6 Best Sights in Rwanda

East Africa's only Canopy Walkway is a 160-meter (525-foot) bridge suspended 70 meters (230 feet) above the ground. The "hanging trail" affords magnificent views of the treetop canopy and up-close bird encounters. Nyungwe is a little-known birders' paradise, though spotting them typically requires the eyes (and ears) of a trained guide, who can be secured at one of the park's reception centers. The Canopy Walkway trail is a round-trip of approximately two hours on sometimes steep paths.  Rain is a frequent occurrence in Nyungwe so a raincoat is essential. Visitors should bring their own raincoats and boots (or comfortable shoes). Walking sticks can be provided on-site.

Social enterprise Question Coffee serves special blends of Rwandan coffee from their Kigali Coffee Center. Despite the fact that there's no tea or food except for the occasional pastry, you'll be lucky to find a vacant seat. Every day starting at 7 am, specialty coffee masterclasses are held. Women-led coffee farm tours run Monday through Friday.

Rubavu (Gisenyi) is the most common starting point for the 227-km (141-mile) Congo Nile Trail. This clearly marked route skirts the shores of Lake Kivu and the edge of Nyungwe Forest National Park and leads travelers through verdant tea plantations and traditional villages. The full trail takes cyclists 5 days; however, visitors can also walk, boat, or drive the trail, or smaller sections of it. Demarcated overnight stops tend to be simple but accommodation upgrades are available at several (not all) locations. Hiring an experienced guide can boost your experience immeasurably. Not only will they help with logistics, but they can also point you to the trail’s must-visit (yet barely documented) community tourism experiences.

The 12-acre Ellen Campus opened in 2022 providing the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund with a permanent learning and research facility. And while the campus is home to the Sandy and Harold Price Research Center, there are opportunities for the public to learn and explore making this an ideal pre- or post-gorilla tracking activity for young and old. Visitors can see the grounds via the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Interpretive Trails, which features more than 250,000 native plants, and the Cindy Broder Conservation Gallery which contains an artifact-filled replica of Fossey’s mountain cabin as well as a 360-degree immersive theater; allow 1½ hours for the self-guided tour of the exhibit. There's also the Gorilla Café if you need a snack and the gift shop sells unique gorilla nose prints among other things. 

Visitors should not miss this well-conceived tribute to victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, in which an estimated 1 million people were killed in just 100 days. Outside, a terraced series of mass graves entombs some 250,000 victims. Inside, an informative exhibition walks visitors through pre-colonial Rwanda, the historical lead-up to the genocide and the global community's faltering response. A display of skulls and bones alongside personal effects personifies the tragedy. The "Wasted Lives" exhibition explores mankind's capacity for cruelty with a display on genocides from around the world. The exhibition ends with large black-and-white photos of child genocide victims, ranging from 8 months to 17 years. Each picture is accompanied by a placard listing the child's favorite foods and activities and his or her final moments. There is no entrance fee, but donations are encouraged. For $15, visitors can hire a thought-provoking audio guide that allows you to process this solemn experience at your own pace. The ubumuntu package includes a rose which you are invited to lay at the burial site.

A 7-km (4-mile) trip from gorilla-tourism hub Musanze, this cultural exchange center offers an eclectic mix of diversions for the post-primate safari crowd and independent travelers alike. Get your cultural fix via an extensive itinerary of activities that includes classes in weaving traditional baskets, dance and drumming, painting with a local artist, brewing banana beer, or cooking local cuisine. Red Rocks can also arrange cultural heritage and wooden-bike tours, or a homestay with a local family. The extensive grounds include a boma fire pit, a gift shop run by a local women’s cooperative, a bar, an outdoor dance pavilion, and several campsites. Fifty percent of revenues from Red Rocks’ activities are channeled to the communities. The annual Red Rocks Cultural Festival celebrates culture and conservation throughout the week leading up to the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony, which takes place in the first week of September.