Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Diplomatic representations

For more information

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Maps of urban networks

Maporama
UT Library on line

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Rail companies

Flight from Greece

No company offers direct air connection from Athens to Kigali. To find out air connections from Greece to Rwanda click here.

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

Roads are available from the surrounding countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. Visitors are advised to exercise extreme caution, owing to political instability. Driving is generally not recommended and can be dangerous. Bus: There is a twice-weekly service from Kampala in Uganda to Kigali (Wednesday and Saturday). Traffic drives on the right. The network is sparse and most roads are in bad condition, although the roads linking the capital with Butare, Bugarana and the frontier posts are of better quality. Driving is not recommended and visitors are advised to exercise extreme caution. Bus: Services are operated by L'Office National des Transports en Commun and are classified into three groups: Urban (route numbers prefixed by A, B or C); Suburban (D routes); and Interurban. A timetable and tariff booklet is available in Rwanda. Taxi: Available in Kigali and other large towns. Fares should be agreed in advance. Tipping is not expected. Car hire: Limited facilities in Rwanda. There are no international car hire firms operating, but there are local companies in Kigali. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required.

Road maps

Find an itinerary

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Cultural

East of Cyangugu is Butare, the intellectual capital of the country. It boasts an interesting museum, craft shops and a botanical garden. North of Butare is Gitarama, which has a good art museum; nearby is the cathedral town of Kabgayi; and in Mushubati, the grottoes of Bihongor.

Nature

Rwanda is a mountainous land in the heart of Africa, split by the Rift Valley, and dominated by a mountain range that crosses the country from north to south. The three principal areas of interest are the Virunga Volcanoes, the Kagera National Park and the region around Lake Kivu.
- Kagera National Park: Kibungu, in the east of the country, is in the centre of a region of lakes and waterfalls, including Lake Mungesera and the Rusumo Falls. It is also close to the southern tip of the Kagera National Park, which covers over 2,500 km² (1,000 sq miles) of savannah to the west of the Kagera River (the frontier with Tanzania). The park has a variety of wildlife and is a habitat for over 500 species of birds. There are accommodation facilities on the edge of the park at Gabiro, 100km (60 miles) to the north. Reservations should be made in advance. In the rainy seasons (December, March and April) many of the routes become impassable.
West of Kagera is the Parc des Volcans, one of the last sanctuaries of the Gorilla mountain. The ORTPN bureau in Kigali can organise guided tours of the park for small parties; it is advisable to book a long time in advance. This region is composed of volcanic mountains, of which two, across the frontier in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are still active.
Kivu Lake : Gisenye is the main centre for excursions in the Parc des Volcans. Plane trips can be made from here to view the craters. Located in the north of Kivu Lake, it also offers many opportunities for water sports or for excursions on the lake. Kibuye, further south, is another lakeside resort. Near Cyangugu, on the southern shores of the lake, are the spectacular grottoes of Kaboza and Nyenji, and the thermal waters in Nyakabuye. Nearby, the Rugege Forest is the home for many rare species of wildlife.

Outdoor activities

Near Kivu Lake, Gisenyi offers many opportunities for water sports.

Tourism organizations

Eating

Food specialties

Hotels generally serve a reasonable choice of European dishes, while restaurants serve Franco-Belgian cuisine and some African dishes. Drink: A fairly good selection of beers, spirits and wines is available. Beer is also brewed locally.

Drinks

Dietary restrictions

Paying

Domestic currency

Rwandan Franc

ISO Code

RWF

To obtain domestic currency

Currency: Rwanda Franc (RWF) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of FWF 5,000, 1,000, 500 and 100. Coins are in denominations of FWD 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Currency code: RWF

Possible means of payment

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Rwanda, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Kinyarwanda, English, French

Other languages spoken

Kiswahili

Business language

English

Getting some knowledge

Free translation tools

Babel Fish - Free French-English-French traduction of texts and web pages.
lexicool - Free Greek-French-Greek translator
Babel Fish - Free Greek-French-Greek translator
lexilogo - Free Greek-French-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: May 2012