Are you planning to have a visit to Rwanda in 2025 and you really do not know which places to go to? You are sorted! Below are some of the tourist places where you can have fun and also create unforgettable Rwanda tours experiences at an affordable price. These places and attractions are worth visiting and should not leave Rwanda before paying a visit to them.
Kigali Genocide Memorial. A permanent National genocide memorial in remembrance of more than one million victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The memorial is a place of remembrance and learning where more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide have been laid to rest. Many people who lost loved ones in the Genocide visit to remember and grieve. There is no entrance fee and donations are gratefully accepted.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial Virtual Tour offers a convenient way to access the Memorial’s exhibitions from anywhere in the world. It provides a powerful and immersive experience, fostering a deeper understanding of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Development of sustainable livelihoods, trauma healing and peace education of the kind pioneered here at the Kigali Genocide Memorial have a key role to play in mitigating conflict especially as mass migration increases due to climate change.
Dian Fossey Museum. The Dian Fossey Museum is found in Musanze just outside Volcanoes National Park Rwanda in between Mount Bisoke and Mount Karisimbi. Dian Fossey museum is about 2 hours’ drive from the heart of Kigali. This is where Dian Fossey used to stay and its where she used to make her research from. This museum is where the belongings of the late Dian Fossey are kept and even the remains of some poached gorillas can be found here conservation and protection. Apart from this museum, sometimes Dian Fossey used to relax at Hotel Muhabura. It is only at this museum where primate travelers can get facts about the success story of gorilla protection and conservation.
The museum was founded in remembrance of Dian Fossey for her big role she played about the protection of gorillas.
It is highly recommendable for someone to pay a visit to this museum after or before gorilla trekking. It was founded to help extend Dian Fossey Fund conservation and education initiatives to students and communities adjacent to the park. A suggested donation of $20 per adult is requested while on your tour at Dian Fossey Museum.
On your visit to Dian Fossey Museum, you can still go for a hike at Dian Fossey’s graves in case if you get a chance. This hike is started by following the footsteps of Dian Fossey. Dian Fossey was a famous American Primatologist who spent 18 years in the forest working towards saving the mountain gorillas from extinction. She is the lady premiered in the popular 1988 Movie “Gorillas in the Mist” which brought attention of the mountain gorilla conservation to the world. She was buried in the same area with one of her favorite gorilla Digit.
Lake Kivu. It is located in western Rwanda and is shared with Democratic Republic of Congo with beautiful beaches, great tropical weather and beautiful scenery. The lake provides the ideal place for rest and recuperation while on your safari in Rwanda. Some of the activities on the lake include sunbathing, swimming and water sports like Kayaking, wind surfing and canoeing.
It is an extraordinarily beautiful inland sea enclosed by steep, green terraced hills and Islands. It is easily accessible from Kigali and all the national parks such as Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park. It is located on the tourism circuit making it an ideal stopover while you explore Rwanda.
Lake Kivu covers most of the western border of Rwanda with main tourist areas being Gisenyi, Kibuye, and Cyangugu which lie along the lake’s shores.
IbyI’wacu Cultural Village. IbyI’wacu cultural village is one of the community owned enterprises in Rwanda which was started with a major aim to address local community conflicts with mountain gorilla conservation around volcanoes national park in Nyabigoma Kinigi in Musanze district north of Rwanda.
IbyI’wacu people used to depend on Volcanoes National Park resources through illegal poaching for bush meat, timber, wood and water collection and wild honey gathering which were restraining conservation of gorillas and other wildlife. Later these people were taught about the goodness of protecting wildlife and a demarcated piece of land was given to them and that’s where they are currently staying.
People from IbyI’wacu Cultural Village involve in various projects with the aim of changing the lives of people through enterprise development where individuals use arts and crafts to start up community-based tourism business which helps them to earn a living from sale of craft products to tourists who come to visit the village.
The cultural village also provides conservation support through educating locals about sustainable agriculture projects including vegetable growing, bee keeping, goat rearing as alternative resources of livelihood apart from depending on the forest products.
