Which visa do I need to visit Rwanda?

If you must have a visa before traveling to Rwanda, you must apply for one in advance, as Rwanda also has online portals. You can apply for a Rwandan Visa depending on what you wish to do in Rwanda. There are Rwanda tourist visas, Educational visas, Business visas, diplomatic visas, and others.

Most Popular Safaris

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3 Day Gorilla Habituation via Kigali

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 If you must commence your journey into Rwanda from another East African country like Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and others, you can apply for the East Africa Visa. At the moment, the cost of the East Africa visa is about $100 per person. The East African Visa allows you entry into at least two East African countries.

You can also apply for a visa at immigration at the different border points of Rwanda with its neighbors or at Kigali International Airport. Still, the process may be extended because of the long queues. You may waste some time if your reason for a visit to Rwanda is scheduled to commence as soon as possible.

Use the help of your travel agent to get more information about the visa requirements for Rwanda.

What to Do on Rwanda Visit?

Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

Rwanda has gorilla trekking as its topmost activity in Volcanoes National Park. About 15 gorilla trekking families are currently open in Volcanoes National Park. For one to be part of the people allowed to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you must secure a gorilla permit from the Rwanda Development Board.

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda starts with a briefing at the ranger station at ORTPN, and then you are assigned a gorilla family to trek with. The gorilla families of Rwanda include Karisimbi, Amahoro, Umubano, Hirwa, Agashya, Susa, and others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda gets you closer to the human's closest cousins in the animal kingdom. Another chimpanzee community lives in the Cyamudondo afforested area at the periphery of Nyungwe National Park.

One needs a chimpanzee trekking permit from Nyungwe National Park to gain access on chimpanzee safari day. The Rwanda Development Board has the mandate to sell and regulate chimpanzee safaris.

Although the chimpanzees in Rwanda are semi-habituated, they are charming to be in the company of.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park.

Taking the canopy walk on the 90-meter-high suspension bridge over Nyungwe National Park is exceptional. Currently, the canopy walk can only happen in Rwanda Nyungwe National Park, the only one in East Africa.

From up on the bridge, you can enjoy the stunning scenery, green cover, physical features, and other beauties the park offers.

Golden Monkey trekking in Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanoes National Park is home to golden monkeys in Rwanda. Golden monkeys are a special monkey species with a body structure larger than normal ones. They have golden brown hairs on the lower bottom and a larger body structure than normal monkeys.

To do this adventure, one needs a golden monkey trekking permit from the Rwanda Development Board. 

Primate or Nature walks in Rwanda.

Within the forested areas of Rwanda, you can do the forest walk, where you may spot other primates like blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and others. These forests also host the birds of Rwanda.

Birding in Rwanda

If you wish to do birding in Rwanda, you need a well-planned itinerary. Some prominent birding destinations in Rwanda include Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park, and others.

Rwanda hosts more than 800 bird species, including Albertine rift endemics. Some birds you may identify on Rwanda's birding adventure include Handsome Francolin, Shelley's Crimsonwing, Alpine Chat, Malachite Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, and others.

Game drives in Akagera National Park 

A game drive in Akagera National Park is exclusive as you can see animals like lions, leopards, zebras, waterbucks, a herd of buffaloes, cape buffaloes, and others.

The fate of Akagera National Park was affected by the Rwanda Genocide of 1994, which claimed over 800,000 people. The animals in this park are recovering since they were victims, too. Some fled to areas closer to safety.

Taking a boat trip on Lake Ihema is refreshing as you enjoy the physical features of the park and the different vegetation zones around this area.

Kigali city tour

Before leaving Rwanda, you may do a Kigali city tour. During this tour, you may visit the Kandt house and the coffee shops to taste the coffee aromas of Rwanda. Visit the Rwanda genocide, like St. Familie church, Blue Barrette, and others.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Rwanda?

The best time to book a Rwanda safari is all year, as the country of a thousand hills offers opportunities for a great African safari. The dry season, which is June, July, August, September, December, and January, is most sought after. This season, the demand for gorilla, chimpanzee, and golden monkey safari permits is high. Even the logistics supporting the safaris in Rwanda are highly demanded this season.

If you are going for a gorilla or chimpanzee safari, you need to book your permits in advance because they are in high demand, yet supply is limited for conservation reasons. The chimpanzee permits are regulated to reduce the number of people in the forest and the effects of mass tourism.

Since gorilla and chimpanzee permits are in high demand yet supply is regulated, it is best to book yours in advance at least six months to a year.

