Home › Travel Guides › Africa Travel Guide › Rwanda › Travel to Rwanda
Image gallery

Rwandan children

© Creative Commons / tonikyrinfo

Travel to Rwanda

Flying to Rwanda

Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com) have flights to Rwanda via Nairobi, Brussels Airlines (www.brusselsairlines.com) flies via Brussels and Ethiopian Airlines (www.ethiopianairlines.com) flies via Addis Ababa. The national carrier is Rwandair Express (www.rwandair.com) which flies to the major capitals in the region and also to Brussels.

Flight times:

From London to Kigali is between 12 and 20 hours, depending on stopovers. New York to Kigali is between 18 and 30 hours, depending on stopovers.

Departure tax:

None.

Driving to Rwanda

Rwanda shares its borders with Uganda to the north, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the east, Burundi to the south and Tanzania to the west. There are roads from all four countries, although the best route is considered to be through Uganda. Although the route into Rwanda from Goma is considered safe, the DRC is still best avoided due to internal conflicts.

If you are driving your own vehicle you will need to buy a an entry permit and insurance at the border. The Jaguar Bus Company (+250 788 614 838) runs regular services to Kampala, while the government-run Onatracom Express (Tel: +250 252 571 241) has services to Bujumbura and Kampala. Travelling to Tanzania is a little more tricky as there are few major towns on the northeastern side of the country.

Urban travel information:

Bicycle and scooter taxis are the quickest and cheapest way to get around in the towns, however they are risky.

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.