In 2011 the village successfully initiated a project called “goats for gorillas” with the aim that for each tourist who goes on gorilla trekking safari, gives an amount equivalent to a goat which goes to every local household living near volcanoes national park. There is no much poaching in Volcanoes National Park since the IbyI’wacu people no longer depend on the bush meat but rather depend on the income they generate from sustainable farming and goat rearing which guarantees economic and food security.
People who visit IbyI’wacu Cultural Village have an opportunity to explore the unique traditional rural life of Rwandan culture, traditions, beliefs with well-established activities that tourists can engage or participate in with the help of experienced local guides who will share stories about their lifestyles.
Anyone wishing to experience the best of Rwanda’s distinct cultures and traditions, the best place he or she should visit is IbyI’wacu Cultural Village.
On your visit to this village, you can get the opportunity of enjoying traditional dances, music and drama performed by the local residents. You will listen to different local musical sounds such as Ibyivugo, Umuduri, Amakondera, Ingoma, Agakenke, Iningiri, and others. The amazing bit about these sounds is that they are unique to each other and special instruments are used to play them. The Intore dance is performed by men with little bells wrapped around their legs. The young and energetic men and women dance with endless smile and happy faces. To enjoy more of their performances, it is advisable to at least spend a night with them and tourists sleep over in hunts within the village. A visit to IbyI’wacu Cultural Village you pay USD35 per person.
Musanze Cave. This cave is located 2km from the town center along the road to Gisenyi in Musanze district particularly in Ruhengeri. It can also be accessed through the road that goes to Kinigi. This cave is believed to have resulted from volcanic activity where the lava formed several layers and hence leading to creation of Albertine Rift Valley. Musanze Cave is a tourist attraction in Rwanda a home to thousands of Bats. You can visit Musanze Cave at only 55USD.
It said that cave no longer gets high number of tourists due to high price entry though it is worth visiting. Operators say that the increase in price came after denying people from paying through the Rwanda Development Board office in Musanze but rather to pay through the Rwanda Development Board office which is beyond Kinigi.
The amazing thing about visiting Musanze cave is that you are in position to explore the unique art pieces showcased by the locals.
Before entering the caves, tourists are provided with helmets to protect themselves from the bats, tourists are always advised to cover their mouths when in the cave and advised to use torches because of the darkness in the caves. When in the cave, tourists are advised to move within their group and not divert because the cave has a lot of corners, hence can end up getting lost.
Musanze caves have more than 31 entrances and they all give access to the interior part of the caves. The main entry size to the caves is as small as that of the cathedral. Exploring Musanze caves entirely involves walking through the 2km long dark tunnel with hardened rocks.
Things to move along with on your cave exploration in Musanze include strong torch, head cap, helmet, hardy gloves, good hiking or walking boots, snacks, bottled water, insect repellent, rain jacket among others.
In addition to exploring Musanze caves, tourists can also take on different activities including hand-on experiences like basket weaving; learn how locals use hunting tools like bows and arrows; local beer making – Ugwagwa and they will also show you the local brew that they make using a particular banana species.
On your tour to Volcanoes National Park, a visit to Musanze cave must be added to your package.
Azizi Life Experience. Azizi Life specializes in hosting families, mission teams and school groups.
All the Azizi life Experiences start from the main office and boutique in Byimana, Ruhango in the Southern Province about 1 hour drive from Kigali. All these experiences were discovered by the Artisans. The Artisans are parents and grandparents, they are farmers, they are friends, and they are role models. They laugh and bring laughter, they cry and comfort those around them, they live life and impact their communities in a unique way. These groups of remarkable women and men are supporting and coaching one another in their craft and in their lives as a whole.
On your day of engaging in the Azizi Life Experience, you join your artisan hostesses in their village for a morning of family chores, a simple, home-cooked lunch and an afternoon for learning how to craft. All the experiences carried out, you have to move along with a good translator, you will love sharing life, work, conversation and laughter with the artisans and their families.
There are a lot of activities carried out in this Azizi Life Experience which include traditional pottery, traditional coffee experience, Imigongo Experience (cow dung art), traditional construction, banana juice making, traditional cooking day, traditional drumming and dancing, candle dipping and hive making, home stay experience and crafting workshop experiences. Among the those many activities, the choice is in the hands of a tourist to participate in what he or she wants. Azizi life experience activities take a full day. All the activities you participate in requires you to start with collecting all the materials you need to engage in that activity.
