Welcome!
We recommend arriving to Kigali by Thursday February 26 at the latest to allow for time zone adjustment and travel recovery. 

There will be a welcome event on either Thursday, February 26 or Friday, February 27. This will largely be informed by travel dates and will be hosted at Chem Chem. 

On Saturday February 28th, please plan to arrive to Jalia by 4:00pm. Transportation, dress code, and other details will be updated below. 
Scroll down for FAQs, suggestions for exploring Rwanda, and fun facts. 

Planning for your visit to Rwanda

  • There are lots of airline options! The main decision factors are of course your budget, your time/dates, and your preferences. Here are some of the airlines that we’ve used before:
    • Turkish Airlines, connects through Istanbul (you will likely end up spending a night in Istanbul on your return flight but if you go this route, get the cherry juice at every opportunity)
    • KLM, connects through Amsterdam (get some beer and cheese and check out the in-airport museum!)
    • Brussels Airlines has direct flights from Brussels
    • Qatar Airways, connects through Doha (usually with very long layovers)
    • Lufthansa, connects through Frankfurt
    • Ethiopian Airlines, connects through Addis Ababa (for the Seasoned Traveler)
  • Arriving at night is great because then you can go straight to sleep and be on your way to adjusting to the time zone. If you don’t see a good option to arrive at night, no worries!
  • For those with a US passport, visas are available for purchase on arrival for $50 (you can pay with credit card). As of May 2025, no additional documentation is required for entry if traveling on a US passport. More details from the US State Department
  • For those traveling with other passports, learn more about your options here (Visit Rwanda). Congratulations on your free entry to those with passports from Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, Singapore and the State of Qatar.
  • These are some beautiful hotel options, or you can look on Airbnb. We recommend staying within the Gishushu, Nyarutarama, Kimihurura, Remera, Kacyiru, Gacuriro, Kibagabaga, and Kagugu areas.
  • Hotel options:
  • The wedding venue (Jalia) is about 45 minutes out of town and for convenience we don’t recommend staying in that area (Kabuga). Keep in mind that traffic to Jalia is notoriously horrible after 3pm - often taking 2 hours.
  • The national currency is the Rwandan Franc. The conversion rate is 1USD ~ 1,450 RWF
  • Most government agencies, restaurants, and businesses will take visa and mastercard.
  • The prevalent payment method in Rwanda is MoMo (Mobile Money). It requires a Rwandan bank account and is therefore inaccessible for short trips, but cash is always accepted.
  • Keep in mind that for cab drivers and other small businesses, they may want to give you change back via MoMo, which you won’t have. This is not a scam.
  • A best practice is to use a card in most establishments (restaurants, bars, stores, etc.) and keep about $200USD worth of cash in small bills for other expenses (taxis, parking, smaller stores, etc.). There are ATMs around town and a currency exchange in the airport.
  • Yego Cab has an app and a number to call and request a car. You can’t use cards to pay the drivers. Here is their website to either download on Apple or Android.
  • It’s common to hire a driver for an agreed upon amount of time. Let us know if you’re interested in doing this and we can help.
  • You will feel much better if you remember to drink lots of water before you leave, while you’re flying, and when you arrive. You will likely need to buy water once you begin traveling, but you’ll be able to fill a reusable water bottle in Kigali.
  • Electrical adaptors (type C)
  • Sunscreen
  • Malaria prevention meds (These are not required, talk to your doctor just if you’re feeling cautious)
  • Motion sickness/altitude meds (Zofran and dramamine are available OTC in Kigali.)
  • Pedialyte/liquid IV/your favorite electrolyte powders (These are harder to find in Kigali so pack your favorites!)
  • No particular notes here other than to recommend breezy fabrics (think linen, not denim).
  • It will be toasty during the day (~75-85F). Once the sun goes down, you’ll feel fantastic and may want a light jacket for spending time on patios (~60-70F).
  • Not white! :)
  • Formal wear! If you are a dress-wearer, it is more common for long-dresses to be worn. If you’re a suit-wearer, live your dreams. A reminder that it will be warm during the day but given the blissful lack of humidity it can be a bit chilly at night. Main thing is to wear comfortable shoes for DANCING!
  • In Kigali, the more the merrier! Please just make sure that your RSVP is updated so that we have an accurate number of guests and associated dietary preferences.
  • If you want to, sure! They are your children - do what you feel is best.
  • Yes! Re: the Queers – NO RULES! Live your life! Just know that folks are somewhat conservative and you may get some stares, but also Rwandan people tend to stare, so lean into the eye contact (and wave if you feel like it!). Again, staring is not personal!
  • Medical facilities:
    • Deva Medical Center: They are great for general checkups / non-emergencies and are usually not too busy. They have English speaking staff and offer dentistry services.
    • Polyclinic du Plateau
    • Croix-du-Sud and King Faisal are large hospitals that may offer more specialized services, but will have longer wait times.
    • Legacy Clinic
    • Frontier Diagnostics
  • Pharmacies:
    • Kipharma
    • Vine Legacy
    • Pharmacie Conseil
  • Water
    • DON’T DRINK TAP WATER (unless you boil it first), but it’s fine for showering and brushing your teeth.
    • Inyange brand has a cattle egret on it (inyange = cattle egret)
  • Coffee
    • Question Coffee has a cafe location and offers various tours of their farms
    • Indabo Cafe has two locations, one with a dog park! Both serve an excellent tofu wrap.
    • Kivu Noir
  • Groceries and general toiletries (both have multiple locations)
    • Simba Supermarket
    • Sawa City
  • Vuba Vuba is an app-based delivery service

Things to Do in Rwanda

This shared Google Map includes locations and other details for all recommendations listed below. 
To see (in and near Kigali): 
To see (outside of Kigali): 
  • Akagera National Park (day trip) 
    • Park on the east of the country
  • Nyanza and the King’s Palace (day trip) 
    • Visit the King’s Palace and a reproduction of traditional pre-colonial Rwandan architecture
  • Nyungwe National Park (minimum 3 days, 2 of which would be travel)
    • This is where Ken shocked Madeleine with a beautiful proposal
    • There are options to drive or fly there, and if you do go, talk to Madeleine to get Mugabo’s information for guided birding tours. 
  • Musanze (weekend) 
    • This is the town nearest the gorilla trekking. If you’re planning to meet the gorillas, we’d recommend spending the night in Musanze to avoid a very, very early morning. 
  • Lake Kivu
    • An African great lake with many towns and points of interest depending on your timeline and what you would like to explore. 

Kigali Fun Facts

  • Kigali is 5,141 feet or 1,567 meters above sea level, which is comparable to Denver, CO. Staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest can help to lessen the effects of altitude sickness. Helpful medicines are also available over the counter in Kigali (Zofran, dramamine, etc.). 
    • Kigali is also very hilly, so pack your most comfortable shoes if you want to explore on foot.
  • We are planning to have Intore dancers at the wedding. This was recently recognized as a UNESCO cultural heritage!
  • Rwandan people are prone to staring (eye contact is important!) and also you are obviously a tourist. Keep being yourself. 
  • Rwandan mosquitoes exist! For extra help (and a great story), get a “Cock” brand mosquito repellent plug-in for your bedroom. Look for the Rooster on the box. You can find them at Simba for $2 USD. 
  • A bit of Kinyarwanda
    • Thank you = Murakozi
    • Yes = Yego (like “leggo”) 
    • No = Oya (misleading bc it sounds like “oh ya”)
    • Food = ibiryo
    • Beer = inzoga 
    • Water = Amazi
    • Coffee = ikawa