Rwanda is a gorgeous landlocked country in central Africa that has made huge leaps, despite its dark history. A travel destination that will quench your travel thirsty. The land of a thousand hills has a very stunning landscape.

Its scenery is amazing and there is no doubt that it can be easy to lose oneself in the beauty of the country. Its capital city, Kigali is one of the cleanest cities in Africa. With hills, valleys, lakes and fascinating wildlife, Rwanda offers you a peaceful picturesque vacation.

Rwanda is one of Africa’s safest cities. Whether as a solo traveler or one with a group, you have nothing to fear. The crime rate is incredibly low and going from one city to another is definitely without hassles. The cities are easily accessible and all you need to do is just hire a car to drive round or explore the country with your tour group.

Rwanda has in the past suffered the terrible genocide in 1994 but the country has regained its peace and has greatly developed in the last two decades making it a tour destination for anyone visiting Africa.

Rwanda is one of the only three countries in the world that harbour the endangered mountain gorillas the other two being Uganda and Congo. Therefore, gorilla trekking safari is the best-selling activity in Rwanda and has since attracted many visitors from all over the world.

Gorilla trekking is done in Volcanoes National Park and is done all year round at a gorilla permit fee of USD 1500 for spending one hour with gorillas in their natural habitat.

Rwanda has its parks filled with a lot of wildlife. Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park respectively are homes to a number of mammals and birds. Some of the animals living here include chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, elephants, buffaloes, water bucks, antelopes, leopard, giraffe’s, spotted hyenas and so many more.

Some of the bird species are Rwenzori Turaco and more. These animals can be viewed in Savannah of Akagera National Park during game drives or Forest walks in Nyungwe in South-western Rwanda.

Kigali city is known as the most beautiful, safe and cleanest city in Africa. A tour around the city will leave you longing for more stay. Kigali has been fast growing for the past years and surely one needs to see what it has to offer.

It shows the past history of Rwanda and the current situation. Some places to visit on Kigali city tour are Kigali genocide memorial centre, Inema Arts Centre, Kandt House Museum, Camp Kigali memorial and markets like Caplaki Crafts Village, Nyamirambo women’s centre to get yourself a souvenir.

Rwanda is blessed to provide a home to the endangered golden monkeys and the human closest relatives the chimpanzees. Seeing these great primates in the wild is amazing and leaves great memories. Chimpanzees can be tracked in Nyungwe Forest National Park and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. Some other primates to be seen are colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and olive baboons.

Musanze’s strategic location in the foothills of the Virunga massif is attractive to tourism, business and agriculture, with notably fertile land in the surrounding region.

Set at an altitude of 1,850m, the city is a convenient base for gorilla trekking, with the Kinigi headquarters 13km away. For those keen to stay closer to the edge of the Volcanoes National Park, there are various boutique lodges along its fringes with spectacular views and a more rural setting.

Musanze is a hassle-free and buzzing city, with plenty of choice for eating out, ATMs to withdraw cash, vibrant nightlife, markets and artisanal trades.

Excursions from Musanze include a guided tour of the underground caves, bicycle tours in Rwanda and a chance to meet the Rwandan cycling team at the Africa Rising Cycling Centre, the Buhanga Eco-Park and the little-known lakes of Karago, Burera and Ruhondo.

Musanze is where most of the government administrative and commercial services are located for the province.  Musanze is the closest city to the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and because of that, offers great views of the Virunga volcanoes. Musanze is therefore gateway town to those visiting the Volcanoes National Park

The key attraction of Musanze is the Volcanoes National Park. The park is 130 square kilometres large and home to the endangered mountain gorilla. The most popular activity is gorilla trekking. Unfortunately, it is an expensive venture with a gorilla permit in Rwanda costing a cool $1500. The Volcanoes National Park is one of the only four national parks where mountain gorillas can be found.

Visit the grave of Dian Fossey grave: This is a full day’s activity and requires the same level of fitness and determination that is required while tracking mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey was a great primatologist and was the first to study mountain gorillas in detail. It was Dian Fossey who discovered how to make mountain gorillas comfortable around human presence hence making Rwanda gorilla trekking possible.

Lake Burera and Ruhondo: These two lakes are close to each other and are often referred to as the twin Lakes of Rwanda. They are located in an area with remarkable scenery, tranquillity and at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes. It’s only 20 minutes’ drive way from Musanze (Ruhengeri) but you can also use a bike to reach there. Once you reach there, you can choose to go for a village walk, canoeing, camping and birding.

Explore the Musanze Caves: These caves are over 1 million years old. They were formed during the creation of the volcanoes in the area. Lava spewed out, flowed, cooled at the top and left molten rock moving underneath.

The molten rock moving underneath left behind tunnels which are what we now call as the Musanze caves. The caves are a complex group of tunnels some stretching over 20 kilometres. These caves were used as shelter by the kings of Rwanda during war with neighbouring tribes.

Track Golden Monkey: The Golden monkey is one of the cutest and most beautiful primates found in Africa. They feed on tree shoots, leaves and insects. Golden monkeys live in groups that can reach up to 80 individuals. These playful primates are endangered just like mountain gorillas.

Hike one of the Volcanoes: There are five volcanoes that can be explored while in Ruhengeri. They include Karisimbi, Bisoke, Gahinga, Muhabura and Sabyinyo. Karisimbi takes two days to complete while Muhabura, Sabyinyo and Gahinga have starting points in Uganda.

Visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village: The Iby’Iwacu Cultural village (Now known as the gorilla Guardians village) is where all that there is to know about Rwandan culture and the different tribes are showcased. It was started as project to help former poachers benefit from tourism as an alternative source of income but has grown to include many other offerings. Most tourists who go to visit the Volcanoes National Park stop at the Village for a cultural experience before departing the country.

Visit the Buhanga Eco-Park: This park is named after the first King of Rwanda. It is found in the sacred Buhanga forest where the Kings of Rwanda would be crowned after undergoing various ceremonies and rituals.

The chosen king would be taken to the forest in a carriage all the way from the Royal palace in Nyanza. On reaching the forest, he would be showered in the spring water and then seek the blessings of the elders and gods.

Therefore, if you are planning tours in Rwanda and you want to take more time exploring here are more suitable tourist’s places to go and these includes Lake Kivu, Kibuye, Changugu and Butare among others.