Tourist Attractions & Monuments Rwanda

Opened in 2004, on the 10th anniversary of the genocide, the Gisozi Memorial houses the remains of more than 250,000 genocide victims killed in and around Kigali.

This traumatic visit brings back the pain of the many Rwandan visitors, whose cries and screams can sometimes be heard. In the modern building, the visitor will first be confronted with colonial history. Videos show the Belgians measuring the faces of the Rwandans, in order to determine who is Hutu, who is Tutsi... The following gallery describes the genocide and the monstrous efficiency of the extermination plan. The video images are terrifying. They show the killers in action, wounded people asking for mercy from their executioners, skulls and bones piled up... Further on, pictures of heroes, those who risked their lives to hide the persecuted. And then, hundreds of photos of genocide victims, when they were alive, happy, perhaps carefree. All that remains of these victims are bones, their clothes, a few objects. The most difficult part is at the end: the children's memorial. Fourteen large photos show as many children playing or sleeping, and under each of them their last words, their talents, their dreams, and how they died.

The visit continues outside in the "Meditation Garden", where visitors can meditate. Here one sees especially young people and women like this widow of Nyamirambo, who comes once a month to meditate near the mass graves. "Before, I couldn't bear to cross the site. Now it is my only consolation. When I am there, I feel connected to my six children and my husband, who are all buried here," she told the InfoSud-Syfia agency.

At the exit of the memorial, visitors can slip a ticket into the urn to help the survivors. "In collaboration with the tourist office, we are currently examining how to introduce an entry fee," reveals the coordinator of the memorial sites. The country's distinguished guests usually come to the memorial sites to gather and see for themselves the extent of the tragedy.

Gisozi is a place to realize what happened, to remember, and to give oneself the courage to act so that barbarism never again takes over. As a duty of remembrance, educational activities are regularly organized there.

Guides are available, as well as audioguides in French. Cafeteria open every day. Count on 1h30 on the spot.

Since 2020, and for twenty years, Nyungwe National Park is managed by the NGO African Parks (as is Akagera). Visitor permits can be purchased at the park office (credit cards accepted), but it is always advisable to make a reservation in advance (by e-mail). It is always advisable to make a reservation in advance (by e-mail). You should also inquire about the departure times of the different trails. Bring a raincoat, as it often rains in the Nyungwe forest, good walking shoes and ideally even waterproof gaiters. A negative PCR-Covid test is required for chimpanzee treks.

Lake Kivu can be discovered in different ways:

The easiest : board a small motorboat and go to Nyamunini Island, to admire the myriads of bats while tasting guavas. This small island is also nicknamed "Napoleon Island" because it is shaped like his hat. The ascent takes only 30 minutes. The view from the top is sublime. You can also stop on Amahoro Island, where it is unfortunately no longer possible to camp. It is necessary to count approximately 35 000 Frw per hour for a simple motorboat between 8 and 12 places. The price depends on the distance traveled (price of oil). Departures are usually on the small bay in front of the Environment Museum. The Ames Boat & Tours agency can also organize excursions at low prices.

The most enchanting: Iliza Houseboat. You stay on the boat and wake up between Rwanda and Congo, between water and sky, surrounded by the sweet melody of the fishermen. It is also possible to reserve the Iliza boat for a few hours, half a day or a day (+250 788 300 630).

The most sporty: rent a kayak to meet the fishermen or the rural communities living on the lake's shores, or to get excited about the magnificent birds nesting on the islets (www.kingfisherjourneys.com). Also in Gisenyi.

