/destinations/rwanda/kigali/
At a Glance
Kigali is Rwanda's capital and international gateway, and the starting point for almost every gorilla trekking itinerary. It's a compact, notably orderly city built across a series of ridges, and most travellers spend a night here on arrival before the drive to Volcanoes National Park.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial
The memorial documents the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and serves as a burial site for a large number of victims. Most visitors find it a difficult but important few hours, and we'd encourage building time for it into an arrival or departure day rather than treating it as an optional add-on.
Where to Stay
Kigali holds a strong selection of design-led hotels and boutique properties, generally used as a single arrival or departure night.
Onward to Volcanoes National Park
The drive from Kigali to the Volcanoes National Park area takes roughly two to three hours on good roads — one of the shortest gateway-to-gorillas transfers in Africa.