Travel Information
[info_list style=”circle with_bg” icon_color=”#5b941b” font_size_icon=”26″ icon_border_style=”solid” icon_border_size=”2″ border_color=”#5b941b” eg_br_style=”dotted” eg_br_width=”2″ connector_color=”#e6a226″ el_class=”.info_list_wrap”][info_list_item list_title=”Rwanda Visa Requirements and How to Obtain Them” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-cc-visa” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:24px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]We understand that travelers of all nationalities need to purchase a visa when traveling to Rwanda; currently (Feb 2019), this costs USD 30 and can be obtained on arrival. However, always check with your local Rwandan Embassy for the latest regulations; UK nationals will find details on the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in London website.

All non-Rwandan Foreign Non-Residents, except the nationals of a few exempted countries, require a visa to enter Rwanda. Nationals of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mauritius, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, and Singapore are allowed to enter Rwanda without a visa for a period not exceeding 90 days. [/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Rwanda Climate: What’s the weather like in Rwanda?” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-cloud” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:24px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]Blessed with a combination of tropical location and high altitude, Rwanda has a widely temperate year-round climate. Throughout the year, daily temperatures rarely stray above 30 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 degrees Celsius at night. Notable exceptions being chilly upper slopes of the Virunga high altitude mountains, in the northern part of the country and the hot low-lying Tanzania border, protected by Akagera national park in the eastern side. Nerveless, seasonal variations in temperatures are relatively insignificant and Rwanda is an ideal all-year-round tourist destination.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Communication: Official languages used in Rwanda” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-language” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:25px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]The local and native language is Kinyarwanda, spoken by all Rwandans. The official languages are French, English, and Kiswahili, spoken throughout East Africa. It should be emphasized that not all locals can express themselves in foreign languages, though a considerable number of hotels staff, airport officials, tour and travel agents, destination guides, shop attendants speak very well either English or French.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Health Requirements and Tips to Stay Safe in Rwanda” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-user-md” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:25px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]The yellow-fever certificate is a must to all visitors to Rwanda. Malaria is not a major concern due to the fact that most of the country lies at too high elevation. The following vaccinations are recommended, but not required when visiting Rwanda:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Malaria
  • Typhoid
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies

Bottled mineral drinking water is advised. Hospitals are available in all important towns. In collaboration with Akagera Aviation, the air ambulance is available for Emergency medical evacuations.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Power and Electricity: What you Need to know” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-bolt flash” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:25px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]Electricity is available in various corners and all tourist destinations of Rwanda. The county utilizes 230 volts. If you have a device that does not accept 230 volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter. Plugs have two round pins.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Getting There: Which transport means you ca use!” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-plane” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:25px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]Rwanda is well served and connected regionally and internationally by a number of airlines, including the national carrier; Rwandair, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. 

All international flights arrive at Kigali international airport, 10km from the city center. One of Rwanda’s assets is the ease of travel from place to place. With short distances and a good road network, it’s an obvious choice for the holiday of a lifetime.[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”When to Visit: Best Time of the Year to go to Rwanda” heading_tag=”h2″ list_icon=”Defaults-calendar-o” title_font_style=”font-weight:bold;” title_font_size=”desktop:25px;” title_font_color=”#5b941b”]Rwanda can be visited throughout the year. Gorilla tours and forest hikes are less demanding during the drier months. The European winter is the best time for birds, as Palaearctic migrants supplement resident bird species.[/info_list_item][/info_list]

General Information

What You Need To Know about Rwanda

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Rwanda is a landlocked republic in Equatorial Africa, located on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift, a western arm of the Great Rift Valley, on the watershed between Africa’s two largest river systems –the Nile and Congo. The country covers a total surface area of 26,338 Sq Km, spectacularly mountainous, the highest peak being Karisimbi 4,507 m above sea level in Virunga massif.

