Kigali Trips & Tours

Kigali

Get to know the Rwanda of today in its gleaming capital ‘community’.

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025

We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!

Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

Kigali

Clean, pretty and supremely peaceful, the capital is a cosmopolitan place with a sobering history.

There are African cities, noisy, bustling and glorious in their own right, and then there’s Kigali. Having not only survived its turbulent political past, the capital has positively blossomed into one of Africa’s most cosmopolitan hotspots. Safe and clean (the last Saturday of every month is reserved for hedge-clipping, rubbish-collecting and other novel community activities), it’s also remarkably picturesque, surrounded by emerald-green hills and sweeping valleys. Our advice? Don’t just stop for a night on the way to or from a gorilla trek but spend a couple of days exploring the jacaranda-ed boulevards, aromatic food markets and cafes and the eye-opening (and appealingly sensitive) genocide memorials.

Trips

Kigali Trips & Tours

Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch

Tanzania + Rwanda

Gorillas, Ngorongoro & the Serengeti

11 nights from $13.1K per person

Arusha Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti

Rwanda + Tanzania

A Rwanda & Tanzania combination

12 nights from $11.7K per person

Kigali Volcanoes National Park Serengeti

Tanzania + Rwanda

Primates of Tanzania & Rwanda

11 nights from $13.7K per person

Arusha Serengeti Rubondo Island

Rwanda

The highlights of Rwanda

8 nights from $6.8K per person

Kigali Akagera National Park Volcanoes National Park

Rwanda + Kenya

Gorillas & game parks: a bucket list adventure

9 nights from $11.2K per person

Kigali Volcanoes National Park Masai Mara

Rwanda + Uganda

Gorillas in Rwanda and wildlife in Uganda

10 nights from $10.8K per person

Kigali Volcanoes National Park Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Design a Custom Trip

Our Experts

Want to chat?

Get advice and suggestions to make this your perfect trip.

or call us on: +1 (646) 542 0667

Joanna Rigby-Jones

Rwanda Travel Specialist

Jenna Coiley

Rwanda Travel Specialist

Annie Irankunda

Rwanda Travel Specialist

Things to do

What to do in Kigali

Despite its turbulent past, Kigali is safe and incredibly friendly, and makes a wonderful welcome to the magic of Rwanda. History and culture are evident everywhere you look and a city tour should be number one on your list, no matter how long you are staying for. Highlights include the Inema Art Centre, a contemporary gallery showcasing work from East and Central Africa, the museum of natural history, the iconic Milles Collines hotel, and Kimironko Market, where you can spend your pennies on everything from fruit to fabrics, cookware to clothing. For a quick break in between, pop into Question for a cup of the good stuff and a glimpse into Rwanda’s booming industry. A stay in Kigali shouldn’t pass by without a visit to the Genocide Memorial. A necessary and sobering reminder of the country’s tumultuous history, it’s also a reminder of its bright future and the resilience of all who live here.

Open Map

Historical Places

When to go

Best time to visit Kigali

Excellent

Good

Mixed

january

Dry Season — one of the best times to visit

Articles

Rwanda in the blog

Planning Guides

Where to go gorilla trekking: Uganda or Rwanda?

A practical guide to choosing between Africa’s two great gorilla trekking destinations

Planning Guides

A Safari for One: How to Travel Solo with Confidence

Discover the African wild on a solo safari

Planning Guides

Best Rwanda lodges

From luxe lodges in primate-filled forests to camps in safari hotspots

Planning Guides

Rwanda: more than just gorilla trekking

Top activities to add to your trip

Planning Guides

An East Africa safari guide

What to know and where to go

Planning Guides

Experience Tanzania in luxury

Designer gems from Zanzibar to the Serengeti

Reviews

Based on 42 Feefo Reviews for Rwanda

Guest

Trip of a Lifetime

August 2026

10 nights in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda

This truly was a trip of a lifetime, and we wanted to share some of the highlights. The hotels were all amazing, and every single transfer was prompt. We felt so well taken care of throughout our travels. We loved the animals, the game drives, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking, and eating breakfast and lunch out in the bush was such a special touch. We even got to see the Big 5 all in one day, traveling from Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara! A special shoutout to our first driver, Ken. He truly set the tone for what an engaging game drive should be. His knowledge of the animals and nature made every drive memorable.

13 nights in Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda

Kristin Jessup and her team at Timbuktu Travel did not disappoint! The vacation they put together for us, in Tanzania and Rwanda, was amazing. The itinerary was adventurous and exactly what we wanted in an African adventure. Kristin took our dreams and transformed them into a reality. I highly recommend Timbuktu Travel and will use them anytime I am seeking a hassle free vacation filled with fun and adventure!

Guest

Unforgettable adventure.

June 2026

4 nights in Rwanda

Had another amazing adventure with Timbuktu. From Gorilla trekking to searching for the big five to relaxing on the beach I was secure in knowing Timbuktu had planned a seamless trip. Can’t wait to plan my next adventure.

Tony Joy

Great experience - highly recommended

April 2026

11 nights in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania

Wonderful experience - this is the second time I booked with Tessa for Africa safari. The first in 2024 was a great experience so I naturally came back to her this year. She is very knowledgeable (she has traveled to many of the camps herself), she listens before she suggests, and a pleasure to work with. Her communications are timely and clear / concise. I highly recommend Tessa and Timbuktu.

denis lamothe

Great service and flexibility

April 2026

14 nights in Rwanda and Kenya

So far only have made the reservations. The staff was very responsive and flexible and came up with different ideas that I hadn’t thought of.

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

Specialists Who've Been There

Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..