Lake Kivu is a real inland sea of extraordinary beauty, surrounded by green hills and dotted with small islands. With a surface area of 2,700 km2 and a depth of up to 485 m, the lake stretches between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, wedged in the middle of a volcanic chain culminating at 1,400 m in altitude. Three towns, known as "seaside resorts", line the shoreline: Rubavu (Gisenyi), Karongi (Kibuye) and Rusizi (Cyangugu). They are linked by a panoramic road that winds through the hills, between tea and coffee plantations, forests and rice fields. Gisenyi is the most developed of the three towns, and certainly the most touristic. Numerous waterfront establishments compete to offer the best view and the most comfortable seats. The stroll along this inland sea offers its share of encounters. It's a bit like the Croisette without the snobs (or "the African Saint-Tropez", as RDB puts it). The banks are very clean, especially if you compare them with neighboring Goma, whose inhabitants cross the border to come and relax or have fun in Rubavu! The atmosphere is, it must be said, without showing off, friendly and relaxed. If you want to soak up this unique border atmosphere, Gisenyi is a must. In the last few years, there have been more and more places to go out and enjoy Lake Kivu and its beautiful sunsets.

Market lovers will enjoy spending an hour or two here. Kimironko is an example of a real Rwandan market where you can find everything, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables... It's lively, it's beautiful, it's clean and tidy, right down to the piles of potatoes or cucumbers! There are also stalls selling local handicrafts, hardware, cell phones, shoes, second-hand clothes of all kinds... Products from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and the DRC. Don't hesitate to negotiate prices, haggling here is kindly de rigueur. The area of African fabrics (wax and others) is particularly dazzling with colors, and in the alleys, seamstresses installed with their sewing machine will be able to execute a model in the hour, with the fabric of your choice, for about ten euros. Catalogs are available for the choice of the model. However, you should allow a few hours for fittings and adjustments before picking up your garment, or even one or two days for the most complicated models. Custom-made garments must be earned! For a small tip, young people will guide you through the maze of shops. The whole market is covered, which is practical under the blazing sun. If you want to take pictures, ask permission beforehand, it will be appreciated and you will leave with more beautiful smiles.

Saturday and Monday are the busiest days. On Sundays, the market empties as many vendors take the day off.

In a few hours, one climbs this 2,647 m peak which dominates Gakenke (Nemba), a small town located 1 hour's drive from Kigali and 30 minutes from Musanze. "The ascent is easy and can be done in the morning, and all along the hike, the view of the volcano chain is superb," notes Françoise Widmer, an experienced hiker. It takes about 3 hours to reach the summit and 2 hours to descend. And why not make the journey from Gakenke and Musanze (about 30 km), taking the cross-country trails used by the farmers, who are very numerous in this region? The landscape is pleasant, between eucalyptus forests and terraced crops, always with a magnificent view of the Virunga mountain range.

Practical info: the ascent is not free (40 US$ per person). It is managed by the company Beyond The Gorillas Experience. Contact Theodore Nzabonimpa (+250 788 495 604 - [email protected]). Professional guides will accompany you (including a French-speaking guide), they will show you the way and you will learn a lot by their side about rural life in the villages of Rwanda. A visit to the Mushubi primary school is usually scheduled. For those who would like to take their time, it is possible to camp at the summit, provided that you book in advance, and for the more sporty ones to continue this sumptuous hike the next day towards Musanze, through fields, villages, hills, lakes and eucalyptus forests (count 8 hours of walking).

The Dian Fossey Foundation (1967) now has its own Ellen DeGeneres campus and museum at the foot of Virunga. The interactive displays, videos and 360 degree film projections are exemplary. It's fun and informative. You'll learn all about Dian Fossey's life and work to save gorillas from extinction; about the gorillas themselves, and about all the work being done to protect them. Meetings with researchers are held every day of the week at 4pm. Very nice craft store on site and good little restaurant.

In 1985, the American primatologist Dian Fossey, who helped protect endangered mountain gorillas, was killed by two machete blows at the age of 53. She had spent 18 years in the Karisoke Research Centre (a contraction of Karisimbi and Bisoke), which she had built at an altitude of 3,000 m in the Virunga range.