Akagera National Park. It is found in eastern Rwanda and is a 2500 square kilometer of mainly Savannah land. The park was named after Kagera River that flows along Rwanda’s eastern boundary with Tanzania. The river feeds into Lake Ihema and other smaller lakes in and around the park.
The park protects an African Savannah landscape of acacia and bush with patches of open grassland and a dozen swampy lakes. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms a large protected wetland. Akagera national park is the only Savannah national park in Rwanda and the only place to sight most of the large mammals such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffe, zebras, leopards, hyenas, lions and many others.
The park is also a home to several antelopes like bush bucks, Topis, Oribis, water-buck, roan antelope and duiker, klipspringer, impala and world largest antelope – the Cape eland. All those animals can be spotted while on a game drive. The common primates seen in this park are olive baboons, Vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and bush babies and they can be spotted on night drives. While on a boat cruise at lake Ihema, one can be able to spot hippos and crocodiles when they are sun bathing.
This park habitats a wide variety of about 500 bird species such as shoe bill, papyrus Gonolek, African Wattled Plover, Giant Kingfisher, Senegal Lapwings, Squacco Herons, African Open bill stock, Grey Crowned Crane, African Darter, Long-toed and Water Thick-knee, fish eagles, Cattle Egret, Hamerkop, Sacred and Hadada Ibis, Augur Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, and Pied Crow. Black-headed and Viellot’s Black Weavers, Grey-backed Fiscals, Fan-tailed Widow bird and Caruther’s Cisticola and many others.
Apart from game drives and boat cruise, visitors can also engage in a lot of activities such as cultural tours, bird watching, sport fishing and cultural tours. This park is endowed with a variety of accommodation facilities such as Wilderness Magashi Camp, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, Akagera Game Lodge and many other lodges.
From Kigali, the park can be accessed from through Rwamagana town.
Nyungwe Forest National Park. It is found in western Rwanda and is one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine rain forests. It is dominated by a series of mountains originating in northern Uganda and Congo running south through the Rwenzori mountains, western Rwanda and Burundi, to the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Nyungwe Forest National Park offers scenic views over the Lake Kivu and sometimes the Virunga ranges on a clear day. The forest has an extensive network of well-maintained walking and hiking trails to various waterfalls and viewing points. The prime activities in Nyungwe Forest are chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, colobus monkey trekking and the canopy walk.
The park houses a number of primates such as chimpanzees, silver monkey, golden monkey, owl-faced monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, vervet monkey, olive baboon, dent’s Mona Monkey, blue Monkey, Angolan Colobus Monkeys among others.
Nyungwe forest is home to about 300 species of birds with 16 endemics, 27 Albertine rift endemics, and 121 forest species. The bird species include; Chestnut Owlet, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, Great Blue and Ruwenzori Turacos, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, , Stripe-breasted Tit, the remarkable Red-collared Babbler, Archer’s Robin Chat, White-bellied Robin Chat, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Handsome Francolin Mountain Masked, Black-faced, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Purple-breasted and Regal Sun-birds, Chestnut-throated, Collared Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, Neumann’s Short-tailed Warbler, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher and many other species.
The accommodation around Nyungwe forest is limited to about 3 places. You can alternatively choose to spend the night by Lake Kivu in Cyangugu where you might find several accommodations facilities such as One & Only Nyungwe House, Nyungwe Top view lodge, EAR Guesthouse, Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel, Emeraude Kivu Resort among others. From Kigali, you can access the park through Nyanza to Huye.
Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is a national park in northwestern Rwanda. It covers 160 km2 of rain forest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. It is home to the mountain gorilla and the golden monkey and was the base for the primatologist Dian Fossey. The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Bisoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first national park to be created in Africa.
The park was used by Dian Fossey as a research center about the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Bisoke. From then on, she spent most of her time in the park and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.
Fossey’s life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist named after her autobiography. She was buried in Karisoke near her favorite gorilla Digit.
The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities including visiting the gorillas were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltration by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.
