Places

Places to visit in Rwanda: a first-timer’s map

Rwanda is small enough to see most of it in a week. Here are the places worth your time, and how they fit together.

Aline Uwase · Trip planner, KigaliUpdated 5 Sep 2026 · 8 min read

Rwanda is small enough to see most of it in a week. Here are the places worth your time, and how they fit together.

Volcanoes National Park

Home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, 2.5 hours north of Kigali. Plan two or three nights.

Rwanda’s savanna and the Big Five, 2.5 hours east of Kigali. Two nights is ideal.

Ancient rainforest with chimpanzees and a canopy walk in the south-west. Two nights, and the drive is part of the adventure.

Beaches, islands and sunsets on the western border — the perfect place to slow down after the parks.

The clean, green capital where every trip begins. Give it at least a day.