She is buried under a stone bearing the inscription Nyiramachabelli, which means 'the loner of the forest'. Her grave is located in the middle of the gorillas she was studying. She lies next to Digit, a silver-backed gorilla that she cherished dearly, who died eight years ago. The circumstances of her murder have never been elucidated, and the identity of her killer remains unknown. Maybe poachers? We know she hated them fiercely, even paying trackers to catch them and take them to the police.

Her life was chronicled in a successful film, Gorillas in the Mist, by Michael Apted (USA, 1988), starring Sigourney Weaver. At present, six international associations continue the work of Dian Fossey, one of the best known being the Dian Fossey Gorilla Found International DFGFI, based in Atlanta, of which Sigourney Weaver is honorary president.

To go to her grave (only accompanied by an official guide), you have to take a steep and muddy trail for 7 km, a 2-hour climb, quickly forgotten as Karisoke is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Without exaggeration!

"In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat, are the magnificent 4,500-meter-high volcanoes, almost entirely covered by lush rainforest, known as Virunga," wrote the renowned primatologist Dian Fossey. The Volcanoes National Park protects this mountainous ecosystem, composed of bamboo forests, refuge of the last mountain gorillas. Meeting them in their natural habitat remains one of the most exciting and moving experiences in Africa. It all starts with an early morning meeting at Kinigi, the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park. Advance booking is highly recommended, either online (visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw) or through a tour operator, as the lists are long and the number of visitors per day is limited. It is advisable to spend the night before the visit nearby. The hotels know the drill: a hearty buffet is ready by 5:30 am. You can also leave Kigali for the day, but the departure is then at 4:30 am ... Visitors can not exceed 8 people per group, the guides are inflexible on the subject. The gorillas are divided into 12 groups/families (Susa, Igisha, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Bwenge, Ugyenda and Muhoza). Hikes to their usual living quarters can last from 30 minutes to 3 hours or more, with elevations ranging from 2,500 m to 4,000 m. Porters accompany the groups and their guide. If you are not in good physical condition, insist on an easily accessible group. A waterproof jacket, a fleece, hiking boots, possibly waterproof gaiters and gloves are also very useful. After having walked in meadows, the entry in the forest is rather abrupt: suddenly, we find ourselves in a jungle of bamboos. The evolution in this dense forest is a moment charged with suspense and emotion. The guides will not fail to teach you the basics of communication with the gorillas and a whole lot of things on this vegetation which constitutes their usual food, not less than 200 plants in their menu, also edible for the man! The more we advance, the more the atmosphere becomes wild and mysterious. And a few radio calls later, we find the trackers, in charge of locating the gorillas, and finally... we discover these big hairy mammals, eating, playing, climbing, rolling in the high grass... You are now propelled in the intimacy of these big primates. The show is fascinating! Especially when the baby gorillas get involved... The presence of an adult male gorilla (silverback), three times bigger than a human being, peaceful and tolerant, gives an indescribable feeling. So, of course, we take pictures or film them. But it is just as well to leave the camera and live the moment, because what is the point of living this rare hour if you remain with your eye glued to a viewfinder. The guides manage to communicate with the gorillas, notably by uttering grunts that can be translated as "We are friends! Memorable. The time that humans are present with the primates is limited to one hour. For those who wish to follow in Dian Fossey's footsteps, her grave is a 30-minute drive from the park headquarters and then a 2-3 hour walk through the forest at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. If the gorillas are still alive today, it is largely due to the work of Dian Fossey. The worldwide success of the biographical film Gorillas in the Mist (1988) raised international awareness of the danger of extinction of the mountain gorillas. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum, which opened in 2020, is a must-see if you are in Musanze. With children under the age of 15 being forbidden to trek to see the gorillas in their natural habitat, this center allows a virtual immersion thanks to an interactive exhibition and 360 degree film projections. We learn a lot about the life of these primates - who force respect, admiration, humility; about the different families of gorillas, their way of life and communication, the great work of researchers, trackers and rangers and of course, the life and work of Dian Fossey.