The park is best known for the mountain gorillas and visiting here don’t miss the unforgettable gorilla trekking safari at an affordable price quote. Other mammals include: golden monkey, black-fronted duiker, African buffalo, spotted hyena and harnessed bush buck. The bush buck population is estimated to be between 1760–7040 animals. The park also houses a number of African elephants though they are very rare. Apart from gorilla trekking, the park conducts a variety of activities such as Musanze Caves Hike, visiting the Tomb of Dian Fossey, Golden Monkey trekking and Volcano climbing.
There are a variety of accommodation facilities which include; Wilderness Bisate, Sabyinyo Silver back Lodge, Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Virunga Lodge, One & Only Gorilla’s Nest Lodge, Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Village, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Hotel Muhabura, La Palme Hotel and many other lodges.
Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is dedicated to the conservation, protection and study of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. This successful integrated approach includes close collaboration with local governments and communities as well as partners from around the world. Ellen Campus is a gateway for conservation in Africa and helps to educate tourists and local communities on the importance of conserving gorillas as well as provide a state-of-the-art facility to train the next generation of conservationists. The Ellen Fund supports global conservation efforts for endangered species.
The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund opened in 2022 and is located near Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda a home to the mountain gorillas. It represents the culmination of a 20-year dream to build a world-class research and education center to continue Dian Fossey’s legacy and advance work of saving gorillas from extinction.
The Ellen Campus is open to the public every day. Visitors can explore state-of-the-art exhibits that tell the story of 55+ years of gorilla conservation, visit the gift shop featuring locally made crafts, grab a coffee or meal at the Gorilla Café, enjoy lush nature trails and meet with Fossey Fund staff who have dedicated their careers to saving gorillas.
Our Lady of Kibeho Shrine. Kibeho is a small site located in the southern part of Rwanda, in the administrative district of Nyaruguru. Since November 28th, 1981, Kibeho is known to be a place of apparitions and pilgrimage. As Mons. Augustin Misago, Bishop of Gikongoro, wished it in his Declaration bearing the final judgement on the event of the “Apparitions of Kibeho” (N ° 14), Kibeho is called to become a place of prayer for God seekers, who come to ask for the grace of conversion, to offer their intentions in reparation of the sins of the world, and to promote reconciliation between individuals, communities or nations.
Kibeho is becoming a rallying point for “those who were dispersed”, as well as for those who live the values of compassion and brotherhood without limits. Kibeho is a place to remind us of the Gospel of the Cross.
It’s a quiet and lovely place for prayer and reflection. Situated on top of the many hills in Rwanda. You may require the local bus shuttle services in case you get stuck.
Books and videos about the history of shrine are available for sale at the offices behind the church. The Statue of Lady Kibeho is also found there, where Mary is believed to have first appeared. The Isoko is found at the bottom of the hill.
On your lucky day, you may even get a chance of seeing mother Mary. During your visit, the sun may change colours and mother Mary emerge from it. Every year there about 100,000 pilgrims who come to visit Kibeho. So, visit and experience your own miracles.
Ivuka Arts Kigali. Ivuka Arts Center was the first of the kind space in Rwanda which opened its doors to the public with a major objective of discovering and nurturing local artistic talent.
It was founded in 2007 by artist Colin Sekajugo. Ivuka Arts started as a center to introduce modern art to Rwanda. A group of seven at the outset, the artists had a place to work together and work with the local community. The lack of arts education in Rwanda inspired the group to invite young locals to learn to paint.
Encouraging young artists has kept Ivuka’s moving and growing. In the beginning the artists were just surviving on the earnings from their art. Now, the ever-expanding group are internationally recognized. They have done exhibits and installations in the US, the UK, Japan and Rwanda.
At Ivuka Arts, visitors are warmly welcomed to see the gallery, watch the artists at work and just hang out and enjoy the great company and the view. Ivuka is open every day between 8am and 7pm.
Ivuka Arts is nestled in sunny Kacyiru just 15-minute walk from the Umubano bus stop.
Mt. Kigali. Mount Kigali is one of the two mountains that can be found in Kigali city the capital of Rwanda, which interests travelers in different activities. It boasts over 300 m prominence and has a road to the top, but the summit area is occupied by military facilities and is technically off limits.
From Mount Kigali, you can be able to view of the city. Mount Kigali is one the eye-catching land forms that can be seen in the city. The mountain got its name from many hills that joined to form it.
