Visit Rwanda

October 14, 2022

Known as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda’s stunning scenery and warm, friendly people offer unique experiences in one of the most remarkable countries in the world. It is blessed with extraordinary biodiversity, with incredible wildlife living throughout its volcanoes, montane rainforest and sweeping plains.

Travellers come from far and wide to catch a glimpse of the magnificent gorillas, yet there is so much more to see and experience.

Highlights include. Big five, Gorilla trekking, Chimp trekking, bird watching and Lake Kivu.  As guardians of many iconic species, Rwanda is committed to safeguarding their existence within the four National Parks.

The Hills Balfour team met with key stakeholders during their visit to provide them with a UK & Ireland market update. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet in person and discuss the best ways to work together to build the Rwanda product in the UK & Ireland and how to work with media 

We would like to thank our key stakeholders for attending the event, it was wonderful to meet with them and we look forward to working with them more closely. We would also like to thank Rwanda Development Board for organising such a fantastic trip and cannot wait to promote the destination to the trade and media

 

The new Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has officially opened.  The Ellen Campus will be a gateway for gorilla conservation, thanks to educational exhibits, classrooms and state-of-the-art research labs. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund will be able to expand its mission of saving gorillas and helping people, 54 years after Dian Fossey began her ground breaking work. The Campus is adjacent to Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda and will inspire everyone who visits from tourists, conservationists to local community members. The Campus will help spread the message to cherish gorillas and will encourage a lifetime of conservation.

To celebrate, Visit Rwanda has rounded up some of our top travel tips on how to build the perfect itinerary for your customers to enjoy the ultimate Rwanda experience.  

An unforgettable gorilla experience 

Six tracking permits are issued per troop per day, meaning the encounter is as intimate and as unobtrusive as possible. With only 96 permits available each day in Rwanda, it is highly recommended to book in advance, either online or via a reputable tour operator. 

There are twelve gorilla families living in the Volcanoes National Park, which are fully habituated, with a few others habituated solely for scientific research.

Track the chimpanzees in November 

November is considered the prime time to track Rwanda’s chimpanzees due to the favourable climate. Chimpanzees are found in Nyungwe National Park as well as in smaller numbers in Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Sociable creatures, chimpanzees live in extended communities and move around every day, foraging for food or occasionally hunting smaller mammals.  

Tracking starts early and can last anything from an hour to several hours depending on where the chimps are – visitors can then spend up to an hour with them once they are found.

Explore off-the-beaten-track on a mountain bike 

Our land of a thousand hills is an excellent destination for off-the-beaten-track cycling, with almost endless trails and roads criss-crossing the territory. 

Arguably the greatest route is the Congo Nile Trail, a 227km itinerary which can take up to 5 days. And just in case you missed it the Tour du Rwanda 2022 concluded this weekend.  The week-long festival of cycling travels the length and breadth of the country passing by stunning views and passionate crowds. This year Team GB competed too.

Hike in the western half of Rwanda  

 The best hiking to be had is in the western half of the country with trails running all the way from Volcanoes National Park in the north, along the fringes of Lake Kivu in the west and down to Nyungwe National Park in the south. Travellers will enjoy hiking a range of six extinct and three active volcanoes and wildlife spotting along the way, including an abundance of birdlife. When planning a hiking itinerary, check out our six recommended routes.