Silverback. Mountain gorillas are a different species from their lowland cousins and were unknown to western scientists until 1902. They are darker, but also stronger, because they must climb trees. Gorillas share 97% of their genes with humans, are very social and travel in groups of 5 to 50 animals. Groups include a dominant male, three or four females, and several young, from babies to teenagers. An adult gorilla can weigh up to 200 kg and live up to 45 years. Gorillas feed mainly on foliage, bamboo shoots, eucalyptus bark... In fact, they spend half their time eating. Females reach their sexual maturity at eight years old, males at thirteen years old. As with humans, gestation is nine months, but babies are only born every four to five years. Gorillas have few natural enemies and can live up to 50 years in the wild. For the anecdote, the young gorillas (whose hairs are black) acquire around 12 years old grey hairs in the lower back, sign of their maturity, sexual notably. Hence their name, silverback.

Kwita Izina. All the gorillas receive a name: Igiti Baby, Poppy Baby, Tamu Baby... This happens every year since 2005 during an annual ceremony called Kwita Izina, which usually takes place in September. A special time to visit Volcanoes National Park, with guided tours, meetings with park staff and conservationists, cultural evenings and a big celebration in Musanze. Each gorilla is identified by its nose print, which is always unique, just like our fingerprints. A way to know them better and to follow them more closely. The newborns can now be adopted symbolically, and the lucky sponsors will be able to closely follow the evolution of their protégé. The funds collected are injected into projects for the populations living in the immediate vicinity of the parks.

Revenue from permits. In addition to the protection of the gorillas and their living environment that the sale of permits covers, while targeting - it must be said - a luxury tourist clientele, 10% of the revenues generated are dedicated to local communities, invested in the construction of schools and health centers, as well as roads. There is also a compensation fund for local farmers if gorillas damage their crops, which helps ensure peaceful coexistence. Gorilla monitoring also provides employment for many local people, from rangers and trackers to porters, drivers and lodge staff.

Gorilla Gram. Posting photos of gorillas on social media with appropriate tags (including the names of gorilla families encountered, for example) will help scientists, rangers, and monitoring teams track groups and individuals. This interactive tool is accessible from Visitrwanda.com.

Also. Gorillas are the most popular activity in Volcanoes National Park, but other excursions are possible: hikes to meet the golden monkeys, climbing for experienced hikers of Mount Bisoke (only for climbers in very good physical condition), Gahinga, Sabyinyo, Karisimbi, Muhabura, visiting the Buhanga Ecological Park (possibility to go for several days and camping). For more information, reservations and payment of permits, visit visitrwanda.com and visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw.

Situated in a flood-prone valley in the Buberuka highlands (2,050 m above sea level) between Byumba and Ruhengeri, the Rugezi Marshland covers a total area of 6,735 hectares and is worth a visit. It has been recognized as one of the main ornithological areas of Rwanda. In fact, it is home to rare or endangered species, such as the king crane (Balearica regulorum), Grauer's scaup (Bradypterus graueri) or the aquatic chloropet (Calamonastides gracilirostris). It supplies water to lakes Bulera and Ruhondo.

Testimony of Jean-Louis Claessen: " It is 13 hours when you arrive, beautiful coast to reach the village, everything is done on the backs of man or woman, meeting of a Congolese teacher who is asked where the bats are, crossing part of the island. There are houses everywhere, a young person accompanies us and a lot of children, we reach the forest and we recognize the noise of the bats, which we observe with our binoculars. After an hour and full of photos, we give a little money to our guide and we pick up the boat around, to find our taxi-bike. '»»»»

Here, a hundred fairy weavers work for a Christian NGO that employs women in vulnerable and/or marginalized situations. The wool of merino sheep and angora rabbits, raised in Rwanda, is washed, treated, naturally colored and woven on the spot by all these little hands who are reviving a lost ancestral tradition. The wool is then used to make scarves, sweaters, hats, blankets and... little gorillas.