Kigali

The Kigali Genocide Memorial, in the Gisozi neighbourhood, is the country's most visited and most important site. It serves as the final resting place for over 250,000 genocide victims and presents a detailed, carefully curated history of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, in which an estimated 800,000 people — roughly 75% of Rwanda's Tutsi population — were killed in approximately 100 days. The memorial is handled with evident care, and most visitors spend two to three unhurried hours there.

Beyond the memorial, Kigali rewards a half-day guided city tour: Kimironko Market for fabric, produce, and craft shopping; Inema Arts Center, a contemporary art cooperative in the Kacyiru district; and the city's distinctive hillside layout, with neighbourhoods spilling across multiple ridgelines connected by well-maintained roads — itself a visible symbol of the country's post-genocide rebuilding.

Kigali's restaurant and café scene has grown substantially in the past decade, with a genuinely good spread of Rwandan, pan-African, and international dining, alongside a handful of rooftop bars with views across the city's hills — a pleasant way to spend an evening before or after a gorilla trek.

Nearly every Rwanda itinerary passes through Kigali at least twice — once on arrival, once before departure — since the international airport sits here and Volcanoes National Park is a 2.5-hour drive away. We typically build in one full day in the city, usually combining the memorial visit with the guided tour, rather than treating it as a pure transit stop.