During the low Rwanda Tourism season, safari demand is lower, so chances for booking last-minute safari logistics are more open. The low Rwanda tourism season is usually March, April, May, and November. During the low Rwanda Tourism Season, you may get discounts on gorilla permits. The average cost of Rwanda gorilla permits is $1500 but is discounted to $1050 during the low season; terms and conditions apply.

If you have a limited budget for a visit to Rwanda, you may use the opportunity of the low season. Some service providers may offer discounts in the low season to break even in this season.

Is Rwanda Safe for a Visit?

Since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the country has been enjoying peace and growing tremendously to build itself. The return of tourism in Rwanda opened doors for more people to enjoy its beauties and understand more about Rwanda than the agony.

In the Rwanda safari destinations, Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe National Park, and Akagera National Park, there is a team of well-trained and experienced Rwanda Development Board ranger guides. These are in place to protect the wild animals, the flora, and the general inhabitants of this area. The rangers also offer protection to tourists in their company.

On the ground in the Rwanda safari destinations are other Rwanda security agencies to biff the security of these destinations and keep law and order in and around these areas.

Tourists on safari must pay attention to personal security by not walking in the park without an escorting ranger guide because you may cross paths with the carnivores or other inhabitants.

Avoid walking around with your valuables during the safari because you may attract the wrong company. Even when you must count large sums of money, do it in a safe, private area.

What can I pack for a Visit to Rwanda?

Most Rwanda safari activities involve walking in the jungle, so you must pack the right gear.

• Warm wear to put on early morning and late afternoon because it gets so cold you need to keep friendly as sometimes temperatures drop as low as 7 degrees centigrade.
• Insect repellant to keep away stinging insects that would harm you while walking to locate the mountain gorillas.
• Garden gloves protect your palms from stinging nettles and even rough surfaces you may land on when you trip and fall.
• Bug spray is in case your room is infected.
• Toiletries in case your skin is very sensitive or your lodge does not provide.
• Snacks to munch on in case you get hungry because breakfast is taken too early to last the entire time in the wilderness.
• A raincoat or poncho is used if it rains in the wilderness. This area receives rain at any time without warning.
• Wear long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt in the wilderness to protect your body from harsh conditions in the forest.
• A pair of stockings to tack in your trousers and protect your body from insects that would creep into your clothes.
• Safari boots can go through the soggy surfaces in the jungle as the wilderness is wet most of the time, and rivers overflow, especially in the severe rainy seasons.
• Safari hat to protect your hair from getting wet in case it rains, or dew drips off the leaves.
• Pajamas to wear in the night when getting to bed.
• Duffel bag to carry with your belongings, as you may need help offloading or loading your bags.
• Flip flops to change into in case you come from gorilla trekking and are tired of wearing closed shoes.
• Some cash to exchange into local currency when purchasing anything locally.
• Clean Face masks to wear when standing before the mountain gorillas. This was adopted after the Covid-19 period. The mountain gorillas can be victims of this virus since they are susceptible to human infections because they have about 96% human DNA.
• A camera to take photos and protect memories of your experience during gorilla trekking. 
• A light, waterproof bag to carry with your gorilla trekking gear; if you hire a porter, they can collectively carry your bags. Even when you trip and fall, you lose none of your gear

How do you behave while on safari in Rwanda?

• Follow some of the guidelines below for the Rwanda gorilla, chimpanzee, or golden monkey safari.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the primates when you locate them. This is to prevent chances of passing an infection to these primates, as they are highly susceptible to infectious diseases like flu, cough, COVID-19, and others.
• If you are sick with a contagious infection, volunteer to stay behind so as not to pass it to the endangered primates.
• If you want to eat or drink while before the primates, do it at least 300 meters away from them. They are wild animals that must search for their food.
• The age limit for gorilla safari is 15 years for chimpanzee or golden monkey safaris and 15 years and over for the primates safaris. This is because the way to locate the primates has rugged topography, which sometimes requires you to hike to find them.
• Only go into the forest with an escorting ranger guide. Although mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkeys are fully habituated to human presence, some forest dwellers are not and may be dangerous to you alone.
• When defecating, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole at least 30 centimeters deep and cover well beyond recognition.
• Stay in a tight group with the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkey safari because surrounding them may cause them to feel ambushed.
• Please don't attempt to provoke the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkeys because they are wild animals that, even though habituated to human presence. They still possess agitated behaviors. 
• When taking photos, do it with a flash-less camera to not scare the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkeys; they are often frightened by unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
• When tracking mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkeys, keep your voice low to not scare the primates and other forest dwellers. That may be interesting to add to your wildlife photo collection.
• Never dump garbage in the wilderness, as this alters the nature of the forest where mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, or golden monkeys live.

Contact us to help you with more information on how to acquire your visa before visiting Rwanda.