In her north, track the rare Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, or the habituated Golden Monkeys popularly referred to as the little sisters of the gorillas; or enjoy a day-long guided hike up one of the volcanoes in this beautiful national park. Tour Ibyi’Iwacu cultural village for a Rwandan cultural experience or join your Guide on a town tour of Ruhengeri including the local market where you meet, mix and mingle with the local people. In the south, Nyungwe rain-forest National Park is a fairytale land nature lover’s paradise with stunning scenery, guided forest hikes down the valleys to beautiful waterfalls; Tracking large troops of habituated Angola colobus Monkeys; get your adrenalin pumping on the Canopy Walk, the only one in East and Central Africa; Birding tours with expert guides; Track habituated Chimpanzees in Kyamudongo or enjoy Cultural interaction tours to some of the local tea plantations where you meet and mingle with local people. In Rwanda’s east, the small but incredibly beautiful Akagera National Park is big game country and home of the African Big-5; elephants, newly-introduced lions, rhinos, large herds of buffalo, even the elusive leopard when lucky, and milliard other plains game including eland and hippos and giant Nile crocodiles in Lake Ihema and her many other water bodies.

The Time Zone in Rwanda

There is no time difference between winter and summer months in Rwanda; it’s always two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).

Rwanda Currency 

Rwanda’s currency is the Rwandan franc (RWF). Currently (Feb 19), £1 = Rwf 1,1415, and US$1 = Rwf 875; you can check the latest exchange rates with www.oanda.com.

Rwanda’s International Dialling Code

The International Dialling Code is for telecommunication in Rwanda is +250. Calling from Rwanda, you need to dial 0044 for the UK, or 001 for the United States, followed by area code and the local number. Calls can be made with Rwandatel S.A., Rwanda’s largest company for telecommunications.

Rwanda Tour Packages

Three-Day Tour – Nyungwe Primates Tour

Three-Day Tour - Nyungwe Primates Tour Summary Explore one of the world’s most beautiful and unspoilt mountain rainforests on Three-Day

4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Expedition

This gorilla expedition will take you for a gorilla trekking and …

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Safari

This 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari starts in Rwanda’s capital Kigali …

9 Days Rwanda Cultural Tour & Gorilla Trekking

9 Days Rwanda Cultural Tour & Gorilla trekking Overview This 9 days Rwanda Cultural tours and Gorilla trekking start and

Four-Day tour – Classic Volcanoes National Park

Classic Volcanoes National Park Rwanda is one of the three refuges of the last families of mountain gorillas left in

IKAZE 2DAYS/1NIGHT RWANDA GORILLAS & LOCAL COMMUNITY TOUR

IKAZE 2DAYS/1NIGHT RWANDA GORILLAS & LOCAL COMMUNITY TOUR Day 1 Meet Ikaze representative, depart to Volcanoes National Park. Check-in, lunch

IKAZE 4DAYS/3NIGHT VOLCANOES PRIMATE TOUR

VOLCANOES PRIMATE TOUR Day 1 Meet & greet our representative, drive to Volcanoes national park. En-route, several stopovers planned for

2 Days Gorilla Trekking Rwanda

2 days of Gorilla excursion in Rwanda. This tour is the …

Two-Day tour – Nyungwe National Park

Two-Day tour - Nyungwe National Park Summary Explore one of the world’s most beautiful and unspoiled mountain rain-forests on two-Day

