Top 5 Places to Visit in Rwanda in 2024
Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills” is one of the top 10 most-explored places in Africa. The country is a perfect blend of natural, cultural, and historical experiences hence has something for everyone. Do you have places to visit Rwanda in 2024 and don’t know the top places to visit during your trip? Well, here’s our guide to the top places to visit in Rwanda in 2024.
Akagera National Park
Set in the Eastern side of Rwanda close to the border with Tanzania, this 1122-square-kilometer Akagera National Park is the largest Protected Area in the country and is also the only place to see Big Five animals- Cape buffaloes, elephants, Rhinos, leopards, and Lions. Besides these animals, this Park is also home to the Masai giraffes, spotted hyenas, Defassa waterbucks, duikers, warthogs, bushbucks, Topis, Blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, jackals, Olive baboons, serval cats, and many others. Also, over 500 species of birds are found in the country’s only savannah-dominated National Park, and for activities to enjoy here, consider game drives, boat rides on Lake Ihema, bird watching, guided nature/bush walks, hot air balloon tours, behind-the-scene tours, walk the line tour, or community tours.
Volcanoes National Park
Nestled in the misty Virunga Volcanoes, Volcanoes National Park is one of the top 5 places to visit in Rwanda in 2024. You will meet face-to-face with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat and in this Park alone are 12 habituated gorilla families to look forward to. For $1500 per person, you can have access to one of the gorilla families and get the chance to spend one hour observing and photographing the Giant Apes as they go about their day-to-day routines. Besides trekking the mountain gorillas, you can also track the endangered golden monkeys, hike to the Dian Fossey Gravesite, watch lots of bird species that include the Albertine Rift endemics, or even undertake a guided forest walk.
Nyungwe Forest National Park
Found in the southwestern part of Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest National Park is another top place to visit in Rwanda in 2024. At 1000 square kilometers, it is the second largest Protected Area in the country with over 80 species of mammals that include 13 primate species (such as chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, Angolan black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and many others), over 322 bird species that include Albertine Rift endemics.
This beautiful National Park is known for chimpanzee tracking tours, Canopy walks, bird watching, Angolan colobus monkey tracking, guided forest walks/hiking, tea plantation tours, and community tours around the Protected Area.
Kigali City
When you think of Rwanda, you can surely not miss out on Kigali, the Capital City. As one of the top 5 places to visit in Rwanda in 2024, you can check out different areas of Art, history, and culture during your visit. Would you like to learn about the 1994 Rwandan Genocide during your visit? Then the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center is one of the unmissable places to add to your bucket list for Kigali City tours.
Other places to add to your bucket list for Kigali City excursions include the Inema Arts Center, Nyamata Church (just about one hour from the City Center), Nyamirambo Women’s Center, Kimironko Market, the Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-tourism Park, to mention but a few.
Lake Kivu
No relaxation trip in Rwanda is complete without a visit to Lake Kivu on the western side of Rwanda between the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At 2700 square kilometers, this spectacular Lake is the Largest Lake in the country and 6th largest in Africa surrounded by stunning mountains and has deep emerald green waters. The interesting activities to enjoy in or around this Lake include Kayaking and other water sports, bird watching, boat cruises, sport fishing, Island hopping and coffee tours, mountain biking, and hiking, especially along the 227-kilometer Congo Nile where endless views of magnificent landscapes are enjoyed to Rusizi in the south of this Lake.
