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Rwanda travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Mountain gorilla
Mountain gorilla. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/deepphoto/ d_proffer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
8h 30mflight from London
Rwandan franccurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, Jplugs

Gorillas, golden monkeys and the land of a thousand hills

Don't miss

  1. Gorilla trekking
  2. Lake Kivu
  3. Nyungwe Forest
Good forWildlife & safariMountains & hiking

Best time to visit Rwanda from the UK

Best value: Mar, Oct. Jun–Sep and Dec–Feb for gorilla trekking. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Feb, Jun–Sep.

20.3 C20°J20.8 C21°F20.2 C20°M19.5 C20°A19.2 C19°M18.8 C19°J19 C19°J20.1 C20°A20.5 C20°S20.1 C20°O19.4 C19°N19.7 C20°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Kigali, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Kigali for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: March and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (20°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–Feb, Jun–SepUsually 19–21°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Apr–May, NovAround 19–20°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: February (21°C) · coolest: June (19°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
20.320.820.219.519.218.81920.120.520.119.419.7

Festivals and events

  • Kwita Izina (gorilla naming) Sep · Musanze
  • Umuganura harvest festival Aug · Nationwide

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 8h 30m
Distance
6,600 km
Main airport
KGL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Rwanda to your bucket list Search flights to KGL

Practical info and travel guidance

Rwandan francCapital: Kigali
Type C, J · 230VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
112
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against all but essential travel to parts of RwandaCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaNo visa neededFree 30-day visa on arrival
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Rwanda, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 4 September 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Rwanda before you book and again before you go.

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