Popular Destinations
[interactive_banner banner_title=”Volcanoes National Park” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”Named after a chain of dormant volcanoes making up the Virunga massif, volcanoes national park covers 160 sq km in the northern province of Rwanda, 116 km (72miles) from Kigali. The park is a reservoir for the rich biodiversity and is one of the three destinations in the world where lucky visitors track the remaining families of mountain gorillas, widely portrayed as one of the marvelous wildlife encounters” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1471|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gorilla-volcanoes-national-park.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^gorilla-volcanoes-national-park|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link=”url:%2Fdestinations%2Frwanda%2Fvolcanoes-national-park%2F|||” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”][interactive_banner banner_title=”Nyanza Royal Palace” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”Nyanza is the pre-colonial capital of the Rwandan kingdom and currently the cultural heart of Rwanda. It is home of the Royal Palace Museum, steeped in history and tradition dating back over three centuries and recently refurbished, completely of local materials, to its former glory.” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1473|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Kings-Palace-Nyanza-Front.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^Kings-Palace-Nyanza-Front|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”]
[interactive_banner banner_title=”Nyungwe Forest National Park” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”One of Africa’s oldest natural forest and one the world’s most beautiful and unspoiled mountain rainforests, located in South West Rwanda. Nyungwe forest stayed green even through the ice age and this validates well its current diversity. Hotspot for primates, Nyungwe is home to over 400 chimpanzees and 12 other species primates, including sizeable groups of charismatic black & white colobus monkeys,” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1470|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/nyungwe-forest-national-park-rwanda.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^nyungwe-forest-national-park-rwanda|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link=”url:%2Fdestinations%2Frwanda%2Fnyungwe-forest-national-park%2F|||” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”][interactive_banner banner_title=”Iby’iwacu Cultural Village” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”Situated in Kinigi at the foothills of the Sabyinyo Volcano, ‘ex-Poachers’ as it is popularly referred to, is an award-winning conservation initiative where former poachers were persuaded to desist from poaching and instead come together to form this replica of a Rwandan traditional village with a king’s palace and four traditional huts …” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1475|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Iby’Iwacu-cultural-village-Tour.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^Iby’Iwacu-cultural-village-Tour|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fikazerwandatours.com%2Fcultural-experiences-rwanda%2F|title:Cultural%20Experiences%20in%20Rwanda||” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”]
[interactive_banner banner_title=”Akagera National Park” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”The park; named after the Akagera river that flows along its eastern boundary, covers 1,122 sq Km and is amongst the most scenic reserves on the continent, with a combination of fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains an rolling highlands. Akagera is home to many large plains game species including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, and species restricted to the papyrus swamp such as the sitatunga and much sought-after shoebill stork.” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1472|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Akagera-National-Park.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^Akagera National Park|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link=”url:%2Fdestinations%2Frwanda%2Fakagera-national-park%2F|||” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”][interactive_banner banner_title=”The Beauty of Kigali City” heading_tag=”h2″ banner_title_location=”left” banner_desc=”Kigali is a beautiful cosmopolitan city of 1m with wide boulevards, world-class hotels, restaurants, and entertainment spots, government, and diplomatic offices as well as an international airport. Lower Kigali around Nyabugogo open-air market is considered the heart of Kigali’s informal economy (a little crowded). Key landmarks include the” icon_disp=”with_heading” banner_icon=”Defaults-github” banner_image=”id^1474|url^https://ikazerwandatours.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/kigali-city.jpg|caption^null|alt^null|title^kigali-city|description^null” link_opts=”more” banner_link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fikazerwandatours.com%2Fhalf-day-tour-of-kigali-city%2F|title:Half%20Day%20Tour%20of%20Kigali%20City%2C%20Special%20Trip||” banner_link_text=”Get More Details” banner_link_bg_color=”#5b941b” banner_bg_color=”#e6a226″ banner_overlay_bg_color=”rgba(91,148,27,0.53)” banner_title_style=”font-weight:bold;” banner_title_font_size=”desktop:22px;” banner_desc_font_size=”desktop:14px;”]
Tour Activities in Rwanda
nyungwe

Primates Trekking in Rwanda
Rwanda is home to over 14 species of primates, including one of the human’s closest living relatives, ‘chimpanzees’, L’hoest monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, Blue monkeys, Vervet monkeys to name but a few. Not to miss are the ‘big 4 primates’

4 Days Rwanda Gorilla Expedition Tour

Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Widely regarded as one the greatest and life-changing wildlife experience, Rwanda is blessed to be home of one-third of the world remaining mountain gorillas population and remains the preferred gorilla tracking destination. Gorillas are a bucket list favorite for many

2 Days Akagera National Park

Akagera Game Drive Experience
Akagera is Rwanda’s ideal safaris destination, considered as one of the most scenic and diverse parks in Africa. The park boasts the largest protected wetland in central Africa as well. Night game drives are available to spot some of the most sought after and rarely-seen species such as

canopy-walk-in-Nyungwe

Nyungwe Canopy Walk
Rwanda is one of Africa’s most rewarding bird destinations, with over 1,450 bird species (of which 27 are Albertine Rift endemics), mainly residents of the three important bird areas namely Volcanoes national park (178 species), Akagera national park with over …

congniletrail

Congo Nile Trail & Biking
This 227km (141 miles) trail stretching the Kivu belt, a lakeside corridor starting in Rubavu, continues through Rutsiro via Karongi and Nyamasheke districts and ends at Rusizi. The trail is of exquisite landscapes, which include rolling hills and clear waters. 

tea plantations

Tea & Coffee Plantation Tours
Ikaze Rwanda arranges tea tours across various places in Rwanda. Hiking within tea plantations in areas around Gisovu, Gisakura and Nyungwe guarantees you rare views and there, you learn first hand how tea leaves are harvested, processed and up until you test on the cup of fresh tea.