For those of you who haven’t quite ventured into the world of hiking, Mount Kigali is the ultimate beginner’s welcome mat. And for the hike addicts out there, it’s enough to get your blood pumping without leaving you gasping for air.
Nyamirambo Women’s Centre. The Nyamirambo Women’s Centre (NWC) was established with the aim to support local, disadvantaged women to continue their education and training, and to gain better opportunities for employment.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center is a cooperative by local women which offers skills to other women in the area as a way of uplifting them economically and socially. The center teaches basket weaving, handcraft making, cooking, computer literacy, sewing among others. You can visit the center to see a variety of handcrafts made by the women or you can book to join a class of some activities such as cooking local dishes and weaving.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center also organizes a Nyamirambo walking tour. Nyamirambo is one of the most vibrant suburbs of Kigali. This is a great tour to discover the way of life of the local Rwandans living in the suburbs. You will check out the local markets, the local businesses, chat with the local people along the way. At the end of the walking tour, you can be hosted for a lunch at one of the local residents of Nyamirambo and this is if you started the tour in the morning. The walking tour is normally done as a half day experience starting in the morning and it takes about 3 hours.
This center offers accommodation of 2 double bed rooms with good amenities such as shower and wireless internet connection.
Art galleries. For the art lovers, Kigali has a range of art galleries for you to savor. Inema Art gallery is the most popular and if you are to include an art gallery in your Kigali day tour then this is one of the highly recommended galleries. The Inema art gallery is the heart of Inema Art Center. It hosts a permanent show for artists in residence with new paintings hung every day. You can visit the Inema Studio to see artists painting and producing live. The art gallery showcases artists from around the world.
The gallery’s café is the best when it comes to serving the best coffee and is the perfect place to go when looking for great live music in Kigali. The art gallery hosts Inema Yoga and dancing classes.
The Presidential Museum. It is located in Kigali about 2 km from Kigali International Airport. This museum served as a home to Juvenal Habyarimana’s and Pasteur Bizimungu during 1970s till late 1990s. The Presidential Museum is one of the new museums in Kigali. It gives visitors a chance to visit the former state house as well as get an overview of Rwanda’s history.
The presidential museum is one of the most memorial visited places in Kigali. The museum is visited by tourists who eagerly want to see the remains of the flight debris of the FALCON 50 presidential plane and experience the former president’s way of living. This museum can be visited any day of week and its always open from 09:00am to 05:00pm. Entrance fee for non-residents is Rwf 6,000 and those with a resident visa pay Rwf 5,000, but be sure to bring your residency card as they do check and those wishing to take some photography are charged extra fee of Rwf 2000.
The gardens outside this museum are well maintained and in a perfect condition with several beautiful trees and flowers of all varieties but also have stone walkways. The compound of the Presidential Museum also features a swimming pool, a tennis court, playground equipment as well as an outdoor bar.
Near the middle of the behind garden exists some remains of a concrete pond that once stored the former President’s most treasured pet-a 300-pound python that was always used for fending off evil spirits.
This Museum can be accessed by the road that leads to the Kigali International Airport before proceeding to drive for a few kilometers until Kanombe Military Hospital. You will then proceed and change from tarmac to murram road until Kanombe Primary School and turn left where you will see the entrance of the Museum.
Rwandan genocide memorial centers. The Rwandan genocide memorial centers are spread all over the country with some more prominent than others commemorating the Rwandan genocide of 1994. It is believed that over 800,000 people were killed in a space of 100 days starting in April 1994. The centers have exhibits of remains, photographs, and personal belongings like clothing, shoes of the genocide victims. The genocide centers act as a reminder of the evil act of genocide and an appeal that it should never be repeated in Rwanda or anywhere in the world. The centers are places of solace, mourning and link for survivors with their dead relatives and friends. People come over at different times throughout the year but more especially during the national mourning time in April of every year. Some of the major memorial centers are highlighted below and, on your itinerary, you can choose any of them you want to visit.
- a) Kigali Genocide Memorial Center. The Kigali genocide memorial center is located 10 minutes’ drive from the city center in Gisozi. It is the final resting place of 250,000 Rwandans killed in the genocide. It is run by AEGIS a UK Non-Governmental Organization committed to stop genocides from happening around the world.
