Rwanda is decorated with several tourism hubs each one offering different tourism attractions and activities to travelers in the country. Before travelling to the country, many things must be considered in each and every destination to visit. Key highlights include; Best times to travel, permits and bookings, packing essentials (travel gears), Money and currency, Key destinations to visit, where to stay (accommodations), transport and logistics.

Overview.

• Best times to travel: The country has two different climatic seasons which are much considered before traveling. These include; dry (peak) seasons and wet (low) seasons. The best time to visit the country is during the dry seasons, running from June to September and from December to February. These months offer favorable weather conditions for wildlife viewing and outdoor activities. These are referred to as Rwanda’s peak seasons in which the country receives large numbers of tourists throughout the entire season. These seasons are advantageous to travelers due to less physical demand, clear photography, manageable hiking trails, less dense vegetation, congregation of wildlife at water sources, open air cultural performances, accessible rural roads to remote areas and so many others making them the best times to visit Rwanda.
• Packing essentials (travel gears): When travelling to Rwanda, the specific travel gear you should pack vary by activity. For example, primate trekking experiences (gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys), savanna safaris, exploring Kigali among others each one has its specific travel gears. Primate trekkers especially in Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Gishwati Mukura national parks should pack waterproof hiking boots, gardening gloves, waterproof day pack, insect repellants, non-flash cameras, long sleeved clothing (shirts and trousers), waterproof rain jacket, hat among others. For savanna safaris especially game drives in Akagera national park, travelers should come with high quality binoculars, hat, sunscreen, sun glasses, insect repellants among others.
• Money and currency: Managing money on a Rwanda safari requires a mix of international and local currencies. For international currencies, US dollars are necessarily needed on several bookings for example, buying primates permits (gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys), booking rooms at safari lodges, park entrance fees for international visitors. For local currency, Rwandan franc (RWF) work in the entire country. RWF cash for small purchases is highly needed for local markets, craft cooperatives, roadside snacks, local transport, tips, donations among others.
• Key destinations to visit: The country is full of different tourism hubs each one offering different tourism activities to travelers in Rwanda. It is highly recommended to visit Rwanda after confirmation of where to go, what to see, what to do and where to stay in that specific place.

Volcanoes national park: It is located in northwestern region of Rwanda which is the premier destination of mountain gorilla trekking in the country. The country hosts over 300 to 380 mountain gorillas nearly half of the entire Virunga population contributing 30% of world’s gorilla population. The park has over 12 fully habituated gorilla families and each one hosting over 10 to 40 members ready for daily trekking.

Nyungwe national park:  The park is located in southwestern regions near the border of Burundi. It is known as the premier destination for chimpanzee tracking due to its large populations of Chimpanzees with over 400 to 500 individuals hosted in Nyungwe and Cyamudongo forests. Apart from chimpanzees, the park is a home of other 12 primate species like Black and white colobus monkeys, Grey- checked mangabey, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, Red tailed monkeys, Owl- faced monkeys, Golden monkeys, silver monkeys and so many others.

Akagera national park: Located in eastern part of Rwanda hugging the border with Tanzania. It is the only Rwanda’s national park for savanna safaris offering wildlife viewing to travelers in the country. The park is a home of over 12,000 large mammals, including all of the Big Five (Buffaloes, Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Rhinos) plus other wild habits like Giraffe, Zebras, Antelopes, Warthogs, Bush babies among others. The park is gazzeted with wide grasslands which support day and night game drives for wildlife viewing.

Kigali: It is the capital city of Rwanda located in the heart of the country. It serves as the starting and stoppage point for tourists in Rwanda. This is because the city hosts the busiest international airport of the country (Kigali international airport). The city is full of several tourism sites like historical sites, museums, art and craft centers among others. These include; Kigali Genocide Memorial, Kandt house museum, Kigali convention center, Niyo art gallery and so many others.

Lake Kivu: Located on the border between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is famous for its luxury lakeside resorts which offer stunning views and unforgettable experiences to travelers. This is where gorilla and chimpanzee trekkers go for relaxation before and after the trekking experiences.

• Permits and bookings: Permits of gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkeys are handled via Rwanda Development Board through a licensed local tour company. Early bookings for permits are highly recommended at least 3-6 months in advance for accurate confirmations especially during peak seasons. Further bookings which must be considered before traveling to Rwanda include; accommodations (where to stay plus meals), outdoor activities (boat cruise, canopy walk, cultural tours, hiking among others), transport and logistics (4×4 wheel drive vehicle, tour guides) due to large numbers of tourists in the country. Late bookings are only advised in low seasons (October- November with short rains and February- May with long heavy rains) due to limited numbers of tourists in the country though there is a need of fast payment. All the above are easily done through a licensed local tour company.