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After an intense two weeks travelling around Uganda, we arrived in Kigali ready to slow things down.
We had spent the previous weeks on safari, trekking through the forest to see chimpanzees and gorillas, moving between different places and generally packing a lot into each day. By the time we crossed into Rwanda, we needed somewhere to catch up on work, laundry and life. Kigali turned out to be a great place to do exactly that.
We spent two weeks in the city, mostly based in Kimihurura, a leafy, hilly neighbourhood with plenty of cafés, restaurants and places to work. We didn’t try to see everything Kigali has to offer. Instead, we settled into the neighbourhood, worked during the week and explored when we felt like it.
If you’re travelling slowly through East Africa or looking for somewhere to base yourself for a week or two, Kigali works really well.
Where to stay in Kigali
We stayed in Kimihurura and would happily choose the same area again. It’s a pleasant and walkable neighbourhood with loads of cafés and restaurants, which meant we didn’t really need to leave the area unless we wanted to explore somewhere else.
There are plenty of Airbnbs and guesthouses around Kimihurura. We stayed in two different Airbnbs during our two weeks and found it easy to find reasonably priced options.
For us, the biggest advantage was having so much within walking distance. When you’re staying somewhere for longer and working at the same time, being able to walk out for coffee, lunch or dinner makes a big difference.
Things to do in Kigali
We spent much more time simply enjoying the city than ticking off attractions, but there are a few things we’d definitely recommend.
Do a Self-Guided Kigali Art Walk
Kigali has a surprisingly lively contemporary art scene, with several galleries and creative spaces around Kacyiru, just north of Kimihurura.
We put together our own self-guided Kigali art walk, walking between several different galleries and art spaces before heading back towards Kimihurura. It was a very nice way to spend a few hours and see a different side of the city.
Read our full Kigali Art Walk guide here.
Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a difficult but important place to visit.
The exhibitions tell the story of the 1994 Genocide, as well as providing a wider historical context. Some sections contain very graphic photographs and video footage, and we found parts of the museum extremely difficult to see.
Entry was free when we visited, with the option to leave a donation. We simply showed up on a weekend and were able to enter without booking in advance.
Give yourself enough time and don’t plan to rush through it.
Where to Eat in Kigali
One thing we definitely didn’t struggle with during our two weeks in Kigali was finding somewhere to eat. Most of these restaurants are in or around Kimihurura, and we could walk to many of them from our accommodation.
EyaMya
EyaMya serves Chinese food and quickly became our go-to restaurant in the area. The noodle soup was particularly good, and we ended up eating here probably four or five times during our stay.
Basta & Pasta
Basta & Pasta is a good option if you’re craving Western food. It’s on the expensive side for Kigali, but the food was really good and the Italian owner was very friendly.
When we visited, the restaurant was located just outside Kimihurura, but we heard they were planning to move into the neighbourhood.
Petit Marché
Petit Marché is a small shop with a lovely little patio where you can stop for a glass of wine, some nibbles or a full meal. The staff were incredibly friendly every time we visited, and it quickly became our regular after-work hangout.
Kimchi
A good option for Korean food in Kimihurura, with plenty of different dishes to choose from.
Borneo
Borneo became a handy option for lunch. They offer a buffet including a drink for 8,500 RWF, making it an easy and reasonably priced meal.
The staff were also super sweet, and we ended up coming back several times during our stay.
Soy
Soy serves Pan-Asian food in a nice setting. We enjoyed the food, although we found it a little expensive for what it was.
Damasquino
A great option for Syrian food and something a little different from many of the other restaurants around Kimihurura.
Fire & Stone
A good option when you fancy pizza. Simple, casual and easy for dinner.
Amahoro Area
For something more local, head towards the Amahoro area. There are lots of restaurants serving food from different African cuisines, and the area feels much less geared towards tourists and international visitors than many of the restaurants around Kimihurura.
We ended up here by chance after needing to visit the nearby hospital and had a great time exploring the area and trying some of the local restaurants.
Cafés in Kimihurura
Kimihurura has a great café scene, which was particularly useful for us as we were working during our two weeks in Kigali. There are plenty of places where you can grab a coffee, have something to eat or spend a couple of hours working.
Indabo Café
Indabo Café become one of our favorite places to hang out. The coffee and food was really good and it was a great place to get some work done. The staff were super friendly, there’s space to sit with a laptop and there’s even a doggy daycare next door, so you can watch the dogs while you work. Always a plus!
Fenans Café
Fenans is a cute little café with a relaxed atmosphere. We really liked this one for a coffee break or a change of scenery during the workday.
Kivu Noir
Kivu Noir is a little more expensive than some of the other cafés in the area, but it’s a nice spot for coffee and something to eat. Very popular place though, so it can get a bit busy.
Tugende
Tugende is a good option for healthy food, coffee and getting some work done. There’s also a yoga and Pilates studio in the same building.
It could get a little noisy while we were there because of construction in the area and the padel courts next door, so it wasn’t always the quietest place to work.
Is Kigali Safe?
We felt very safe during our two weeks in Kigali, particularly around Kimihurura. We regularly walked around the neighbourhood and never had a situation where we felt unsafe. As with any city, it’s still sensible to be aware of your surroundings and take the usual precautions with your belongings.
How to Get Around Kigali
Getting around Kigali is pretty easy. We mostly walked when staying within Kimihurura and used moto taxis when we wanted to go further.
Moto Taxis
Motos were our main form of transport whenever we needed to travel beyond walking distance.
Motorcycle taxis are everywhere in Kigali, and we rarely had to walk far before one passed that we could flag down. We normally paid around 1,000 RWF per ride, although locals may pay less. For the journeys we took, we never paid more than around 2,000 RWF for a ride of up to roughly 20 minutes. It’s worth agreeing on the price before getting on.
Rwanda has strict rules for motorcycle taxis. Both the driver and passenger must wear helmets, and the driver provides one for you. Motos can also only carry one passenger at a time. We felt very safe using them and were never nervous about getting on.
Many of our moto drivers didn’t speak much English, so it helps to have your destination ready on your phone. Occasionally, we ended up navigating from the back of the bike to make sure we were heading in the right direction.
Taxis
For longer journeys or when we didn’t want to take a moto, we used YEGO or Move by Volkswagen to order taxis. It was easy to use and particularly handy when travelling with luggage or when we wanted a car rather than a motorcycle.
Walking
Kigali is surprisingly walkable, especially when you’re exploring individual neighbourhoods. Just be prepared for hills. Kigali is known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, and even a short route on Google Maps can involve a surprisingly steep climb.
Is Kigali Good for Slow Travellers?
For us, Kigali worked really well as a slow travel destination.
After two busy weeks travelling around Uganda, we didn’t want another destination where we felt the need to fill every day with sightseeing. We needed somewhere to catch up on work, do some laundry and generally get back on top of life for a bit.
Two weeks gave us time to settle into Kimihurura rather than simply visit Kigali. We found cafés we returned to, had regular restaurants, worked during the week and explored when we felt like it.
If you’re travelling through East Africa for a longer period and need somewhere to slow down for a while, Kigali is an easy place to spend a week or two. Kimihurura in particular gave us exactly what we needed: somewhere comfortable and walkable where everyday life could become part of the trip.
