Rwanda

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.

Kigali has a lively contemporary art scene, with several art centres and creative spaces clustered around Kacyiru, just north of Kimihurura.

While staying in Kimihurura, we put together our own self-guided art walk through the area. We took a moto to Niyo Arts Center and then made our way back on foot, stopping at different art spaces along the way.

Our Kigali Art Walk Route

Optional Starting Point: Impundu Arts Center

We only heard about Impundu Arts Center after doing our art walk, but if we were planning the route again, this is where we’d start. The centre showcases work exclusively by female artists, which sounds well worth a visit.

It’s also close to Niyo Arts Center, where we started our walk, so it’s easy to add without changing the route much.

1. Niyo Arts Center

Niyo Arts Center was where we started our art walk and a great place to begin the morning. The centre is colourful and welcoming, with several rooms filled with work by local artists.

There’s also a nice café, making it a good spot to grab breakfast or a coffee before setting off. Everyone we met here was incredibly friendly, and we spent around 30 minutes looking around before continuing.

2. Inkingi Arts Space

From Niyo, it’s around a 15-minute walk to Inkingi Arts Space.

There’s plenty to browse here, but as with most of the art spaces on this route, how long you spend really depends on what catches your eye. We spent around half an hour at some stops, while others were much quicker visits.

3. MADS Kigali

MADS Kigali doesn’t have the same colourful exterior as some of the other art centres along the route, but don’t let that put you off. Inside, the art is quite different from what we saw elsewhere, with some really distinctive and unusual pieces. We really enjoyed this stop.

It does require a small detour. The road doesn’t continue through towards the next stop, so after visiting MADS you’ll need to retrace your steps for a short distance before continuing the walk.

Optional Stop: Touch of Rwanda

Touch of Rwanda isn’t an art centre, but it’s conveniently located along the route and worth popping into while you’re passing.

There are seamstresses here who can make clothes for you, as well as locally made pieces to browse and buy. If you’re staying in Kigali for a few days, you could also arrange to have something made and return to collect it later.

4. NP Arts Center

Continue towards NP Arts Center, which you’ll find along a dirt road.

It’s another easy stop to add to the route, and you won’t have far to walk afterwards as the next art centre is almost opposite.

5. Ishyuka Arts

Ishyuka Arts is very close to NP Arts Center and was the final art centre we visited on our walk.

We had arrived at Niyo at around 10am and reached Ishyuka at approximately 1:30pm. By this point, after several hours of walking around Kigali in the sun, we were getting seriously hot and decided this was enough art for one day.

6. Inema Arts Center

If you still have the energy, continue along the dirt road towards Inema Arts Center.

We had planned to include Inema in our walk but were simply too hot by this point and decided to skip it. It’s also the only art centre on this route that charges an entrance fee, which apparently includes a coffee.

After Inema, you can jump on a moto back to your accommodation or continue walking towards Kimihurura for lunch or dinner.

How Long Does the Kigali Art Walk Take?

We arrived at Niyo Arts Center at around 10am and finished at Ishyuka at approximately 1:30pm, so the part of the route we walked took us around three and a half hours.

If you add Impundu at the beginning, visit Inema and walk all the way back to Kimihurura, we’d allow around five hours in total. That should give you enough time to look around each art centre, stop for a coffee and walk between them without rushing.

How long you spend at each stop will vary. We spent around 30 minutes at some, while others were quick 10-minute visits.

If you don’t want to visit them all, we’d concentrate on the first half of the route. We found the art more interesting towards the beginning of the walk, so Niyo, Inkingi and MADS would be our picks if you only have a couple of hours.

Tips for Doing the Kigali Art Walk

• Start early. We started at 10am, but we’d recommend going earlier. It gets hot once you reach the middle of the day.
• Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be doing quite a bit of walking, including along some dirt roads.
• Bring water. You’ll definitely want it as the day gets hotter.
• Carry some cash. It’s useful for smaller purchases and for grabbing a moto if you decide you’ve walked enough.
• Don’t feel like you need to complete the whole route. Motos are everywhere, so it’s easy to stop whenever you’ve had enough.

Is Kigali’s Art Walk Worth Doing?

If you’re staying in Kimihurura or Kacyiru, this is an easy way to spend half a day seeing some of Kigali’s independent galleries and creative spaces.

Taking a moto to the furthest point and then walking back means there’s no need to arrange transport between every stop, and most of the galleries are relatively close together. You can follow the whole route, choose just a few galleries or call it a day whenever the heat gets too much and grab a moto back.

We really enjoyed the walk, saw some great art and met genuinely lovely people at every stop along the way. It ended up being a really nice way to spend a morning in Kigali.