The Kigali Genocide Memorial
The Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi is the resting place of more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Its exhibitions explain what happened and why, and honour those who were lost. A visit is deeply moving and essential to understanding Rwanda today. Read Kigali Genocide Memorial.
Art, coffee and markets
Kigali has a lively creative scene. The Inema Arts Center showcases contemporary Rwandan artists, and coffee shops serve some of the country’s excellent single-origin coffee. Kimironko market is the city’s busiest, with fabrics, baskets, fruit and tailors who can make clothes in a day. Read Kigali’s art and coffee scene.
Nyamirambo
Nyamirambo, one of Kigali’s oldest neighbourhoods, is colourful and full of life. Guided walking tours, often led by local women’s cooperatives, visit tailors, hair salons, mosques and food stalls, ending with a home-cooked lunch.
Things to do
- The Kigali Genocide Memorial.
- Inema Arts Center and other galleries.
- Kimironko market for crafts, fabrics and fruit.
- A Nyamirambo walking tour.
- Coffee tasting in the city’s cafés.
A sample day
Start at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in the morning, then visit the Inema Arts Center and enjoy lunch at a café. Spend the afternoon at Kimironko market or on a Nyamirambo walking tour, and end with dinner overlooking the city lights from one of Kigali’s hills. Our 1-day Kigali city tour follows a similar route.
What to expect
Kigali is orderly, calm and easy to navigate. Moto-taxis are everywhere and drivers carry helmets for passengers. Many restaurants and cafés accept cards and mobile money. On the last Saturday morning of each month, Umuganda community work brings much of the city to a pause until about midday.
Kigali beyond the memorial
Other museums tell more of Rwanda’s story: the Campaign Against Genocide Museum at the parliament building, and the Presidential Palace Museum near the airport, the former residence of past presidents, with the wreckage of the plane shot down in 1994 in its grounds. Many travellers also enjoy a cooking class, a visit to a craft cooperative or simply an evening at a rooftop restaurant.
Where to stay
Central hotels such as the Kigali Serena Hotel and the historic Hôtel des Mille Collines put you close to the sights and restaurants.
Combining Kigali with your safari
Kigali is the starting point for Volcanoes National Park, Akagera and Bwindi in Uganda. Read Rwanda visa and entry requirements and is Rwanda safe for tourists, then get safari pricing.
Practical tips
- Visit the memorial early in the day and allow at least two hours.
- Bargaining is normal at markets but always polite.
- Ask before photographing people, and never photograph government or military buildings.
