Driving Distance and Time from Kigali to Bwindi
Kigali International Airport is 174.4 kilometers away from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The driving distance and time from Kigali to Bwindi takes about 4 hours of beautiful landscapes.
Driving from Kigali to Bwindi for gorilla trekking is the best option on a safari to this region. This is because of the proximity of Kigali City and the airport to Bwindi Impenetrable National. It is funny that Kigali International Airport of Rwanda is closer to Bwindi than Entebbe or Kampala in Uganda. It is also worth noting that the driving time changes depending on weather conditions, traffic jams, and other unforeseen factors.
Traveling to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali International Airport is better than flying to Entebbe. Besides quickening the journey, road trip tends to come in a better lead since the adventures are vast. A better way to travel to Bwindi from Kigali opens a window to city exploration and the beautiful land of a thousand hills.
The scenic views from the moment you land at Kigali International Airport unsettle your adventure senses. These amazing views follow you across from Kigali City to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive through the beautiful city streets lit up to your liking introduces you to the modern culture of the people. The endless hills, mountains, and valleys stretch from Kigali City to the countryside before crossing to the wilderness of Bwindi.
What can you combine with Bwindi gorilla trekking from Kigali?
Embarking on a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park from Kigali International Airport can be combined with other activities in Kigali City as unveiled below.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
Kigali Genocide Memorial is often one of the most visited places in the city as it is significant to Rwandan history. This genocide memorial is located on Gisozi Hill overlooking the city.
Rwanda’s history is built on many years of political unrest and the most notable one is the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi by the Hutu militias. Over 250,000 people were killed and buried at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Visitors can explore the memorial and gain insight into how the genocide was carried out. The memorial is divided into three sections with the first section showcasing the children who were killed in this genocide. The second section shows the adults and the last is for the other similar genocides that have happened across the world.
Kigali City tour
Visitors can combine gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a Kigali City tour. This city tour exposes the beautiful streets as you interact with the local people. Kigali is well-planned and spaced giving visitors a more comfortable tour. Visitors can also have a unique perspective of Kigali’s adjacent towns and greenery. The city also allows you to appreciate and savor the fresh air while watching the sunset behind the horizon.
Kimironko market tour
Kimironko Market offers a chance to encounter people from diverse backgrounds in one place to do business. The people sell fruits, clothes, vegetables, meat, and shoes. You can find as many hand-made craft items and local fabrics like Ankara as possible. The Kimironko market is strategically located in the heart of Kigali and is accessible to anyone around Kigali and beyond.
Rwanda Art Museum
The Rwanda Art Museum was established in 2018 to showcase the country’s cultural heritage and art. This museum is also a historical site in Rwanda’s past years as it is the former presidential palace where former President Juvenile Habyarimana was killed in a plane crash. The plane wreckages are still visible and present at the scene of the crash. On the point of tradition and art, visitors can witness the amazing textiles, pottery, woodcarvings, paintings, installations, and sculptures that tell a story of Rwanda in art.
Nyamirambo Women’s Center
Visitors can also spare time and visit the women’s initiative project of Nyamirambo Women’s Center which was started in 2007 with just 18 women. This center has henceforth grown helping women across Kigali City in skilling and education. The main aim of the Nyamirambo Women’s Center was to combat the problems that women in the Nyamirambo town faced. The center also helps children through skilling like in vocational studies and has a library that bears books on languages and education to help the children. Visitors can visit this center and buy some souvenirs made by women thus increasing the social incomes of the women in this center.
Nyamata genocide sites
A former catholic church, the Nyamata genocide site bears a tragic story that claimed over 10,000 people. At the peak of the genocide, some Tutsis from a village in Nyamata sought refuge in a local church. As it is in the African traditions, churches were seen as God’s holy places that were respected. However, to the Tutsis’ disappointment, the Hutu militias attacked the church bringing down the heavy church doors with hand grenades and open fire killing the occupants. The Nyamata church now a genocide site still bears the remains of the people killed with their clothes still visible today. Visitors can visit the church to witness how brutal the genocide was.
