Kigali city is the capital of Rwanda. It is a modern city with well-maintained infrastructure and a fast-developing skyline of high rising modern buildings. The city is built on beautiful green highlands which characterize much of Rwanda’s landscape. The Kigali City is especially very popular for her impeccable cleanliness, orderliness and safety.
Anyone wishing to have a Kigali city tour together with gorilla safari? it is ecotours Rwanda managed by Nature Adventure Africa Safaris limited that will offer you the best and exact place to visit, the following are some of the top places you should not miss visiting while on your gorilla tour and Kigali city excursion.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a place of remembrance and learning dedicated to the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. It offers a powerful experience for visitors promoting reconciliation and building peace through education.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial Virtual Tour offers a convenient way to access the Memorial’s exhibitions from anywhere in the world. It provides a powerful and immersive experience, fostering a deeper understanding of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial team comprises passionate and dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to ensure the preservation of the memory of the Genocide against the Tutsi. They are a diverse group of professionals, including educators, guides, archivists, and researchers, who are committed to promoting education, healing, and reconciliation in Rwanda and beyond.
The memorial gardens provide a place for quiet contemplation about the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi. They allow visitors to reflect on how we all have a personal responsibility to prevent discrimination and mass atrocity.
The wall of names at Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre is dedicated to those who died and is a work still in progress. Many of the victims’ names have yet to be gathered and documented and many of the victims who rest in the graves are unknown.
The memorial gardens provide a place for quiet contemplation about the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi. They allow visitors to reflect on how we all have a personal responsibility to prevent discrimination and mass atrocity.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre also supports orphans and widows and the money they use for catering for these people is got through selling the crafts and also the entrance fee tourists pay.
Nyamirambo Women’s Centre. The Nyamirambo Women’s Centre (NWC) was established with the aim to support local, disadvantaged women to continue their education and training, and to gain better opportunities for employment.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center is a cooperative by local women which offers skills to other women in the area as a way of uplifting them economically and socially. The center teaches basket weaving, handcraft making, cooking, computer literacy, sewing among others. You can visit the center to see a variety of handcrafts made by the women or you can book to join a class of some activities such as cooking local dishes and weaving.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center also organizes a Nyamirambo walking tour. Nyamirambo is one of the most vibrant suburbs of Kigali. This is a great tour to discover the way of life of the local Rwandans living in the suburbs. You will check out the local markets, the local businesses, chat with the local people along the way. At the end of the walking tour, you can be hosted for a lunch at one of the local residents of Nyamirambo and this is if you started the tour in the morning. The walking tour is normally done as a half day experience starting in the morning and it takes about 3 hours.
This center offers accommodation of 2 double bed rooms with good amenities such as shower and wireless internet connection.
Art galleries. For the art lovers, Kigali has a range of art galleries for you to savor. Inema Art gallery is the most popular and if you are to include an art gallery in your Kigali day tour then this is one of the highly recommended galleries. The Inema art gallery is the heart of Inema Art Center. It hosts a permanent show for artists in residence with new paintings hung every day. You can visit the Inema Studio to see artists painting and producing live. The art gallery showcases artists from around the world.
The gallery’s café is the best when it comes to serving the best coffee and is the perfect place to go when looking for great live music in Kigali.
The art gallery hosts Inema Yoga and dancing classes.
The Presidential Museum. It is located in Kigali about 2 km from Kigali International Airport. This museum served as a home to Juvenal Habyarimana’s and Pasteur Bizimungu during 1970s till late 1990s. The Presidential Museum is one of the new museums in Kigali. It gives visitors a chance to visit the former state house as well as get an overview of Rwanda’s history.
The presidential museum is one of the most memorial visited places in Kigali. The museum is visited by tourists who eagerly want to see the remains of the flight debris of the FALCON 50 presidential plane and experience the former president’s way of living. This museum can be visited any day of week and its always open from 09:00am to 05:00pm. Entrance fee for non-residents is Rwf 6,000 and those with a resident visa pay Rwf 5,000, but be sure to bring your residency card as they do check and those wishing to take some photography are charged extra fee of Rwf 2000.
The gardens outside this museum are well maintained and in a perfect condition with several beautiful trees and flowers of all varieties but also have stone walkways. The compound of the Presidential Museum also features a swimming pool, a tennis court, playground equipment as well as an outdoor bar.
Near the middle of the behind garden exists some remains of a concrete pond that once stored the former President’s most treasured pet-a 300-pound python that was always used for fending off evil spirits.
This Museum can be accessed by the road that leads to the Kigali International Airport before proceeding to drive for a few kilometers until Kanombe Military Hospital. You will then proceed and change from tarmac to murran road until Kanombe Primary School and turn left where you will see the entrance of the Museum.
Kigali Golf course. If you are a golf player, the Kigali Golf Club is one of the most beautiful courses you can play on. A 9-hole golf course, it is situated in a lush environment near Lake Nyarutarama. You can also visit simply to enjoy the scenery. You can combine a visit the golf club with the lake.
