel & Suites, Nyagatare
Mantis Epic Hotel is a larger, modern hotel in Nyagatare. The rooms are spacious, and it’s a comfortable stop when traveling between Rwanda’s parks. It’s more of an overnight base than a destination, but it does the job well.
Mantis Akagera Game Lodge
Akagera Game Lodge is inside Akagera National Park, giving you quick access to safaris. The lodge has a pool, restaurant, and views over the park. It’s all about location here—perfect for maximizing game drive time. It’s a fantastic place to spend a night or more as you cross off the best things to do in Rwanda.
Kigali Serena Hotel
Kigali Serena is one of the nicest hotels in the city, with a great pool and relaxing garden area. The service is top-notch, and it’s a quiet place to unwind before heading home. A comfortable and reliable choice in Kigali.
More Professional Photos from Rwanda
Main Takeaways from Visiting Rwanda
Incredibly Clean
This is one clean country! There’s hardly any trash seen anywhere, and that’s on purpose. The country has made it a priority to be one of the cleanest countries in Africa (the world?) and has dedicated cleaning crews that keep the streets clean.
The last Saturday of each month is a national day of community service, where people come together to clean and improve their local areas.
Everyone’s Super Nice
I don’t think I saw anyone without a smile on their face. Everyone was incredibly friendly, hospitable, and kind. It definitely made the trip around Rwanda more enjoyable.
English is Common
Overall, you shouldn’t have any issues communicating in Rwanda. Yes, there may be some minor barriers, but overall, you’ll be able to communicate with locals in English. Still, it might be nice to come with some local language knowledge. (Muraho = hello/hi, murakoze = thanks)
I learned that English is taught in schools, and then people speak Kinyarwandan at home.
Water Infrastructure is fine, but it is still recommended to use water bottles
For westerners, it’s smart to use water bottles. I did happen to drink filtered water one evening and didn’t have any effects. The city of Kigali is reportedly equipped with decent water treatment facilities, but as you move further into rural areas, the quality may become less consistent.
To be safe, stick to water bottles.
There’s no issue with the water you shower with at most upscale hotels.
Roads are curvy and slow
If you get motion sick, Rwanda may not be the place for you. Rwanda is known as the land of 1000 hills, and that’s not wrong. The western half of the country is super hilly, and with that, the roads are very curvy. VERY.
The speed limit in most places is 60kmph, and you honestly couldn’t go much faster on these roads. If you drive yourself, keep things in perspective and realize your driving days will cover much less ground than what you do in the USA.
You can drive, but a guide might be easier
You’re more than welcome to rent a car in Kigali and drive around the country. We opted for a tour guide for our 10-day trip, which made things extremely easy. Not having to worry about directions, handling the chaotic driving situations inside Kigali, and all other logistics.
While many factors vary, you can likely expect to spend around $3,000-$5,000 per person for 10 days in the country. But it’s worth it to experience the top things to do in Rwanda without the stress.
High Police Presence
You’ll see police or the military (with AK-47s) standing around – seemingly not doing much – as you drive through the bigger cities. I’m sure it doesn’t seem unusual to locals, but coming from the US, you never see police just standing and watching traffic.
Rwanda is safe, but the western border with the DRC is the “issue”
Overall, Rwanda is quite safe. It has the same State Department rating as many European countries. However, its neighbor to the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is somewhat unstable due to militia groups and ongoing fighting that appears to have no end.
We stayed one night just a mile or so from the border on Lake Kivu and felt no unease or had any issues. However, the border area of the DRC is an area that the US advises you to avoid.
Hopefully, a recent peace deal will help make the area less volatile, keeping worries low as you continue checking off these best things to do in Rwanda.
Things are cheaper, but tourism prices are inflated for foreigners
All the main things to do in Rwanda are priced in tiers. Foriengers (in this case Americans) pay the highest amount, with the lowest pricing tier being far more affordable to local Rwandans.
The tourism team informed me that historically, Rwandans wouldn’t travel extensively because it was prohibitively expensive.
There’s not a lot of good information about the average income in Rwanda. Some estimates have it at $500-700 per month, others have it at less than $100. With so much of the country in agriculture, the wages are pretty low, and you’ll see it as you drive around the country.
Final Thoughts on the Best Things to Do in Rwanda
Rwanda was an absolute dream to visit, and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience it. Growing up in Arizona, seeing gorillas and other animals was only possible from behind glass at the zoo. Having the opportunity to observe them interact with each other, as they have for tens of millions of years, was incredible.
I know a trip to Rwanda is a big undertaking, but if you do make it, I’m confident you’ll love all of these best things to do in Rwanda.
If 12 is too many, I’d focus on these few things to do in Rwanda:
- At least one primate trek. Obviously, gorillas are the big attraction, but they are expensive. Golden Monkeys were the most accessible and were only $100.
- Ziplining was AWESOME.
- Make sure to get out to the Safari in Akagera National Park.
- Begin your trip at the genocide memorial, allowing you to appreciate how far the country has come in 30 years.
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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