The center has different exhibit places with space of skulls of survivors and their personal belongings, photographs of survivors, reconciliation efforts and genocide perpetrators. Another space has photographs and descriptions of genocides that have happened around the world showing that this indeed is not a Rwandan problem but a world problem that should never happen again.
- b) Murambi Genocide Memorial. Murambi genocide memorial set on the grounds of former Murambi technical school near Murambi town is by far the most difficult memorial to visit because of the bodies and skeletons of genocide victims on display. One can almost recognize and identify a survivor if indeed they were a relative or friend. Tutsi were advised to hide in the technical school with pretext that French soldiers would protect them but alas, it was a trap. After gathering there, they had no food and were attacked by the militia. The site has several mass graves with former classrooms acting as exhibition rooms.
- c) Nyamata Genocide Memorial. Nyamata genocide memorial center is a former church located 30 km south of Kigali in Bugesera. The center commemorates the 25,000 Rwanda genocide victims buried here. This is one of the darker sites in Rwanda after Murambi genocide memorial.
It is unfortunate that many Tutsi people gathered here considering it a safe sanctuary because previously churches were seen as safe places. Little did they know that this building was a pure death trap as opposed to life. The Tutsi’s had locked themselves up in the church seeking safety but were shocked when Hutu militias forced open the doors open with hand grenades and reigned on them with machetes. You will find clothes and national ID cards of the dead victims on the church pews with blood spread all over the place. The alter cloth is still stained with blood from the massacre of the several victims. Outside the church are mass graves for your visits.
- d) Nyanza Genocide Memorial. Nyanza genocide memorial is located on the grounds of Kigali’s Ecole Technique Officielle in Kicukiro district. This often acts as the grounds for the genocide anniversary commemorations which happen yearly in April. It holds the graves of more than 10,000 genocide victims abandoned by the Belgian UN peacekeeping forces as the genocide intensified. The UN forces left these Tutsi’s in the hands of their massacres by not airlifting them to the safety.
- e) Bisesero genocide memorial is located 60 km from Kibuye, Rwanda with 40,000 people said to have died here. This genocide memorial site is a story of resistance of the Tutsi’s against their attackers the Hutu’s in the hills of Bisesero where they used stones and sticks to counter the Hutu attack.
- f) Ntarama genocide memorial is an hour’s drive from Kigali. It is a former catholic church where 5000 people were massacred. It is much smaller than the other church genocide memorial sites because it was a small village parish. Just like the others, the Tutsi’s came here for refuge assuming that it would be safe but were shocked by attacks from the Hutu militias, who in some place accessed the building by removing bricks one by one.
- g) Nyarubuye genocide memorial site is located 140 km from Kigali is Catholic Church where 2000 Rwandan were killed. It is said that Sylvestre Gacumbitsi the then mayor of the district was involved in distributing arms and encouraging Hutu’s to use rape and later maim and kill the Tutsi’s. Unlike Ntarama and Nyamata genocide memorial sites, Nyarubuye was restored into a church and is currently used by people in the area with the memorial center adjacent to the church.
Rwanda museums. Rwanda is very committed to keeping and sharing their history with both the locals and international visitors hence the government’s commitment to keep on funding the Museums. The institute of Museums of Rwanda comprises of 6 museums in total with headquarters in Huye district located throughout the country open for visitors throughout the year. Below are the different museums in Rwanda and their locations.
- a) Kings Palace Museum. The Kings palace museum is located in Nyanza which is 85 km from Kigali. Nyanza became the royal capital of the Kingdom under the reign of King Yuhi V Musinga in 1899. Over the years with development and abolition of the Kingdom, the palaces suffered destruction but have been renovated. The royal palace acted as the place where decisions on running the kingdom were made and had the best artistic impressions of building architecture of the time. Today on your visit to the palace, you will enjoy the beauty and learn more about the lifestyle of the ruling class and Rwandan culture plus the history and culture of Rwandan people. The palace has also been restored and is open for visitors.
