Top things to do in Kigali

Walking around Kigali is so nice and it’s just as green and clean as the rumors! From eating your way through the city to art galleries and history, here are the top things to do in Kigali.

Looking for me to tell you what to do exactly as I traveled Rwanda? Check out my 10-Day Rwanda Itinerary, which starts off with 3 days in Kigali.

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Getting around Kigali

It’s easy and safe to walk around the city. To save time and travel distances, hop on one of the motos. They are easier to find than taxis, though many restaurants will gladly call a taxi for you. Gals, you may want to wear pants to make your journey more comfortable on the motos.

Moto drivers are generally trustworthy and won’t rip you off for being a foreigner. Only once were we overcharged and a passerby got involved to tell the driver “RWF 1000” when the driver was asking for RWF 1,500, even though he had no clue where we had come from. The drivers have meters and you can ask them to use the meters to get the correct price. If you don’t have a local number, ask the driver if they can put in their own number because you’re a visitor.

Most short trips under 10 minutes were RWF 500 and anything more was at most RWF 1,000. If you’re two people, it’s still cheaper to get two motos than one taxi. For three people or more, you may just want to ask a restaurant to call you a taxi.

However, if this sounds a bit daunting to you, you can go on a tour with a guide who will organize your transfers and take you around the major sites.

Art galleries in Kigali

On our first day, we visited two must-see art galleries that you should put on your Kigali “want to visit” list. They are near each other in a quiet neighborhood off the main road.

Inema Arts Center was founded by two brothers, Emmanuel Nkuranga and Innocent Nkurunziza, and is a gallery for resident and visiting artists. They also host workshops for children to support creativity. Although you may not be able to drop USD 15,000 on one of the incredible masterpieces, you should definitely visit. There is also a small cafe here. If you visit on a Thursday evening, you’ll be in for a treat of live music.

About a 5 min walk away from Inema, NP Art Center hosts several artists. The gallery is small but packs a whole lot! It’s also got an interesting view over a golf course.

Where to eat in Kigali

Cafes and brunch

Now Now Rolex—get the Ugandan classic egg wrap here and the incredible ginger juice. It has a serious punch to it.

Rubia Coffee— Splurge for a Chemex or pour-over coffee for a smooth taste of Rwandan coffee beans. It’s right next to Now Now Rolex.

El Vista Café—a lovely new ( in July 2022) cafe with great tea, drink, and food options. There is a nice pottery shop on site as well.

Kigali Pottery Collections and Cafe— do some ceramic shopping here. I wish we lived in Kigali just so that I could buy all the plates, bowls, vases, and cups in bulk.  For something different, try “African Coffee,” which is coffee, chocolate, and ginger mixed together. The French press is also excellent. I loved the Spanish omelet; the potatoes here are just so good.

Indabo Cafe— Come here in the morning for a peaceful vibe. You’ll be hidden inside a garden with several chatty birds. Get the veggie benedict, which is on a bed of potatoes.

Question Coffee— Social enterprise from Warren Buffett to support rural development in Rwanda.

Kivu Noir— A cute-looking cafe with good coffee that I saw mentioned in a couple of other blogs.

Inzora Rooftop Cafe— Great coffee and vibes seem to live here.

Lunch and dinner

Meza Malonga— Curated by Chef Dieuveil Malonga, this restaurant serves an extraordinary 10-course dinner experience. Using flavors from across the continent, you are bound to try something you’ve never tasted before. Read my review here.

Borneo—Another cuisine that’s hard to find, get Indonesian food at Borneo. The portions are huge and the prices are just right. Go with a huge appetite.

Repub Lounge— Classic spot that serves delicious traditional Rwandan food that kinda caters to foreigners. The coconut fish curry was featured in the New York Times! I loved the eggplant stew. Try the local beers or get the honey + banana wine. There is also a small shop with baskets, clothes, and souvenirs. Look out on the staircase for lovely artwork pieces as well.

Green Corner— visit for amazing fish and a truly local experience. Order the food immediately upon arrival—it’ll take some time to get made.

Tchitchi Restaurant— Although we didn’t eat here, I was intrigued by the Tanzanian food offering, having only found this cuisine once before in Cape Town. It’s in the same complex and Now Now Rolex and Rubia Coffee.

