Rwanda Travel FAQ's
Below are our client’s most frequently asked Rwanda travel questions from when planning their trips and tours to Rwanda Africa and the surrounding areas. If you do not see the answer to your question here, please Contact Us at our offices for assistance. We look forward to your comments, questions and helping you experience all that Rwanda has to offer.
Any one over the age of 15 can trek to see the Mountain Gorilla. If you think you are too old or your knees are too bad, we can get you help to see the gorilla. The first thing to know is that the guide that will lead you to through the forest to see the gorillas are experts and there is no rush. The guide will go only as fast as the slowest person in your group. There are porters that can be hired for the day who will carry a backpack for you and if needed hold your hand. There is also the option of hiring guides to carry you in a stretcher. There are some options.
Rwanda is located just below the equator and its lowest point is nearly 4000 feet about sea level. This makes for usually lovely weather which is often referred to as ‘eternal spring’. We suggest packing for your tourism trip casually with the knowledge that Rwanda has a tradition of modesty. Consider also that nights are cool, and mosquitos do exist. Long pants and sleeves as well as some sort of repellent. If you are coming for business, standard business attire is also recommended.
Long pants – Long sleeve shirt with an under layer
Morning layer for warmth
Rain jacket or windbreaker
Rain pants – depending on the season
Good socks and or gaiters. You may like to tuck your pants into your socks or have gaiters.
Waterproof light hikers or trail shoes – supportive shoes with threaded soles.
Garden gloves – they can be useful if you need to grab on to something or even if the weather is cool.
Most Trips Include: Driver guide, park ranger, vehicle, water, lodging and full board.
Our Trips Typically Do Not Include: Additional activities – tips for driver and park ranger – any personal spending and the park offices.
By Air: There are daily flights into Kigali International Airport (KGL). Though some airlines have changed their daily offerings, it is still easy to get to Rwanda from Amsterdam, Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul and London. If you would prefer to connect through Africa there are some direct routes that include Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bujumbura (Burundi), Entebbe (Uganda) Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania).
By Ground: Traveling from Burundi, Democratic of Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Uganda, there are busses that come to Kigali daily. These routes are long but also inexpensive, offering you an unforgettable experience with friendly people and beautiful scenery. You can also hire a private car and driver.
Visa requirements vary depending on citizenship. Please follow the link below to the Rwanda Africa Migration Page for more information and updates.
Please follow the link below to the Rwanda Africa Travel Advisory Page for more information and updates.
While the CDC website is useful, we recommend seeing your doctor or a travel specialist.
Please visit this CDC Rwanda Destinations Vaccine Information website link. If you are traveling to other countries on this trip, you will be able, find them there. This link will also cover most Questions About Yellow Fever in general.
We all know that COVID has changed the world and how we travel. For information on Rwanda’s COVID requirements, please go to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre website.
We advise that you drink bottled water while in Rwanda and other African Countries you may be visiting. If you like you can bring a reusable water bottle, or we can offer you liter bottles instead. Our guests have had different feelings about brushing their teeth, so some use the tap and other use only bottled water.
Electricity: Rwanda runs on 230V. Our recommendation for those traveling with multiple rechargeable batteries is to bring extra camera batteries and constantly recharge them nightly. For other gear such a phone, computers, iPad and watches consider an extension cord with a plug converter. If you have never travel with the need for an adapter, check the country plug so it will fit the sockets. The adapter will allow you to plug in your extension cord and allow you to use your devices that need charging.
Communication: Rwanda has become the hub of the East African communications. There are many local internet cafes in Kigali and the many towns across the country. Most of the larger hotels provide internet access. Sim cars and /or cell phone are readily available as well as prepaid phone cards. If you have your own cell phone it must be an unlocked to work with the local sim cards. Sim cards may be purchased in the phone shops with proper identification. Airtime is prepaid and can be purchased easily on the street by local vendors.
Internet has greatly improved over the years and is readily available in most all cafes and hotels.
Rwanda has two seasons that each come twice a year. The wet and rainy season and the dry and hot season. Because Rwanda is located just two degrees below the equator and is at reasonably high elevation the weather stays consistent for most of the year as do the daylight hours.
Typically, there is a long rainy season from March to May and a shorter rainy season from September to November. The long dry season is from June to August and a longer dry season from December to February.
Daylight in Rwanda is very even all year long. The longest day is about 12h 06’ and the shortest day is barely shorter with 11h 53’. That is just a difference of 13 minutes. The midday sun averages 74.8° above the horizon in Kigali.
Some say the best camera is the one you have in your hand. Come and enjoy the beauty of Rwanda with whatever camera you have.
When you begin to think about what camera gear to bring, remember you will need to carry it through airports, lift it overhead storage and keep it out of the way of other participants in your vehicle. While thinking as a minimalist here, think about your back up plan. For example, I have dropped and fallen with an 18-200 lens more than once. At least I have the option to borrow my husbands or was able to use my badly tweaked lens. This may not always be the case. Which is why we each have a two-body system. This system also helps with the tremendous amount of dust you will experience on safari.
Each body has its own lens. This allows for us to never have to change a lens on safari which saves us from dust damage and from missing a shot by being able to grab the lens we want quickly and easily.
What works for us
*2 Bodies
*2 lenses – something like a 24-200, and a 180 – 400, or 180 -600.
*Charged batteries and charging set up. This can be tricky in some camping style lodges.
*Memory cards and more memory cards. Most all of us like to see my images close to immediately, I never delete a card until I have returned home. It is a heartbreaking lesson to learn.
*Bean bags filled with materials that are not food such as rice or beans.
*Monopod
Other lenses that you may like to bring along is a Macro lens or a wide-angle lens. Also cleaning gear and a good case for carrying.
Camera Rentals
As of now there are no rentals options in Rwanda. If you are planning on renting a special lens or other equipment you will have to do that from home.
Below you will find links for travel insurance. We can only offer some of the companies we know of. We do not recommend one over another.
Tin Leg – Square Mouth Travel Insurance