Travel to Rwanda

Flying to Rwanda

The national airline of Rwanda is RwandAir (www.rwandair.com), which connects the capital, Kigali, with international destinations including Brussels, London, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Mumbai, and Guangzhou in China. It also flies to several destinations within the Africa continent, including Cape Town, Harare, Lusaka, Dar es Salaam and Dakar.

Other airlines offering flights in and out of Rwanda include Ethiopian Airlines (www.ethiopianairlines.com), KLM (www.klm.com), and Turkish Airlines (www.turkishairlines.com).

Kigali International Airport is located on the eastern edge of the city of Kigali, a 20-minute drive from the city centre.

Airport Guides

Flight times

From London - 15 hours (including stopover); New York - 28 hours (including stopover); Dubai - 6 hours (direct); Mumbai - 7 hours (direct).

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Rwanda by Rail

The Isaka-Kigali Standard Gauge Railway project is currently under development; it will link Kigali in Rwanda to Isaka in Tanzania when completed. There is also talk of expanding the proposed railway line into Rwanda's other neighbouring countries of Uganda, Burundi and the DRC.

Driving to Rwanda

Rwanda shares its borders with Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the west. There are entry roads from all four countries, which can be used for entry and exit by international tourists. However, due to internal conflicts, many governments often advise against all travel to the DRC and Burundi.

Buses connect Rwanda with Uganda and Tanzania. Jaguar Executive Coaches (facebook.com/Jaguarexecutivecoaches; tel: +256 7581 78951) runs regular daily services between the Ugandan capital Kampala and Kigali. There are also busses from Mwanza and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to the Benaco border. Having crossed into Rwanda, minibuses are available for the onward journey to Kigali or other parts of Rwanda. If you are driving your own vehicle, you need to buy an entry permit and insurance at the border.

Getting to Rwanda by boat