Is Rwanda Safe for Tourists?

This is one of the most searched questions about Rwanda, and it usually contains a second, unspoken one: is it safe given what happened in 1994? Both questions are fair, and both deserve answering plainly.

The short answer

Rwanda is widely regarded as one of the safest countries to travel in on the African continent. Kigali is calm, notably clean, and comfortable to walk around, including in the evening in the main areas. Visitors are consistently surprised by how easy it feels.

That said, always check your own government's current travel advice before you book. It is updated as circumstances change, it is specific to your nationality, and it may affect your insurance. No tour operator's website is a substitute for it, including ours.

Petty crime

Low by regional and international standards, but not absent. Normal city sense applies: do not wave a phone around in a crowd, use hotel safes, take registered taxis or a ride-hailing app at night rather than walking long distances alone.

About 1994

The genocide against the Tutsi took place over roughly a hundred days in 1994 and killed around a million people. It is not a distant abstraction here; almost everyone you meet of a certain age was affected by it.

It also does not make the country dangerous to visit today, and treating it as though it does misreads three decades of what has happened since. What it does mean is that you should visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, early in your trip rather than at the end, and that you should approach the subject with care.

• Do not ask people whether they are Hutu or Tutsi. The distinction is not used and the question is offensive.
• Let people raise their own history if they want to. Many will; do not press those who do not.
• Follow the photography rules at the memorial. Parts of it do not permit photographs.
• Use the term 'the genocide against the Tutsi', which is the formal usage in Rwanda.

Health and altitude

Most of Rwanda sits above 1,500 metres, and gorilla trekking happens well above 2,500. That is not high enough to cause altitude sickness in most people, but it does make the walking harder than the distance suggests.

Malaria is present, particularly at lower altitudes and around the lakes. Speak to a travel clinic about prophylaxis and about vaccinations well before you travel — that is a medical question, not one for us.

Solo and women travellers

Rwanda is a common choice for solo travellers, including women travelling alone, and the feedback we get is consistently positive. Harassment is uncommon. The usual precautions apply, as they would anywhere.

LGBTQ+ travellers

Same-sex relationships are not criminalised in Rwanda, which is not the case across much of the region. Social attitudes are nonetheless conservative and public displays of affection between same-sex couples are uncommon. Most LGBTQ+ visitors travel without difficulty; discretion is the norm rather than the exception.

Practical things that help

• Keep a copy of your passport separate from the original.
• Take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance that covers the activities you intend to do.
• Save your operator's number and a local contact in your phone.
• Moto-taxis are everywhere and are the fastest way across Kigali. Helmets are provided and legally required.
• Photographing government buildings, military installations and airports is not permitted.

The most common thing visitors say on the drive back to the airport is that they felt more comfortable here than they expected to.