Tourist Activities in Rwanda

While in Rwanda, you can undertake the following activities.

Gorilla trekking

The Parc Nacional des Volcans is most famous for gorilla tracking (Dian Fossey spent 18 years studying them here until her murder in 1985). Visits to old Karisoke are available as one of the activities in the Virungas. Old Karisoke is located in a beautiful meadow between the Karisimbi and Visoke volcanoes with the Mikeno volcano in the distance. Remains of the old buildings can be seen as well as graves of some of the research gorillas that have died over the last 30 years, including the famous Digit which was killed by poachers, as well as that of Fossey herself.

Golden Monkey tracking in the Volcanoes

This monkey is one of the most endangered primates in Africa and it is now thought that the only viable population of these monkeys is in the Virunga Volcanoes. Two groups are being habituated for visitors in the Virungas. The Kabatwa group is found in the east of the park, on the flanks of the Sabinyo volcano and has about 40 in the group. The Musongo Group lives higher up on the flanks of the Karisimbi volcano at an altitude of about 2800-3000 metres and has about 100 individuals.

Scenic and wildlife viewing

AKagera has attractions such as the beautiful undulating plains with dense, broad-leafed woodland, lighter acacia woodland and rolling grassland with an extensive series of lakes linked by papyrus swamps forming a sprawling wetland. The park has game life including the lions, zebras, antelopes, hippos, buffalo, leopards, apes, impala, crested herons, fish eagles, cormorants, giraffes, elephants, elands and warthogs.

Mountain climbing

The Virunga Volcanoes between Ruhengeri and Gisenyi are popular with climbers. Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the most commonly climbed from Gisenyi.

Volcanic lakes - Kivu, Bulera, Ruhondo

There are five volcanic lakes on the borders of Rwanda and Uganda with their own special attractions. Lake Kivu , on the Rwanda/Congo border, the largest, is like a giant inland sea with some interesting lakeside towns. Kibuye and Gisenyi are a relaxing retreat for swimming, canoeing and water-skiing. The twin lakes of Bulera and Ruhondo are attractive places to visit.

Butare

This is a pleasant university town which contains the exceptional National Museum which has a fine display of the history of the country and people. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, built in memory of Princess Astrid of Belgium, is the largest in the country. At Nyanza, nearby, there is the court of the former King.

City Tours

The tours take you to the genocide memorial sites in Kigali such as Gisozi genocide memorial site, Rebero genocide memorial site, Ntarama genocide memorial site, Nyamata genocide memorial site and Nyanza- Kicukiro genocide memorial site. The markets, the handicrafts, the Muslim quarter are some of the main places of interest.

Chimpanzee Tracking

This activity is carried out in Nyungwe Forest because the forest inhabits thirteen species of primate including chimpanzee, Rwenzori colobus and l'Hoest's monkey. The colobus live in large groups, including a four hundred-strong semi-habituated group thought to be the largest troop of arboreal primates in Africa.