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Capital and largest city of Rwanda
Photo: N.Reneov, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kigali is the capital of Rwanda. The centre of political and commercial life, Kigali dominates Rwanda and few visit the country without passing through. The city is developing fast, and is very much a showpiece capital designed to impress visitors from tourists to foreign investors and visiting dignitaries.
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Opened in April 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the genocides. Over 250,000 people are buried here, and there is a truly touching museum. Kigali houses several memorials, museums, and centers dedicated to the Rwandan Genocide. Audio guides and real guides are available. Cafe on site that makes excellent coffee, and supports local youth and businesses. Since 2023, it's one of four memorials making up the Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero.
Rwanda Art Museum
The abode of the former President Habyarimana, who died in that infamous plane crash of 1994 that sparked the genocide. Guided tours are mandatory, where you can get a glimpse of life as an African dictator in the 1970s & 80s. There is also a display on Rwandan clothing that is quite interesting. Photography is restricted. To get there a moto should cost about FRw1,000, and tell him to go to Kanombe. You'll probably end up outside the military hospital at the end of the tarred road; the museum is another 300 m along the dirt road (GPS coordinates 1.97543S, 30.17206E).
Displays of artwork from around Rwanda.
Natural history museum focusing on Rwanda flora and fauna in the former home of a German named Richard Kandt. Also excellent venue from which to view the city skyline.
Mémorial de camp Kigali
Memorial to 10 Belgian peacekeepers were gunned down on the first day of the 1994 genocide crisis while attempting to protect the Rwandan Prime Minister. Adjacent is the Kigali Cultural Village where events may take place and souvenirs purchased.
CND
This museum is a collection of the history of the campaign against genocide in the whole country as a summary. It has a map that indicates the basements of all battalions of RPA soldiers and all the routes they took during the execution of their mission. This museum was also a place where the 600 soldiers were living while they were waiting for the implementation of the Arusha Peace Accord.
This memorial is the site of four tiled-over mass graves holding the remains of thousands of Tutsis who were executed after the regiment of UN guards protecting them were killed.
A 120-ha restored wetland and forest area and an important bird area.
A great 10-km running circuit through Kigali's suburbs — flat, very little traffic and some great views over the rice paddies.
Opened in 2012 and proving popular. Six lanes of ball-rolling fury complete with the TV screen keeping score, ball returners, shoe rental, and slidy, polished alleys. Adding a delightful twist to employment creation the pins are reset by hand rather than a machine. First game costs FRw3,000 per person and the second is FRw2,500 each.
Here you can take guided walking tours, cooking classes, or have lunch at an enterprise geared toward enabling women to succeed with computers, literacy, sewing and handicrafts.
Sometimes excellent, sometimes not, La Classe is oft overlooked by Kigali's expats, but the fillet steak can be sublime. Also does a FRw3,500 lunchtime buffet
the name Ki-Asili comes from the Swahili word Asili for Natural/Original
Rooftop resto bar serving Ethiopian/Eritrean food. Ideal for groups, birthdays, get-togethers. Check with customer care before planning, and book your date. Many times venue is booked in advance.
Milima have good food, with special themed lunches everyday.
Serves local food in a nice setting. Their dinner buffet is quite good and costs about €7 for more than 20 items. There may be better local food in a hole-in-the wall restaurant for cheaper, but this is wonderful restaurant.
Is a new restaurant serving American and Continental cuisine. A bit pricy, with most entrees costing FRw4000 or above, but the well-prepared food (and fantastic dessert menu) are worth every franc.
One of the few eateries in Gacuriro – serves up adequate fare in the gardens of the guesthouse.
Very good pizzas, popular among expats. Nevertheless the served pizzas can't be compared to Italian ones. Try to get a table in the sheltered part of the open air restaurant, it can be quite windy.
Serves fantastic Indian food and is one of the best and most popular restaurants in town with expats, visitors, business travellers and Rwandan citizens.
Popular lunchtime African buffet, local and regional cuisine. Everything about this place is African, from food to décor; their plates are also moulded out of clay.
Great restaurant, great environment.
Outdoor seating, delivery, takeaway, dine-in.
LGBTQ+ friendly
Outdoor seating, no-contact delivery, takeaway, dine-in.