Choose Kigali—part art cafe and part high-end dining, visit for a unique experience. The 8-course tasting menu is USD 200 and the 5-course option is USD 100 (sans alcohol). Brunch is USD 50 on Sundays only. Reservation required.

Unique Car-Free Zone: Biryogo

Visit Biryogo free zone for a car-free and alcohol-free afternoon experience in Kigali. Located in the Muslim area Nyamirambo, many of the restaurants aren’t on Google maps. Just plan to walk up and down and ask around for a menu of grills, fish, or rice pilau.

We stopped at Issa coffee for my new favorite drink: tree tomato juice.

Beyond Biryogo free zone, walk just a street away to KN 113 to visit an incredible street filled with murals and activities for kids. If you need a butterfly or angel wing picture, this is your spot. The graffiti looks very new here (in July 20220) and some things like the hopscotch paint was still wet!

Historical sites

Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial— This small, free exhibit will give you a background into the peacekeepers that were ambushed and killed in the very building you’ll visit. The exhibit gives a lot of important information about the genocide and the efforts of the peacekeepers in an easy-to-understand format.

Kigali Genocide Memorial— The museum is free but there is an option for the RWF 15,000 audio guide. It’s still used today and you’ll likely see some family members gathered on a weekend. It’s a powerful and tragic visit where you’ll learn more about the 1994 genocide.

Hôtel des Mille Collines— The site of inspiration for the movie “Hotel Rwanda,” local manager Paul Rusesabagina took over the hotel during the 1994 genocide when foreigners left. He helped to hide Tutsi and moderate Hutus on the premises.

Kigali Convention Center— Okay, not technically a historical site, but the convention center is cool to see at night. It’s worth a stop.

Shopping and Markets in Kigali

Azizi Life Studio and nearby shops— There are a strip of shops herewith local goods, oils, and clothes.

Kigali City Market— This multistoried mall is interesting to walk through. Start at the top and then make your way down. Make sure to check out the ground floor with the produce.

Shops around Kigali City Market—There are several souvenir shops around the market. Walk here to see them. You’ll have to trust me because they aren’t on Google Maps.

Uzuriky— A cool shoe brand where almost all the shoes go for RWF 42,000. Men’s and women’s available.

Rwanda Clothing—Get African fabric clothing with a modern twist.

Kimironko Market— A popular outdoor market, there is produce, meat, electronics, and souvenirs here. I didn’t love this market but it’s a true African market experience. There are no good food options around here so don’t plan to get lunch here.

Day Trips from Kigali

If you’re using Kigali as a base point for your Rwanda trip or if you’re visiting for work and only have a day to yourself, consider going on a day trip to explore more of this beautiful country.

Lake Kivu Tour

As I mentioned before, I used Countryside Tours-Rwanda when I was at Lake Kivu, but you can also organize a Lake Kivu trip from Kigali with all your transport included. If you’re already planning to visit Lake Kivu, you can organize a boat tour via whatsapp. Thiers was the best price I managed to find for ourselves for a full-day boat tour. A tour of the Lake Kivu coffee plantation is also organized with this tour (and it was amazing!!)

Akagera National Park Tour

Another popular tour with Countryside is the Akagera National Park Safari. Note that the national park entrance fee isn’t included in the rate (USD 100), nor is lunch (probably around USD 20). The park is the largest in Central Africa. It is a Big Five park and includes animals such as the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, as well as zebra, giraffe, and hundreds of bird species.

Visit the Gorillas

It is possible to visit the gorillas just for a day with Judith Safaris, a women-based tour operator. It can be very helpful to have someone on the ground organize your PCR tests (still required to visit primates in Rwanda) and manage your ticket to the park. Visiting the gorillas is extremely pricey no matter what. This tour includes your lunch, your gorilla permit, and the visiting fee. Be sure to book in advance.

Nyungwe National Park

Departing from Kigali, during this tour you’ll cross the massive swinging bridges in the tree’s wild canopy. You may also spot monkeys.

Got anything else to add to things to do in Kigali? Let me know in the comments!