Rwanda FAQs

Visas

You will need a visa to enter Rwanda which can be obtained on arrival. The cost is USD 50 for a 30 day tourist visa and should be paid in USD cash. A Rwanda eVisa is also available: https://www.migration.gov.rw/

Please note that requirements can change and we recommend that our guests contact the local embassy in the country where you live for the most recent and up to date information.

Passports

It’s important that your passport is valid for at least six months after your intended departure and you should have three consecutive blank pages facing each other for the relevant immigration stamps.If you visit other countries you will need two blank pages per country.

We will confirm certain elements of your trip such as domestic flights, permits or train tickets using your current passport details. If a member of your party changes their name in their passport after booking (for example, through marriage or adoption) this could mean having to reissue important parts of the trip at an extra cost and subject to availability. 

Medical

If you are travelling between countries deemed at risk from Yellow Fever such as Kenya or Uganda  you will be required to have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination. 

You will not need to show this certificate if you are coming from the USA or Europe for example.

Single use plastics (including plastic bags and straws) have been banned for environmental reasons. Please do not bring plastic bags into Rwanda as they will be confiscated on arrival at the airport.

There are several Holidays in Rwanda but one of the most important is the Genocide Memorial Day on 7th April – most shops and services will close on this day.

Yes, once your trip is confirmed it is essential that you take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover you in case anything unexpected happens. 

We always recommend that our guests get the maximum level of coverage that you feel comfortable investing in. Read more about travel insurance for US travellers here and travellers from other countries here.

Yes, you should visit a travel doctor before your trip as they may recommend certain vaccinations or medications before or during travel. Vaccines commonly recommended for travellers to Africa include Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies and Meningitis.

There is a risk of Malaria in parts of Rwanda. Please speak with your travel doctor about the best anti-malaria medication for you and bring insect repellent, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers with closed shoes in the evenings and early mornings. Please seek medical advice before applying very strong insect repellent to young children.

As mentioned above under Entry Requirements you may need proof of yellow fever certificate if visiting other East African countries.

There are no light aircraft flights in Rwanda, only helicopter (and road) transfers. The helicopter transfers are operated by Akagera Aviation, a Rwandan-based aviation company. The fleet at Akagera Aviation uses single and twin-engine aircraft with seat capacity for two guests and one pilot or four guests and two pilots respectively. 

Please speak with your travel designer or concierge if you have any questions regarding your luggage allowance and excess luggage. Please inform us in advance if anyone travelling has an individual weight of more than 100kgs (220lbs) as an additional weight allowance on the aircraft must be purchased for safety and comfort.

If you are taking onward flights into other east or southern African countries arranged by Jacada we suggest that you check in online 24 hours before your flight. We recommend the same for your own regional or international flights. We will provide you with the e-ticket information and details of the flights we have arranged for you approximately 2 weeks before travel.

Travel pack

Before you head off on your adventure you will be sent a travel pack. The travel pack is full of great information and is also a beautiful keepsake. It is not necessary to travel with vouchers or confirmations on your trip but we do recommend having a printed copy of your travel itinerary to hand when you arrive in Rwanda.

Bon Voyage email

Around 2 weeks before you depart we will email you an electronic version of your travel pack including your regional flight tickets. Once you’ve received this email your Travel Designer will reach out to arrange a time for you to talk on the phone to go over any last-minute questions and talk you through the information we’ve sent over.

Local currency and US dollars

Rwanda’s local currency is the Rwandan Franc. Although USD is widely used you may need local currency for tips outside of high-end lodges/hotels or for purchasing items from local shops and markets. 

USD can be used for tipping on safari or larger transactions. Obtaining USD outside larger cities and towns can be difficult and the exchange rate is often poor. The US dollar bills you bring with you from home should be no older than 2011 with no damage such as rips, tears, or even deep fold marks. It’s important to plan the amount of USD cash you will need before you leave home, taking into consideration tipping and/or any visa costs for Rwanda and any other countries you intend to visit on your trip.

Credit and debit cards

Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in most places visited by tourists (hotels or larger restaurants in cities) including the camps and lodges you will be visiting. There are some exceptions at small or remote camps so please check with your travel designer or concierge.

ATMs

There are ATMs in Kigali, but not all of them accept foreign cards. However, credit cards are increasingly accepted in larger bars, restaurants and in many supermarkets. Outside of Kigali there are few ATMs and the ones that are available cannot always be relied upon. It’s a good idea to plan the amount of local cash you will need before you depart Kigali.

Travellers cheques

Although still accepted in some hotels in major cities they are difficult to exchange. Most safari lodges do not accept travellers cheques or exchange them.

Although tipping is discretionary many workers in the tourism industry do rely on tips to make up part of their income. Below is a rough tipping guide, you may wish to tip more or less depending on service. All the amounts are per day, per person recommendations based on two people travelling together. We recommend you tip USD.

In Cities:

• 10-15% in restaurants
• 5 USD per short transfer
• 10 USD per person per full day or drivers and guides
• 20 USD per person per full day for a specialist guide
• 10 USD per day for hotel housekeeping
• 20 USD  for a private butler per day
• 5 USD per movement for hotel or airport porters

On Safari:

• 15 USD per person per trek for gorilla trekking guides
• 10 USD per person per trek for gorilla trekking trackers
• 5 USD per porter  per trek for gorilla trekking porters
• 10 USD per day for your tracker on safari
• 10 USD per person per full day or drivers and guides
• 20 USD per day for your specialist guide, safari guide, and hiking guides
• 15 USD per guest per day for camp/general staff communal tipping box

Etiquette

Before taking photographs of local people you must ask permission first. It’s best to ask your guide, they will then tell you if it’s appropriate to ask or not. That said, locals in Rwanda are very friendly so if you strike up a polite conversation, using your guide to translate if necessary, you won’t be strangers for long.