- b) Rwesero Arts Museum. Rwesero arts museum is located in Nyanza district which is about 85 km from Kigali. The museum was built initially as residence for King Mutara III Rudahingwa but unfortunately, he passed on before he could reside there. The museum displays contemporary artwork showing how it derives its inspiration from the Rwandan traditional and national history. Its location on Rwesero hill gives you a panoramic view of Nyanza and its environs. It is strategically located en route to Nyungwe forest national park from Kigali so you can consider stopping over for rich Rwandan history and buy yourself some artwork.
- d) The Ethnographic Museum. The national museum of Rwanda is located in Huye district which is en route to Nyungwe forest national park, 132 km from Kigali. It is the largest and most known of all the museums of Rwanda. The museum boasts of some of the best ethnographic and archaeological collections in East Africa of more than 10,000 artifacts. These materials include maps, photos, art objects and artifacts documenting hunting, fishing, basketry, pottery, textiles, woodcarving and metallurgy. The tour guides at the museum are knowledgeable and friendly as they take you around sharing this history.
You will get insights of not only pre – colonial times but also the development curve of Rwanda and its cultural history. This is highly recommended stopover for you on your way to Nyungwe forest to break the journey but to also give a glimpse in more of Rwanda beyond the national parks, wildlife and cities.
- e) Rwanda Museum of Natural History. Rwanda museum of natural history also known as Kandt house is located in Kigali city on Nyarugenge hill. It was the former residence of Richard Kandt a German scientist and imperialist who was the first to reside in Rwanda as all the former governors where ruling from outside Rwanda. His home was converted into the Museum of Natural History by the Rwandan government to celebrate him and his work and to symbolize the evolution of the ground, animals, and plants showing their interdependence on each other.
- f) Museum of Environment. The Rwandan Museum of environment is located next to Lake Kivu in Karongi district. This is the perfect location because Lake Kivu is one of Rwanda’s major environmental assets. The museum acts as an educational aid on how to co-exist and utilize natural resources in a sustainable way. Its mandate is to educate the public on how to utilize the environment without destroying it and therefore benefit from it for generations. A visit to this museum will give you a glimpse of climate change in relation to Rwanda and how the people and government respond to it.
Mukura Forest Reserve. The Mukura Forest reserve is located within the Albertine Rift Region in Rwanda’s Western Province, within the Congo-Nile crest. The Mukura Forest Reserve is a protected reserve in the northwest part of Rwanda, covering about 16 km2. Mukura is now an isolated chunk of forest.
Mukura was designated in 1951 and originally covered an area of 30,000 hectares. However, nearly half of the total forest cover and biodiversity has been lost since leaving the forest with an area of only 16,000 hectares.
The average annual temperature of Mukura Forest is 15 °C. The forest rises to an average height of 2,600 meters above sea level and receives 1,500 mm of rainfall annually. It used to be part of a continuous mountain forest from Nyungwe to the Volcanoes Park.
The reserve has about 163 species of birds.
Gishwati Forest Reserve. The Gishwati Forest Reserve is situated not far from Lake Kivu, in the north-western part of Rwanda. This reserve is part of the Gishwati Forest which is one of the protected areas in the country.
Between 1978 and 1986, a large portion of the Gishwati forest reserve of about 80% was covered by forests until 1994 when the Rwanda genocide forced a large number of Rwandans to flee their homes and settle within the forest reserve. Due to the Rwanda genocide a large part of this reserve and also the wildlife were destroyed.
Gishwati Forest Reserve used to extend to west and far Lake Kivu and leading into the tropical rain forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The southern part of this forest reserve connected with Nyungwe National Park.
The reserve has about 58 tree species and shrubs including various indigenous hardwoods and bamboo. There is also a variety of Eastern chimpanzees, golden monkeys, the blue monkeys and the L’Hoest monkey. Other wildlife species can be found in this forest include; the river hog, African golden cat, the black front duiker and southern tree hyrax.
It is endowed with about 84 bird species including wood hoopoes, mountain yellow warbler and old-world warbler and many other species.
The Gishwati Forest Reserve is a source of livelihood of about 100 Rwandans living around the area. The reserve a big scientific of role of maintaining the soil’s fertility and preventing erosion. The reserve boosts ecotourism in Rwanda through its rich biodiversity.
