If you’re planning to visit Rwanda, you’re probably going for one reason: gorilla trekking. The chance to spend a life-changing hour among the gentle giants, with whom humans share 98% of the same DNA, tops nearly every wildlife lover’s bucket list. And Rwanda is arguably the best place in the world to go gorilla trekking. Over the last two decades, the country has implemented strong conservation practices to help the gorillas (and the humans who live near them) thrive. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

 

Gorilla trekking is certainly the biggest draw of Rwanda. However, it’s not the only thing to do in the country. Rwanda has come a long way from the devastating 1994 genocide, transforming itself into a united, welcoming destination with a diverse array of attractions and experiences for travelers willing to make the long journey. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour.

 

Come for the gorillas, then stick around to explore everything else this up-and-coming destination has to offer. Here are seven things to do in Rwanda (besides gorilla trekking!). 

Go on safari in Akagera National Park in Rwanda

 

Can you go on safari in Rwanda? Yes! Just a short 2.5-hour drive from Kigali brings you to Akagera National Park, Central Africa’s largest protected wetland. The park’s 440 square miles of preserved land brim with wildlife, including a plethora of birds, antelope, zebra, hippos, elephants and giraffe.

 

You may even see some of the other Big Five animals—if you’re lucky. Increase your chances of spotting rare wildlife by hiring a local guide, which can be arranged ahead of your safari by calling the visitor’s center. 

 

Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial

As you travel through Rwanda, it’s impossible not to think about the relatively recent Rwandan Genocide, in which more than 800,000 people died in just 100 days. The tragic event changed the course of history for the country, as well as the lives of everyday people who lost countless friends and relatives just a couple of decades ago.

 

Travelers can begin trying to understand the incomprehensible event at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Through halls of photographs, artifacts and informative stories, the museum explains the build up to the genocide, what occurred during those 100 horrific days and how Rwanda has worked to unite as a country in the wake of the devastation.

 

It also includes an exhibit on the youngest victims of the genocide, with life-size photos and touching personal details about these children’s short lives. Visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial is equal parts heartbreaking and insightful, but without a doubt essential to understanding the complex country of Rwanda.

 

Experience the only canopy walkway in East Africa

Hiking in Nyungwe Forest National Park is rewarding. But walking on a bridge suspended 200 feet above the park’s ancient treetops Sublime. The canopy walkway is a 60-90 minute walk from the Uwinka Visitor Center along the Igishigishigi Trail, brimming with incredible umbrella trees, blooming orchids and lush greenery. 

 

Listen carefully, and you may hear beautiful birdsong and calls from the 13 species of primate that live in Nyungwe. Your views change substantially once you reach the series of three suspension bridges that compose the canopy walkway. The safe, albeit wobbly walk gets your adrenaline pumping, and the views of the tree canopy and Uwinka Ridge at sunset make your heart soar.

Learn how to pick tea leaves in Rwanda.

 

After trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park, you might be eager to relax with a cup of tea. Fortunately, tea plantations blanket the area around the park, offering not only dreamy scenery, but the chance to learn the art of cultivating the caffeine-laced leaves. Gisakura Tea Estate invites tourists to experience a couple of hours in the life of a tea leaf picker.

 

The pickers will let you wear their backpack-basket and show you the delicate technique of plucking tea leaves with just three fingers. It’s harder than it looks! Then, you’ll watch as their impressive hauls are weighed and trucked to the factory for processing. Tours can be arranged with the Rwanda Development Board.

Rwanda safaris: When travelers think of Rwanda safaris, they typically picture the mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park because the country is home to half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, which can be seen in the Albertine Rift. However, once you go on your Rwanda safaris, you'll be mesmerized by the beauty the country boasts and realize that there's more to the country than just the mountain gorillas.

 

Let me take you on a journey in this article to learn more about the nation and the various sights you will see if you go on a safari in Rwanda. You will have an amazing safari experience. In order to make your time in the country worthwhile, there are some Rwanda safaris that you should not miss out on.

 

Wildlife safaris in Rwanda

Because Rwanda has a variety of wildlife species that you will get to see when you visit the different national parks in Rwanda, the wildlife safaris in Rwanda are among the most rewarding safaris that you should not miss out on during your Rwanda safaris.

