Rwanda Adventures

Rwanda offers forested mountains, remarkable wildlife and rich cultural landscapes, with the best regions to explore including Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe Forest, Lake Kivu, Kigali and the Virunga Mountains.

Volcanoes National Park: Volcanoes National Park protects rainforest slopes where travellers trek to encounter endangered mountain gorillas.

Nyungwe Forest: Nyungwe Forest offers canopy walks and wildlife exploration in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests.

Lake Kivu: Lake Kivu’s scenic shoreline and islands create one of Rwanda’s most beautiful landscapes.

Virunga Mountains: The Virunga volcanoes form dramatic highland scenery along Rwanda’s northern frontier.

Kigali: Rwanda’s capital Kigali offers insight into the country’s culture and history.

The best time to travel to Rwanda for trekking, hiking and wildlife exploration is generally June to September and December to February, when drier conditions make forest trails easier to explore.

Rwanda has a tropical highland climate with moderate temperatures year round, typically ranging between 15°C and 27°C (59°F–81°F).

The wetter months bring lush green landscapes across the country’s forests and mountains. While trails may be wetter, the scenery can be especially vibrant.

Rwanda is +2 hours ahead of UTC/GMT

Kinyarwanda, French, English, Swahili (all official)

Rwandan Franc

US dollars cash are by far the easiest foreign currency to exchange in Rwanda. It can either be changed to RWF or used directly (but often at a lower rate). We recommend you only take USD notes from 2006 or newer; older or torn notes are not accepted. We suggest bringing some smaller denomination notes as well as 20’s, 50’s and 100’s.

Credit cards are of very little use. Some big hotels in Kigali will accept them but be prepared for high merchant fees. Visa and Mastercard only are accepted. Diners and Amex are NOT accepted anywhere in Rwanda.

Do not rely on ATM machines as there are only a few in the whole of Kigali that are internationally connected and even then they cannot be guaranteed to work.

+250

Electricity in Rwanda is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

Citizens of Commonwealth countries are eligible for free-of-charge 30-day tourist visas on arrival. This is available at Kigali International Airport and all land border crossings. This applies to the following countries as part of the Commonwealth:

Australia

New Zealand

Canada

United Kingdom

Key Details for Commonwealth countries:

Visa Type: 30-day tourist visa (free of charge).

Requirements: A passport valid for at least 6 months.

Vaccination: A yellow fever certificate is required for travelers over 1 year of age.

It is always advised to check the latest travel advice before departure.

Visas for Rwanda are required for all passport holders from the United States and other non-Commonwealth countries. These nationalities will receive a single entry tourist visa valid for a stay of 30 days, upon arrival without prior application and upon payment of the applicable visa fee (approx $50 USD for single entry, and $70 USD for multiple entry, subject to change). It is recommended that you bring USD Cash to pay for your visa fee, in case credit card transactions are not possible at the time of your arrival.

Alternatively, an E-visa can also be applied for online via IremboGov: https://support.irembo.gov.rw/en/support/solutions/articles/47001155415-how-to-apply-for-a-visa-on-irembogov

It is possible to apply for an East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) which allows applicants wishing to travel to the East African Community (EAC) countries of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda to obtain one visa to cover all three countries. The visa allows for multiple entry within the EAC region within the validity period of 90 days. Once a traveller goes out of the three countries and comes back to either Kenya/Rwanda/Uganda, it will be considered as a new journey and not a continuation, hence the EATV visa is deemed expired and you would then have to apply for a single entry permit to re-enter either Kenya/Rwanda/Uganda. Applicants must apply for the visa through the Embassy of the country they will be entering first and will be obliged to enter only through that country. If entering first via Kenya, the East Africa Tourist Visa (which covers Kenya, Rwanda & Uganda) is available on application at the Kenya High Commission and costs USD$100/AUD$140. Note that this multiple country visa arrangement does NOT include Tanzania. For more information please refer to the IremboGov website.

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.