Rwanda vacations 2024 & 2025

Tracking gorillas in the forested mountains and watching chimpanzees swinging through the trees. For most visitors, it’s Rwanda’s mountain gorillas that are the main draw, and a few days spent tracking these elusive animals helps you learn about the threats they face as well as conservation efforts to protect them.

You could follow it up with some time chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest, exploring markets and learning about Rwanda’s troubled past in Kigali, or relaxing on the sandy beaches of palm-fringed Lake Kivu.

In Rwanda you can stay in simple guesthouses, basic forest camps, or luxurious lodges. Since Rwanda is still an off-the-beaten-track destination, the choice of places to stay here is more limited than in other destinations, but we’ve found a good range of options where service is always enthusiastic. You could stay in a luxury lodge or stylish but rustic bandas in Volcanoes National Park, or opt for a small, stilted lodge with a more traditional design. For some ideas, take a look at our collection of places to stay in Rwanda.

Most visitors to Rwanda arrive in the capital Kigali, then make their way to Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Volcanoes National Park and its mountain gorillas are a highlight of a trip, and although challenging, hiking through the dense rainforest here can reward you with close sightings of these great apes. Meanwhile, the abundance of primates in Nyungwe Forest National Park makes it another popular destination.

Gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and mangabeys are just some of the wildlife you can see in Rwanda. The country’s diverse array of primates is the highlight here, but you could also spot buffalo, forest elephant, and a wide variety of birdlife in places like Akagera National Park.

Around half of the world’s mountain gorilla population lives in Volcanoes National Park, while you can see chimpanzees, Ruwenzori colobus, l'Hoest's monkeys, silver monkeys, golden monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park. The forest is also home to forest hornbills, blue turaco, and endemic bird species.

It takes around 17 and a half hours to fly from the East Coast of the US to Rwanda.

The time zone in Rwanda is UTC+2 hours. Daylight Savings Time is not observed here.

The best way to get around Rwanda is to use private transfers. You’ll get to your destination quickly and have the benefit of a knowledgeable local driver being on hand to give you an insight into the country as you drive. For longer distances, or to combine a trip with a safari elsewhere, we recommend short local flights.

Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Rwanda. You can check the suggested vaccinations on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. You should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country.

If you arrive in Rwanda from a country deemed to be at risk of yellow fever, the government of Rwanda may require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival.

Speak to your doctor about vaccine advice for Rwanda. You can check the suggested vaccinations on the Travel Health Pro website. You should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country.

If you arrive in Rwanda from a country deemed to be at risk of yellow fever, the government may require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival.

Malaria is a risk throughout Rwanda. Please see your doctor for advice about which antimalarial medication you should take.

Taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites will reduce your risk of infection. Wear long, loose clothing, use repellent with 50% DEET on exposed skin, and make use of the mosquito nets provided, especially if windows are unscreened in your room.

Passports must have two consecutive blank pages and be valid for six months beyond the date of return from your trip.

Gorilla tracking in Rwanda involves hiking into the forest to search for clues to the gorillas’ location. As you hike, your guide will explain what to look for, point out where bark has been stripped, branches are broken, or grasses knocked flat, and you’ll follow the trail until the troop has been found. The hike could take as little as half an hour or up to four hours depending on where the gorillas are located.

As you hike, you’ll learn more about the gorillas, their habitat and lifestyle, and the threats they face. Low grunts and grumbles might alert you to a troop nearby and your small group will slow to standstill while your guide finds a location for you to observe from a safe distance.

You’ll spend an hour observing the gorillas in Rwanda as they munch on bamboo, carefully groom each other, or tend to their infants. Visits are limited in time and you’ll need to keep your distance to avoid causing the apes distress and to prevent the transmission of disease.

You’ll need to remain quiet and still as you observe the gorillas, but you’ll be rewarded with a view of fluffy youngsters wrestling and rolling, older females snoozing, scratching, or feeding, adolescents chest thumping, and a silverback keeping a quiet eye on it all.

You’ll have a prime position to take photographs, but we’d recommend spending most of your time simply observing these gentle giants as they interact with each other. Their facial expressions, hand movements, and obvious emotions are so human-like that it’s a moving and humbling experience just being in their presence.

Long trousers, good walking boots, a raincoat, and gloves (for steadying yourself on branches) are useful when tracking gorillas. Walking poles can also help in the uneven terrain.

Participants must be 15 years or older to track gorillas in Rwanda.