Kigali city tour offers you the outlook of Kigali which hosts some of the “thousand hills” in Rwanda. You can take this tour as part of your Rwanda safaris like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, Rwanda cultural tour or Rwanda birding safari where you can add one day Kigali city tour or half day city tour.
Kigali city has a population of more than 1 million people, this was according to the last population census carried out. It’s the capital city of Rwanda situated near the geographic center of the nation. The city has also been the transport hub, economic as well as the cultural hub of Rwanda since it was made a capital city of this country after independence. This city is filled with the provinces of Kigali which enlarged in January as part of the local government.
Kigali has developed public transport system compared to other countries in Africa. There are many bus and taxi stops from which you can take your public transport which is can be anything from 18 seater taxis, coasters and buses. You can option to walk to some of the sights that may be in walk-able distance for you, Kigali city is a pleasant place to walk with clear walkways. Alternatively you can take motorbike to the various locations you are interested in.
Trip Description
Visit Kigali Genocide memorials
The dignified memorial was constructed in Gisozi area of Kigali and was officially opened in April 2004. ou can see it from across the valley, a large white modern building with terraces; it’s on the right as you slope to Boulevard de Nyabugogo. While on your Kigali city tour, the guide will take you around this memorial telling you the stories and showing you skulls and bones of the victims as well as the graves. The idea behind this display of bones is to refute rumors that there was no genocide in Rwanda.
The memorial which was opened a decade after the genocide, it is a solemn, tear-inducing museum. With giant wall displays, archival documents, photos, video footage and weapons encased in glass, the indoor exhibit sheds light on the Rwandan genocide, as well its pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial roots. The room filled with human skulls and bones was chilling but most heart-wrenching was the children’s memorial.
Visiting this memorial is not just for you about witnessing the tragedy that befell the people of Rwanda but it contributes directly to the social economic rebuilding of this community.
Other things to do and see on the day of Kigali city tour
For this Kigali city tour we shall have all the proposed sites especially the genocide memorial centers shared by our driver guide and you have the liberty to choose which you prefer to visit and which should be eliminated from the list. Engage with you driver guide concerning your interests while on this tour but remember all your requests must be realistic and within the city.
Below are some of the things to see in Rwanda as
Kimironko market
Kimironko market is a large complex where all sorts of items are available for sale. Here you can find handicrafts and souvenirs, colourful baskets, fabric and seamstresses ready to make you a dress, fresh vegetables and fruits and a host of other household items. Pretty much anything you may ever need can be found here.
The market is however a real maze and you can very easily get lost in which case, just find an exit and come out. Or hire the services of a porter who can walk you around and bring you back to where your car is parked. These porters can be identified by their yellow shirts with the name of the cooperative on their backs and have a number so you can recognize them in the crowd.
Kigali Convention Center
The Kigali Convention Center has completely changed the skyline of Kigali. At night, it is lit in moving lines that look like they are circling the beehive looking building.
It is worth driving around it and also stopping for a quick walk around because of how unique the building is. The convention center is attached to the newly opened Radisson Blu Hotel.
Visit the Presidential Palace on your Kigali city tour
The Presidential Palace in Kigali used to be the house of Juvenal Habyarimana and Pasteur Bizimungu, the Rwandan Presidents from the 70s to the 90s until the President was shot down at the grounds of the palace. The flight debris of the FALCON 50 presidential plane that went down on 6th April 1994 killing Juvenal and the Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira can still be visited.
The event is believed to be the detonate for the Rwandan Genocide and started the chain of events that led the anti-Tutsi militias, the Interahamwe, in slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Tutsi. The Palace also has a museum where Rwandan history and the events are displayed.