Lake Nyarutarama. For nature lovers, this is a little lake situated near the golf club. The lake is surrounded with bush and woodland and the bird lovers it offers a good birding opportunity in Kigali.
Nyarutarama Lake is a good spot to go if you have a couple of hours in the morning to go birding. It is located close to the conference center.
The area is quite degraded with some trees, grasslands and marshes. There are paths to walk around. It is a birding heaven with species such as Long-crested Eagle, Yellow – throated Longclaw, cisticolas, marsh/swamp warblers, egrets, herons, doves, weavers and bishops and many others
Kigali city tower. Kigali City Tower is on Avenue du Commerce known as KN 76 Street in Nyarugenge District which is the central business district of Kigali. The building is on the site of the former central bus station which was closed in 2005.
The building consists of three components: the tower which rises to 20 stories, the 4-story commercial center and a car parking block which is also 4 stories tall. As of 2013 the tower is the tallest building in Kigali and Rwanda. The total retail floor space is around 10,000 square meters (110,000 sq ft) while office space is 7,000 square meters (75,000 sq ft).
The tower block is occupied mostly by office space with only the ground, lower ground and top floors being retail. Each floor of the tower has 336 square meters (3,620 sq ft) of office space available.
Retail space within the tower consists of a bar on the lower ground floor, a branch of Bank of Kigali on the ground floor and a restaurant with roof top bar and nightclub on the top floor.
Roof top restaurant at Ubumwe Grande Hotel. The roof top restaurant commands panoramic views over Kigali. Visit the restaurant for dinner or lunch and enjoy the breathtaking views of Kigali’s city scape.
Kigali convention center. It is a modern and impressive building that hosts a variety of conferences and events throughout the year. It is also a home to several restaurants and a luxury hotel making it a great place for visitors for want to stay in the heart of the city on their tour in Kigali. It has an intriguing design of the Rwandan traditional agaseke basket and has different color themes every night. It is such a spectacle at night and a must see on your tour in Kigali city.
Kimironko Market. This is the biggest and busiest market in Kigali where almost everything is sold from foodstuffs, fabrics to clothing. This is an economic landmark which you should not miss out on your Kigali city tour.
This bustling hub offers a colorful array of goods from fresh produce and spices to traditional fabrics and crafts. Visitors are allowed to stroll through the market’s lively lanes, interacting with friendly vendors and immersing into the vibrant atmosphere. At the market you discover the rich tapestry of Rwandan culture as you browse through beautiful baskets, intricate woven textiles and handmade jewelry. This is the perfect place to find authentic souvenirs and gifts to cherish from your time in Kigali.
Caplaki Handicrafts market. This is a large crafts market and it is the place to visit if you are looking to purchase your handcraft souvenirs and it is referred to as a haven for arts and crafts enthusiasts. Caplaki handicraft market has a collection of traditional handicrafts from Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Burundi and the rest of other African countries. This market is always open from Monday to Sunday.
On your city tour, you can explore the charming collection of shops and stalls showcasing a wide range of traditional Rwandan handicrafts. From wood carvings and pottery to paintings and sculptures, you will find a treasure trove of unique pieces created by local artisans. Take the opportunity to learn about the creative processes behind these works of art and you can also chat with these talented craftsmen and women.
Kigali Car Free Zone. In the center of the hustle and bustle of Kigali City in Nyarugenge District is a car free zone which is a stretch covering an entire street. It is a pedestrian only stretch and it is lovely to walk, take a rest or buy souvenirs from craft shops. Often there will be exhibitions and entertainment on the weekend hence a nice place to check out while on your visit to Kigali.
Nyandungu Eco-tourism Park. Nyandungu Eco-tourism Park is also established from a restored wetland in Kigali City. The 121.7 hectares of wetland and forest park has a neat 10km trail of walking and cycling trails providing a nice nature experience as you walk or cycle through the different habitats of the eco – park.
For the birders, this is another exciting place in Kigali where one can spend a full day on the birding trail ticking off lots of local species. About 100 bird species are said to inhabit Nyandungu wetland. Maybe you just want to have a meal in different environment away from the hustle of the city hotels and restaurants? The park has a classy restaurant where you can enjoy a meal while taking in the nice views of ponds and bushes teeming with birdlife.
Umusambi Village Nature Reserve. Umusambi Village is Kigali’s premier wildlife sanctuary and nature reserve.
It is located on the outskirts of Kigali City along the Kigali – Rwamagana highway which is also the route to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s savannah park.
Umusambi Village is the place to go in Kigali if you want to experience nature and tranquility. It is a restored wetland that was purposely established to rehabilitate rescued Grey Crowned Cranes and is home to up 70 cranes. The reserve has a neat trail network that provides access to the swamp, bushes, grasslands and woodland areas. For the keen birder it is an excellent spot as the wetland has more than 100 bird species.
