Kigali

Africa's cleanest capital, with a genocide memorial, creative arts districts and Big Five safaris in Akagera National Park to the east.

Kigali is the capital of Rwanda. It is built across dozens of hills in the middle of the country, at 1,400–1,850 m above sea level, which earns it the nickname “City of a Thousand Hills”, and it is known across Africa for being tidy and safe. The climate is mild year-round, with temperatures of 20–27°C. June–September and December–February are the dry seasons, best for sightseeing and safaris; March–May and October–November are the rainy seasons, with mostly afternoon showers. City sights fall into three groups. The first is the genocide memory trail: the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the Campaign Against Genocide Museum, the Belgian peacekeepers' memorial and Hôtel des Mille Collines, plus the Nyamata and Ntarama church memorials south of the city. The second is the urban culture trail: the Nyamirambo neighborhood, Kimironko Market, art spaces such as Inema, and craft villages. The third is the city viewpoints, such as Mount Kigali and Rebero Hill. Akagera National Park to the east can be visited as a day safari, or you can stay a night there. Getting around: Kigali International Airport is on the east side of the city, about 20 minutes by taxi from the center; in town, taxis, ride-hailing apps and moto-taxis are the main options. We suggest 2–3 days, or 4 days in total including Akagera National Park. On the last Saturday morning of every month is Umuganda, the national community service day, when shops and transport pause. Rwanda bans plastic bags, and luggage is checked on arrival.

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