Tourist attractions in Rwanda
The tourist attractions in Rwanda are many and spread out in all corners of the country so you are sure of enjoying one or more on your Rwanda safari. A big number of the arrivals at the Kigali International airport come looking for a taste of the tourism in Rwanda. Most guests are focused on visiting any of the four national parks of the country but there is more to Rwanda than the national parks.
The tourist attractions of the country are categorized into features like tourist towns, physical features, national parks, museums, water bodies, cultural sites and recreation centers. There are uncountable points of tourist interest in Rwanda however we have narrowed this list to about 5 major tourist attractions in Rwanda.
- Volcanoes national park Rwanda
The Volcanoes national park is the most visited spot in Rwanda for tourism purposes and this is majorly because of the mountain gorillas that live within the park. The Volcanoes national park offers mountain gorilla trekking experience and this is the third and only country in Africa that still has the presence of the mountain gorillas. The mountain gorillas are an endangered species yet share the highest percentage of DNA with humans and can only be visited in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo.
Besides mountain gorilla trekking, the Volcanoes national park offers golden monkey treks, volcano mountain hikes and is also where the tomb of the late Dian Fossey, the most known female primatologist, is and you can take on a Dian Fossey tomb hike. On the activities offered in the Volcanoes national park, guests are sure to spot some birds so ensure to carry along your pair of binoculars.
- Akagera national park Rwanda
The Akagera national park is the only wildlife national park of Rwanda and this where guests in Rwanda head to when interested in Rwanda safari game drives. The Akagera national park is a home to the big 5 animals which doubles as a one stop destination for the guests interested in the Big 5 animals.
Take on a savannah game drive for a chance to spot a number of the game in the park such as the lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, the different antelope species, zebras and giraffes. Get to enjoy a boat cruise on the Lake Ihema and spot the hippos and the crocodiles. There are great accommodation options in the Akagera like the Magashi tented camp which is an experience of its own.
- Nyungwe forest national park
The Nyungwe forest national park is the home of the chimpanzees in Rwanda and is majorly visited by guests looking for the ultimate chimpanzee trekking experience. The chimpanzee trekking permit in the Nyungwe forest costs 90 USD per person. The Nyungwe forest is a home to 7 other primates that you may opt to trek as well such as the blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys or the mangabeys and a permit to trek the other primates goes for 60 USD.
The Nyungwe forest national park is also famous for having the best canopy walk in East Africa which is a 90 meter high suspended bridge giving guests an aerial view of the forest and also a great birding point. The Nyungwe forest also boosts of having great nature trails that one can take a guided nature walk at only 40 USD and get to spot some of the 350 different bird species in this forest.
- Genocide sites/ grounds
Rwanda recorded one of the worst genocides in the entire world in 1994 where fellow country men and women brutally murdered each other and put this country in shock. The 1994 Rwanda genocide claimed up to 1 million lives of the Rwandan people and there are a number of Genocide memorial grounds all over the country where you can pass by to get more information about the event and also pay respect to the fallen.
While in Kigali, you may check out the Kigali Genocide memorial grounds and the Murambi genocide memorial site and these are usually part of the Kigali city tour. Visit the Gisozi memorial site located close to the Kigali city where up to 300,000 are buried or the Gisenyi Memorial ground which is closest to the Volcanoes national park.
The others are the Nyamata memorial site in the Bugesera district, Bisesero memorial site in the Kibuye region, Nyarubye memorial site, the Nyanza memorial site and the Ntarama Memorial site.
- Cultural sites and Museums
Rwanda is a very rich in culture country that you will notice at all the places you will visit on your Rwanda Safari tour. All places are detailed with black, white and brown motifs that are symbol of a Rwandan property. The art found in most places is a blend of Rwandan artists and contemporary artists.
There are some great places a guest interested in the culture of Rwanda can visit to get a treat and examples of these places are the Iby’iwachu cultural center where you can get entertained by the local dancers, enjoy some day to day running of an African home. Take some time to visit the King’s Palace and spot the way the King’s palace was run in the older days and also spot the long horned cattle.
Rwanda has eight national museums all showcasing different things so be sure to visit one of these museums for example the Butare museum enroute from Nyungwe forest national park back to Kigali, the Ethnographic museum.
Do not forget to pass by a tea plantation on your visit to Rwanda and taste a fresh and home processed cup of tea as Rwanda has the best tea. Looking forward to hearing from you to book a visit to one of these hot tourism spots.