Continental cuisine, presenting a diverse menu. From pizzas to burgers. LGBTQ+ friendly
LGBTQ+ friendly
Other Servises Provided are, Outdoor seating, Delivery, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Run by a Korean family, Sakae serves up both Japanese and Korean dishes in spacious and pleasant surroundings. A little pricey, but many prefer Sakae to nearby Zen.
With the dining area nestled under a huge thatched hut, with trickling water and subtle lighting, there are few places in town that can compete atmosphere-wise. The food is usually pretty good, however you can feel a little cheated by the portion sizes, and the extras added to your bill (rice, service, VAT). Accordingly Zen is popular with those with expense accounts.
A firm favourite in Kigali - decent wood fired pizzas, expensive lunch time buffet, great views from the terrace - popular with locals and expats alike. Monday nights is quiz night, which is mystifyingly popular.
Set in lush gardens, this is one of the better Chinese places in town, in part as the owner and chef is Chinese. An added plus is that service only takes 15 minutes or so. One of the few restaurants with rabbit on the menu - and very tasty it is too.
Clean rooms and good basic breakfast. It's a long, uphill walk from the bus station, consider paying FRw500 for a moto-taxi
Table tennis and billiards, bar and grill available.
Good basic traveller hotel two minutes walk from the Nyabugogo bus station on a main road. There is a large pub next to the hotel with good food and the usual football TV in the evenings. Downstairs is a massage place. There are also some Visa-accepting ATMs next door. There are plenty of buses to the city center, or walk for about one hour up-hill. Next to the Hope Guesthouse are many other guesthouses with even cheaper clean rooms.
Single room with outside bathroom. Double room with own bathroom.
Single/double rooms. Has 8 rooms.
Clean single double rooms with own hot water bathroom. Nice garden.
Which only has cold water showers.
Also has a good bar and restaurant.
Clean, big rooms, hot water, very good restaurant and free Internet.
Some rooms available for US$25 per night, good location and friendly staff. Some rooms have an excellent view over the outskirts of Kigali. Just forget the US$30 rooms. They are 'downstairs' and aren't worth it.
Enjoy a serene environment in this homely apart-hotel complex, with a view to die for and friendly staff.
Clean, very nice rooms, hot water, and free Internet.
Still known by its former name Novotel by almost everyone. Ask for a swimming pool view room on a high floor for a beautiful sunrise to wake you from your slumber.
While the movie Hotel Rwanda was filmed in South Africa, this is where the actual events took place. The hotel has two restaurants, a pool, internet and a gift shop. The hotel underwent extensive renovation in 2010. Rates are slightly higher for pool view rooms. All rooms have safes but no hair dryer or coffee maker. Free access to Wi-Fi, but coverage is uneven. Wonderful breakfast buffet. Apart from the movie this hotel is also the setting for the novel Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali.
Formerly a Belgian-owned hotel known as the Diplomates and briefly portrayed in Hotel Rwanda. Renovated in 2011. Free WiFi throughout, health club and spa. The lagoon pool and waterfall form a centerpiece to the hotel. While inside the hotel or the restaurants, you can truly be oblivious to the rest of the city outside - which may be a good or bad thing - depending on your mood.
Across the street from the Serena Hotel. It offers in-room Wi-Fi, parking, airport shuttle, breakfast, a pool, and fitness center. It also offers some perks for Marriott Bonvoy members.
This large market is a good place for fruit, veg, rice and other basic foodstuffs - and it can be good fun looking through the secondhand clothes section, or even buy some local-style clothes yourself.
Place to shop for local handicrafts and souvenirs.
The anchor tenant at the new Kigali Heights mall. Also has branches in Gishushu, Kimironko, and Kicukiro.
Ride hailing
Two main ride hailing apps operate in Kigali:
By taxi
There are many taxis in Kigali, but are expensive compared to motos. A short 1km trip will cost FRw2,000 after haggling, going up to FRw10,000 for an airport run.
By bus
Matatus/city buses (minibuses) provide major routes throughout the city and are the cheapest way to get around. The minibus in Rwanda is one of the best forms of transport in East Africa.
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Kigali · International · KGL
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