Kigali City Tour: Things to See in Kigali. A Kigali City Tour takes you on an incredible tour of Rwanda’s capital. Kigali is Rwanda’s commercial metropolis and home to the majority of the country’s significant political offices. Kigali is one of Africa’s cleanest and safest cities. The roads and general transportation infrastructure are among the best in Africa.
A stroll through the city center will lead to spectacular 5-star hotels, high-end restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. Kigali has been chosen as the host city for several significant international conferences due to its contemporary architecture, clean streets, safety, and strong government.
All of these accomplishments are noteworthy given that Rwanda was destroyed by the 1994 genocide. The new administration, led by President Paul Kagame, has rebuilt the country to become a magnet for businesses and visitors.
Kigali City Tour Must-Sees
Mount Kigali: This will most likely be the first spot you visit. It is not a mountain but rather the tallest of Kigali’s numerous hills. Mount Kigali is the city’s highest point, allowing tourists to enjoy breathtaking views of the city, farmland, and lovely hills. On top of the hill, there is a café and a firm that organizes equestrian safaris.
The Natural History Museum (formerly the Kandt House) is a historical museum and Doctor Richard Kandt’s old home. Kandt came up with the name Kigali. The museum is located between Mount Kigali and Mount Jali. Kandt, a well-known German adventurer, erected Rwanda’s first modern structure.
If you want to understand more about Kigali’s history and the colonial era in Rwanda, visit the Natural History Museum. It is the earliest modern structure in Rwanda. The museum displays and information from the local guides will teach you that Kigali began as a colonial colony in 1907.
The Kigali Convention Center hosts all important conferences, meetings, and exhibits. The facility is adjacent to Kigali International Airport and can accommodate up to 2,500 people. The complex also has the Radisson Blue Hotel, a five-star lodging facility with 292 rooms. Other amenities at the Kigali Convention Center include retail malls, arcades, small businesses, and offices. It is the ideal location for visiting a contemporary retail mall, finding affordable lodging, or socializing with Rwanda’s rich population.
The Presidential Museum: After touring the Kandt House, the next destination is the Presidential Museum. This museum served as the state palace or residence for Rwanda’s two past presidents. The Presidential Museum is linked to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in several ways. When President Habyiramana’s jet landed, it landed directly in the compound of the presidential mansion.
The trip is mostly focused on the life of President Habyarimana. The shooting of the presidential plane and the assassination of Habyarimana in April 1994 launched a genocide that had long been planned but not carried out. After visiting this museum, you will be able to learn about other events that occurred before and during the Rwandan genocide.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Site: This is one of several memorials created around the country to commemorate the approximately 800,000 people who died during the 1994 genocide. This particular genocide memorial monument is located at Gisozi, where around 2500 individuals are interred. The site features three primary exhibitions.
One focuses on basic facts regarding the 1994 genocide, while the other is a tribute to the innocent children who perished during the same massacre. The third exhibition examines genocides that occurred in many regions of the world. Visitors will learn about the conditions before, during, and after the genocide through films, videos, and personal presentations.
The entire experience can be quite moving, but it is still necessary to teach people about the atrocities of genocide so that it never happens again.
Craft Centers: After visiting the Kigali Genocide Center, the driver/guide will take you to Kigali’s top artisan stores, where you may buy gifts to take home as a reminder of your stay. The greatest artisan centers include Inema Art Center, Ivuka Arts Studio, and Caplaki. Purchasing souvenirs from places like Caplaki Handcrafts Cooperatives is a great way to help the local community, particularly the women who make the art pieces.
Kimironko Market: The greatest way to learn about a new culture is to visit its marketplaces. Kigali has several local markets where inhabitants may buy locally produced goods and foods. Kimironko is a famous shopping destination for spices, herbs, vegetables, fruits, salt, meat, and fish. Individuals will also be selling various art works and other items.
Nyamata Church: This is one of the numerous genocide sites located around the country and one of the most visible in Kigali. Approximately 50,000 people were slaughtered inside this chapel. They sought refuge in this church, expecting to be spared by the Interahamwe. Unfortunately, the church turned out to be a death trap, and the assassins spared no one. Visitors may still see skulls, bones, blood-stained garments, national identity cards, and machetes used by the Interahamwe. A mass grave can be seen outside the church, where the majority of the victims were buried.
Lake Nyarutarama: If you wish to interact with the locals and communities living outside of the main city center, the driver may arrange for you to visit this lake. Some city residents swim and fish in this lake. Lake Nyarutarama is one of Rwanda’s birding destinations, where you can see species such as the African Hobby, Bat Hawk, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Cisticolas, Little Bee-eater, Red-backed Shrike, Red-chested Cuckoo, Spot-flanked Barbet, Squacco Heron, Sunbirds, Swamp Flycatcher, and Yellow-billed Duck.
The order of activities and locations to visit in Kigali is determined by the tour’s start time or pickup point. If you want to learn more about the nightlife, we may make special arrangements for you to attend nightclubs, theatres, and music venues.
Although Kigali is easily accessible by bike or walking, we will hire a car to see as many attractions as possible. The number of destinations you visit will be determined by your own preferences, general interests, and money. You can request to skip some landmarks or be brought to areas of interest that are not on this itinerary, as long as they are in Kigali.