June and September are drier summer months with temperatures of 19 -22 °C (62 -72 °F). In October, the country sees a short period of rain showers, followed by a dry season from December to February and a longer rainy season during the months of March to May with temperatures of 26 °C (78 °F).

What to pack

This is our essentials list, we recommend chatting with your travel designer or concierge for more personalised, comprehensive suggestions based on time of year and activities on your trip:

• Layers – it can be cold during early game drives, even in summer.
• Down jackets, if you are travelling during the cooler months
• Lightweight rain jackets for showers and to act as a windbreaker.
• Lite waterproof hiking gear for gorilla tracking
• Polarised sunglasses
• Swimwear
• Trousers and shirts with adjustable arm and leg lengths in lightweight, quick-dry fabrics
• Camera/Smartphone and/or camera with all the necessary charging leads, plugs and batteries
• Earplugs
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Sun hat
• Binoculars – your guide will have a pair but having your own can mean that you see a bit more for a bit longer
• Day bag for carrying all your daily essentials
• Closed-toe comfortable shoes for evenings in camp and site seeing.
• Strong comfortable walking shoes or boots for trekking/tracking

Laundry 

Most Safari lodges do offer a laundry service for a small price or it’s included. This is normally done by hand so we recommend you wash your own personal items. 

City-based properties will also offer laundry service at an additional cost. 

In Rwanda there are 10 habituated gorilla groups in Volcanoes National Park, with a maximum of 8 tracking permits per group per day. Permits are not attributed to specific gorilla groups at the time of purchase, but groups are allocated on the day at the Park Headquarters. As mentioned earlier your passports are used to book these permits so you must travel with the passport you used at the time of booking your trip. If this is not possible you must contact Jacada to let them know as soon as possible – there is a chance you might have to forfeit your permit and buy another one, subject to availability.

Trekking to find the Gorillas in Uganda can be difficult; descending deep valleys, climbing steep slopes, reaching high altitudes, crossing slippery, muddy terrain, scrambling through, over and even under dense undergrowth with nettles, barbed vines and bamboo thickets.

Extra packing lists are available but please consider the following:

• Waterproof hiking boots or shoes – comfortable and worn in
• Gaiters
• Gardening gloves – handy when the vegetation becomes thick
• Waterproof jackets and trousers
• A comfortable, waterproof day bag for your climb
• Walking poles – although wooden poles can generally be hired in Uganda 

It is important to be in good physical condition and a general level of basic fitness is required. Anyone with heart, back or any other physical condition should speak at length with their medical practitioner before tackling the gorilla trekking in Uganda. Overall, we don’t recommend gorilla trekking if you have a medical condition that could impede your physical fitness on the mountain. Please make your travel designer or concierge aware of any physical disabilities that occur after your reservations are made.

There are options to transport guests with physical disabilities in a purpose-built ‘off road’ sedan chair. This is something to discuss in detail with the team at Jacada as soon as possible.

You will not be able to track the primates if you are unwell, as primates are highly susceptible to human illnesses. If you suspect that you have a contagious illness such as a common cold, influenza or diarrhoea, please report to the guide at the park headquarters. There is a good chance that you will be refunded the cost of your primate permit. If you do not disclose your illness, and the guide detects it, you will be barred from tracking, and your permit price will definitely not be refunded.

Wearing masks

It is not currently compulsory to wear face masks when visiting the gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda.

However, wearing masks can reduce the high risk of infecting gorillas with human diseases – something to which they are highly susceptible.

With this in mind, we kindly ask our travellers to wear a mask when visiting the gorillas.

It is a huge privilege to see these animals in their natural environment, but for this to continue, we must do so responsibly.

Perhaps when you are there, you will inspire other travellers to also wear a mask. If the Ugandan and Rwandan governments can be convinced that it will not negatively affect tourism, they will be more likely to enforce mask-wearing as a rule. It is already compulsory in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Virunga National Park.

We highly recommend that you make restaurant reservations in advance of your trip. Once your trip is confirmed you will be introduced to your concierge who will be able to assist you in not only making the reservations but also making recommendations based on your preferences.

We only recommend taking transfers arranged by Jacada travel, the team on the ground, your hotel or a restaurant we’ve reserved for you. Although there are metered taxis and even uber in the major cities it shouldn’t be necessary on your trip. 

Jeeps used on safari can be closed or open-sided depending on the area. Typically a safari jeep will seat between 4 to 9 passengers and are shared with others at your lodge. Please ask your travel designer or concierge about upgrading to a private vehicle. 

Plugs and power

For Rwanda, there are two associated plug types, types D and G. Plug type D is the plug which has three round pins in a triangular pattern and plug type G is the plug which has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern. Rwanda operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

It’s best to arrive armed with a universal adaptor.

Wifi and internet connection

Wifi is common in all larger city hotels and even on Safari too. On safari however, the connection can be patchy and is not always available throughout the entire property, sometimes only being available in the common areas or in the rooms.  There are some exceptions, so if this sort of connectivity is very important to you please discuss this with your travel designer or concierge.

Remote areas

Cell phone reception and roaming is not always possible in some remote areas so please bear this in mind when planning communications while on your trip.