 

While in Akagera National Park, you can take part in game drives where you can see all five of Rwanda's big five animals; take a boat cruise on Lake Ihema where you can see the critically endangered shoe bill stork; go on a walk-the-line safari where you can see the park management's conservation efforts; and also go to Nyungwe National Park where you can go chimpanzee trekking.

 

In addition to taking part in the Rwandan canopy walk, you can also hike through Nyungwe National Park, where you'll have the chance to see a variety of worthwhile sights that will make the experience particularly memorable. You can go gorilla trekking in Rwanda while visiting Volcanoes National Park, which will give you the opportunity to spend an hour with mountain gorillas and observe their behavior for a thrilling gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda. You can also go on primate safaris in Rwanda, which will allow you to see many of their rewarding characteristics.

 

Nyungwe Forest protects Albertine Rift's endemic bird species, such as Rockefeller’s sunbird, Chapin's flycatcher, Rwenzori batis, strange weaver, red-throated alethe, and many others, which are among the rewarding attractions in the park that you can observe while hiking in Rwanda's Virunga Mountains. This will provide you with a unique opportunity to create lasting safari memories.

 

Kigali Genocide tour

The Kigali Genocide Tour is one of the most well-known safaris you shouldn't miss when visiting Rwanda. The Kigali genocide tour will give you a glimpse into the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which changed the course of events in Rwanda by resulting in the mass murder of its citizens. As part of your Rwanda safari tour, you will have the opportunity to visit a genocide memorial museum, such as the Kigali genocide memorial museum, where you can view the various exhibition spaces to learn more about the factors that contributed to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in the mass killing of the country's population with the Tutsis serving as the Hutu target group.

 

Your Rwanda safari will be quite memorable as you learn how the country has changed since the genocide to become one of the safest countries in Africa to visit. As you visit the different exhibition areas in the museum, you will get to watch the confessions of the survivors, a number of videos of how the victims were tortured, the children's exhibition areas, and many other interesting features.

 

Rwanda’s Cultural safaris

Make your safari memorable by taking part in the cultural safaris offered in Rwanda and taking the opportunity to visit the various cultural groups and observe a variety of Rwandan people's cultures. To complete your cultural safari in Rwanda, you should visit a number of cultural villages. Among these are the Iby'iwacu cultural village, the Kitabi cultural village, and the Humure refugee camp, which will give you an understanding of the culture of the Rwandan people. You can observe how they prepare herbal medicines using plant-based ingredients as well as enjoy the locals' traditional dances. On a rewarding Rwanda safari, you will experience their traditional cuisine, such as ibiryo, as well as many other rewarding facets of the people of Rwanda's culture.

 

Can I see mountain gorillas in Rwanda?

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda gives tourists a unique opportunity to spot mountain gorillas in their natural environment; seeing them live makes some say it’s a life-changing experience. Viewing gorillas as they practice their daily lives, gorilla trekking is done with expert trackers and park ranger guides leading small groups of eight tourists up bamboo-covered slopes to view and spend precious and awe-inspiring time, which takes an hour a few meters away from the gentle creatures.

 

Rwanda is among the countries protecting the largest living primate; gorillas can be spotted across the equatorial African rainforest. Gorilla species are split into lowland gorillas and mountain gorillas.

 

The volcanic ranges that span Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo protect the endangered mountain gorillas. Tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda is safe and accessible.

 

Volcanoes National Park protects twelve mountain gorilla families living in Rwanda, which are fully habituated, with a few mountain gorilla groups reserved for scientific research. Each gorilla troop has at least one silverback, many females, and youngsters.

The best time to explore Rwanda is normally in the dry months of June-September and December-February. Most tourists travel to Rwanda to sight mountain gorillas, and so the best time to visit is usually whenever there is a highly in-demand gorilla trekking permit. Although Rwanda can be visited in the wet season too.

 

The above months are drier which is an ideal period for trekking or tracking mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, chimpanzees with little or no mud mostly on the steep paths. Although, Rwanda features many seasons which must be considered while planning an adventure safari.