Self Drive Kigali: 6 Day Trips You Can Do From the Capital
Six day trips from Kigali that work best with your own car, from the royal palace at Nyanza to a savannah game drive in Akagera, with drive times, timings and what each one is really like.
Plenty of visitors base themselves in Kigali for a week or more, whether for work, a conference or simply because the city is a pleasant place to stay. With a self drive car, most of the country is within a day's round trip. These are the six day trips we recommend most often, with honest drive times and when to leave.
Why self drive from Kigali
Organised day tours from Kigali are priced per person and leave at fixed times. With your own car, a day trip for two or four costs the rental plus fuel, you set the pace, and you can stop at the roadside markets, the viewpoints and the lunch spots that tours drive past. Our self drive cars are automatic, four wheel drive and fitted with GPS, and every rate includes insurance and unlimited mileage inside Rwanda.
1. Nyamata and Ntarama memorials
Drive time: under an hour each way, south into Bugesera.
Two former churches, now memorials, that tell the story of 1994 outside the capital. It is a sobering half day, and many visitors find it gives the Kigali Genocide Memorial a deeper context. Go in the morning and allow time afterwards. The road is paved all the way.
2. Lake Muhazi
Drive time: about an hour east.
A long, winding lake with a handful of lakeside restaurants and quiet guesthouses, popular with Kigali residents for a weekend lunch of grilled tilapia. It is the easiest escape from the city and a gentle first drive if you are still getting used to the car.
3. Nyanza: the King's Palace Museum
Drive time: about two hours south on the main road towards Huye.
A reconstruction of the traditional royal palace, the later colonial era residence of the king, and the herd of long horned Inyambo cattle, whose handlers still sing to them. It is one of the best introductions to Rwandan history before 1900. Leave by 8am to have a relaxed visit and be home before dark.
4. Huye and the Ethnographic Museum
Drive time: about two and a half to three hours south.
The Ethnographic Museum in Huye is widely considered the best museum in the country. Combine it with Nyanza on the way down for a long but rewarding day, or stay the night in Huye and continue to Nyungwe the next morning. Our Nyanza and museums guide has more.
5. Akagera National Park
Drive time: about two and a half hours east to the southern gate.
A day trip to Akagera is possible, and many Kigali residents do it. Leave by 5am, enter at opening, drive the southern loops around the lakes and head out in the mid afternoon. Entry is USD 100 per adult for international visitors. You will see a lot more with a night in or near the park, but a long day still gives you a good chance of giraffe, zebra, buffalo, hippo and elephants. For the northern plains, a Land Cruiser or Prado is the right car. See Kigali to Akagera by car.
6. The twin lakes near Musanze
Drive time: about two and a half hours north west.
Lakes Burera and Ruhondo sit side by side beneath the Virunga volcanoes, and the views from the ridge between them are among the best in Rwanda. It is a long day, so leave early. If you have the time, make it an overnight and add the Musanze caves or a golden monkey trek.
Practical tips for self drive day trips from Kigali
- Be back before dark. Rwanda is close to the equator and the sun sets around 6pm all year. Unlit rural roads full of pedestrians and cyclists are the real risk.
- Fill up in Kigali. There are stations along every main road, but a full tank means you never have to think about it.
- Carry cash. Small restaurants and parking attendants outside the city often prefer Rwandan francs.
- Check for Umuganda. On the last Saturday of most months, movement is limited until around 11am.
Frequently asked questions
Can I self drive in Kigali as a tourist?
Yes. With a valid licence, an International Driving Permit where needed and a rental agreement, visitors drive in and around Kigali every day.
What is the best day trip from Kigali by car?
For history, Nyanza. For wildlife, Akagera. For scenery, the twin lakes near Musanze.
How much is self drive car rental in Kigali?
From USD 45 per day for a Toyota RAV4, with lower weekly rates, insurance and unlimited mileage inside Rwanda included. See self drive car rental Kigali.
Staying in Kigali and want a car for the weekends? Call or WhatsApp +250 788 504 614 and we will deliver it to your door.
