Luxury Travel to Kigali made for you
Café culture
Sip Kigali’s laid-back cafés known for its bright, fruity and complex flavours
City sightseeing
Explore Kigali's green neighbourhoods, markets and cultural landmarks with your private guide
Rwandan food
Try a mix of refined local cuisine and international dining like contemporary African menus and farm-to-table spots
Historical sites
Visit key memorials and museums and learn about Rwanda’s past with a local historian
Ideal base for exploring
Start in Kigali to explore the surrounding countryside, lakes and national parks
The friendly capital
Rwanda’s capital has seen its fair share of woes, but nowadays this city hub is going from strength to strength as a burgeoning metropolis of business and comfortable city life. Its clean and ordered suburbs sit astride central hills and valleys for a green and pleasant setting. And downtown Kigali offers a good array of cafés and places to eat if you wish to venture out.
In your luxury Kigali tour, you’ll see sombre reminders of Rwanda’s past and memorials to those who lost their lives to genocide. These memorials and monuments are a testament to the nation’s commitment to peace and reconciliation.
Being a landlocked country, importing goods and with high VAT, Kigali can be expensive. Foreign goods, in particular, are overpriced, so it helps to buy the local brand if you can. Rwandan coffee is excellent and a good gift to take back home with you.
Looking to the future, there are plans in place to make many large changes to Kigali by 2040 – among them: decentralising the city, adding new shopping and leisure districts and establishing more pedestrian walkways. Along with green spaces and a wetlands conservation area.
As the country’s capital and main transport hub, Kigali is a necessary destination to springboard onto others in the country. We have selected a good range of very comfortable and convenient hotels in the city to give you a comfortable buffer between flights and moving onto other locations.
Highlights
Visit the local Kimironko Market with your private guide and explore fruit, fabrics and everyday essentials in Kigali’s largest market
Dine poolside at Fusion at The Retreat by Heaven and try international cuisine combined with Rwandan and African flavours using quality local ingredients
Explore Inema Arts Center in Kacyiru focusing on contemporary Rwandan artwork and meeting artists to hear about their creative process
Enjoy a coffee tasting and learn why Rwandan coffee is so clean and bright; thanks to high-altitude growing, volcanic soils and careful washed processing
Join a Nyamirambo Women’s Centre walking tour, starting with a quick Kinyarwanda lesson (Rwanda’s main local language) before exploring the neighbourhood with a local guide
Luxury accommodation in Kigali
There are many incredible places to stay in Kigali. Here are some of our favourites, handpicked by our travel designers:
Why book with Jacada?
Safari expertise
Our experts bring decades of first-hand expertise. They’ve lived and travelled across Africa and are regularly on the ground reviewing the most exclusive camps and experiences. You’ll also have the support of a personal concierge, based in region.
Unforgettable guides
We handpick the most knowledgeable guides, who bring each destination to life with care and passion. They’re chosen for their ability to provide unrivalled insight into the region’s wildlife and landscapes as well as a genuine, memorable experience.
Positive impact
By travelling with us, you directly support a range of initiatives spanning wildlife conservation to community engagement. Our luxury trips are designed to prioritise experiences that are positive for you and the places you visit.
Trip Inspiration
Get inspired with our Kigali example trips and then get in touch to plan your own adventure
Meet your Africa team
When to visit
Kigali is a great year-round city destination. From June to September, the dry weather make it comfortable for city exploring and day trips into the surrounding countryside.
December to February is another dry, clear window, often slightly warmer with daytime temperatures around 25–27°C (77–81°F).
March to May and November are the green months. Rainfall increases and the city’s hills and gardens turn lush and vibrant. Expect fewer visitors with afternoon showers that are usually short. You’ll have plenty of clear time to explore.
City exploration
June–September
Café culture
December–February
Lush landscapes and quiet travel
March–May, November
Plan your trip to Kigali
Whatever you want from your adventure in Kigali, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
Your trip, your story
We craft trips deeply personal, delightfully surprising and entirely one of a kind. Every Jacada journey begins in conversation with a travel designer, a specialist in their destination of expertise. Behind each journey is a wealth of insight, gathered over years of on-the-ground exploration.
Once you’re booked, you’ll meet your concierge. Based in the region you’re visiting, they’ll take care of all the details so your mind is at rest. They make the trip truly special – and truly yours.
