Rwanda Safaris, Tours & Holidays

Destination Rwanda is a small landlocked country on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley, its capital city is Kigali, Rwanda’s stunning scenery warm climate, and friendly people offer unique experiences in one of the most remarkable countries in the world. It is blessed with extraordinary biodiversity, with incredible wildlife living throughout its volcanoes, montane rainforest and sweeping plains, Chimpanzees, golden monkeys and other primates live alongside hundreds of brightly coloured birds, orchids and butterflies, Travelers come from far and wide to catch glimpse of the magnificent gorillas, yet there is so much more to see and experience.

Best time to visit Rwanda

The best time to visit Rwanda is from mid-May to mid-October; this is the long dry season and has perfect conditions for tracking gorillas. There are four seasons to consider when planning your Rwanda safari, however, the weather is fairly temperate and favours travel year-round, thanks to its compact size, proximity to the equator, and high altitude, which gives it a fresh highland feel and consistent temperature.

Passport

Must be valid for six months after entry into the country.

Tourist Visa

Obtain a visa before travelling or a 30-day tourist visa at the port of entry

Health sector of Rwanda

With just over 12 million people Rwanda has a pretty good health care system for the local population, make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and/or repatriation.

For malaria, please Contact your general medical practitioner at least 8 weeks before your trip to Rwanda to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures.

Make sure your Yellow Fever vaccination is up to date before arriving in Rwanda as this is often asked for by immigration officials.

Getting to Rwanda

There are daily flights to Kigali International Airport, Rwanda Air or other airlines like Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines that operate flights into Rwanda.

By road Rwanda can be accessed through Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Tanzania with all these countries having modern border crossing points with Rwanda.

Dress code

Rwanda does not have any specific dress code restrictions however it’s highly a cultural society we recommend our travelers dress descent while visiting public places but you can dress casually at your lodge.

What to pack

The most practical items to pack for safari are:

Khaki, green, beige and neutral colours (dark blue and black clothing should be avoided, as it attracts Tsetse flies), Shirts with long sleeves (even in summer, as protection from the sun, mosquitoes and Tsetse flies), T-shirts, Shorts, Jeans or safari trousers for evenings and cooler days, A jacket and sweater are recommended for early morning and evening game drives, Lightweight waterproof jacket, Sturdy trousers, Rain hat, Swim and beachwear while at camp, Comfortable walking shoes, Strong waterproof walking boots (comfortable for going up steep hills). Pants should be tucked into socks and boots while trekking, Sunblock, sunglasses, hat, moisturizer and lip salve are all essentials, Strong insect repellent, Binoculars and camera equipment, a small backpack to carry water and a packed lunch.

Currency

The Rwandan franc is the official currency of the Republic of Rwanda but for travellers, the US dollar is the currency of choice, most tourism areas will have prices set in US dollars, Euros, and British pounds but travellers can change money in the forex bureau in Rwanda upon arrival.

Travellers are cautioned to bring the newest bank notes before travelling to Rwanda as the older notes may be rejected by the local banks and the forex rates are also determined by the note if the note is big, you get a higher rate and if the note is small, you will get a lower rate.

Money and Tipping

Tipping is not customary in most places in Rwanda, with the exception of some higher-end restaurants in town where 10% of the final bill is standard cash in American dollars or Rwandan Francs is highly recommended during your tour site guides like village guides, rangers, potters and hotels are tipped after the activity or after your stay and your tour Leader can be tipped on the last day of the safari for more information on how much to tip, please contact Endless Plains Africa safari experts today.

Health and Medical information.

Language

Kinyarwanda is the official Language of the Republic of Rwanda. In addition, Rwandan nationals speak either English or French, both of which are recognized as official languages alongside Kinyarwanda, but English is undoubtedly the primary language of the tourist industry.

Electricity

The extent of grid electricity is limited and mainly concentrated near Kigali. Most of the country uses firewood as its main energy source most tourism sites will have a generator or solar power as a backup to the national grid For Rwanda there are two associated plug types, types C and J. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type J is the plug which has three round pins. Rwanda operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Expedition Leaders and Guides

Usually for organized tours, you will meet your tour leader or driver guide from Kigali or where your tour starts from, but along the way depending on activities you will meet local guides these will include game rangers, boat guides, village guides etc.

Accommodation

Rwanda is a small country most major towns and tourist attractions will have all types of accommodation ranging from Budget, mid-range and luxury so where to stay in Rwanda is not a concern though major tourist attractions like gorillas may require advance booking to reserve the best places.

Meals and drinks

The cuisine of Rwanda is simple yet unique with the typical Rwandan diet consisting of sweet potatoes, beans, corn, peas, millet and fruit. Many Rwandans don’t eat meat more than a few times a month. Those people who live near lakes also incorporate fish into their diets, particularly tilapia however hotels and restaurants will serve both local and continental dishes and you can always make a choice, for water we do not recommend Tape water for drinking and brushing please use water provided by the hotel in specific jugs or bottles.

Internet availability

Hotels, lodges and restaurants will have wireless internet with a password, on arrival usually they will provide you with the password but this internet may only be accessible in the main areas so if you need full-time internet please purchase a local sim card on arrival in Rwanda and buy data for the Sim card which will provide internet anywhere during your stay in Rwanda.

Cell phones

Cell phone coverage across Rwanda is fairly good, but you will need to obtain a local sim card in the major cities in order to make calls locally this will require your passport and some cash to finish the process of registration.

Laundry

All hotels and lodges will provide laundry services however some lodges will do it complementary and others will charge a fee the washing is done manually by hand and sun-dried so you will need at least 24 hours to get your laundry back.

Driving

Rwanda is a safe country to drive yourself as long as you keep the road rules. You will have to keep right; the roads are good, we do not recommend self-driving in Rwanda

Smocking

Smocking in Rwanda is allowed but smocking in Public is restricted and it can offend other people so ensure you smock in designated areas and use ash trays all the time.

Photography

Photography is prohibited in many sites in Rwanda, in national parks photography is allowed but in the main cities please ask your tour leader where necessary military, police and prison stations are strictly prohibited from photography.

Pack for purpose List

We recommend items like Learning materials for the schools near national parks or small villages that you might visit during your safari we do not recommend food items like sweets, or candy that might force the kids to go and beg from tourist vehicles.

Safety of Rwanda

Rwanda is one of the safest destinations in Africa, particularly for solo travellers. Crime is relatively low, with visitors sometimes experiencing petty crime, and locals are welcoming, friendly and hospitable. … Violent crimes against travellers are rare and the Rwandan government has made the destination safe for travellers.

Note: Rwanda suffered significantly from the Genocide between 1994 and 1999 when many people were massacred so clients must refrain from ethnic conversations with locals during their safari in Rwanda.

Travel updates

We do provide travel updates for our booked-up travellers before travelling to Rwanda, this will include weather conditions, health, safety and change in laws and travel restrictions.