Kigali City Tour: History, Art And Local Highlights.

This was a great tour to start our stay in Kilgali and Benjamin was an awesome guide!!! He was very kind, informative and professional. We really enjoyed each stop and it felt like the perfect blend to give us a great overview of the city. Now we know the spot to go back to. DON’T MISS THIS TOUR!!!

What a fantastic experience exploring Kigali! The tour was both fun and incredibly educational. Our guide, Jerry, was wonderful—friendly, personable and extremely knowledgeable about Rwanda’s history. He was great company throughout, sharing fascinating insights as we went along. The car was spotless and the service excellent. I loved every stop, from the moving Genocide Memorial and Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial to the car-free promenade, Nyamirambo Women’s Centre with its beautiful handmade crafts, and the vibrant local market. A wonderful way to discover Kigali, its history, culture and people. Highly recommend Jerry!

Jerry was very professional and experienced I really enjoyed my tour today.

This was the best tour with the BEST tour guide! Jerry was the key piece to making the experience as amazing as it was. From his communication to his knowledge about Kigali and just Rwanda in general, everything was seamless and we learned so much. We have fallen in love with Kigali due to this tour. This was the highlight of our trip and we can’t thank Jerry enough for showing us around and showing us awesome hospitality!

Jerry is very knowledgeable about Kigali. He’s friendly and easy to talk to. He’s enthusiastic about his city! My wife and I recommend Jerry and this tour. William P.

This was my first time in Kigali so I was looking to get the highlights. Benjamin was my guide and he was wonderful. He was right on time to pick me up from my hotel and ensured I had the chance to provide input on what I wanted to see, do, and learn about on the tour, providing a customized experience. I was able to see a lot of the city’s highlights and learn about Rwandan culture and history. The market can be a little intense with many vendors vying for your business, but Benjamin was great in guiding me through it and ensuring I saw and got what I needed - even after the tour checking in to make sure the skirt I had custom ordered arrived at my hotel as promised. Definitely recommend this tour to provide a great overview of Kigali.

I visited Rwanda with my mum, and Jerry was our guide for the Kigali City Tour. What an incredible experience it was. The first thing you notice about Jerry is how much the locals love him, and that extends to you. We visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, and also stopped at the Niyo Arts Centre. Kimironko Market was my personal favourite, mainly because Jerry took the time to help my mum find everything she wanted. When she realised she'd forgotten to buy some souvenirs, he patiently took us back so she could get them. Such a small thing, but it meant a lot. At Mount Kigali, he handed us binoculars so we could see the whole city stretched out below us. I could even spot our hotel from up there, such a cool moment. He also taught us a few phrases in Kinyarwanda, which made me feel like a local. Jerry took beautiful photos of us throughout the day, and he was genuinely concerned about my wellbeing after I caught a cold in Kigali. He even recommended a local beverage to help, and it worked. If you're visiting Rwanda and Jerry is your guide, you'll leave the tour with great memories.

I highly recommend this tour. I got Benjamin as my Guide. I saw all of the wonderful reviews on Viator so I was happy that it was him waiting for me at my hotel. I recognize him immediately because of the previous reviews. Excellent, Customer Service. This was a full in-depth tour and I’m very impressed. I really loved the city of Kigali. It’s very clean. The roads are amazing very green. I got to see a lot in one day. I was able to pick my pick up. Time. I think my tour is about six hours. Food is included. We went to traditional restaurant with traditional local food, there are vegan options. I’m talking potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice beans, cabbage the local bread. The memorial for the Genesis is free but they do except donations for $30 you can get a pin and a digital audio guide, which I highly recommend. Thank you Benjamin, excellent experience, and for the solo travelers Completely safe. He’ll take all the photos and videos that you want. The market was a little intense. Very safe. People are so friendly to talk to visitors, but people kind of overcrowded you. They all talk at once, because everybody wants your business so that was a little overwhelming, but Benjamin was constantly with me again, very safe. People just want to show you their shops.

Benjamin was amazing. Just like all of the reviews I had read said that he would be! I was able to do my tour at 10 o’clock. I think it was about six maybe seven hours and it was a full in depth tour and it was amazing. Kigali is Beautiful and clean and green and it’s such a Beautiful way of getting a acquainted with the capital. The genocide memorial was everything I spent about an hour and a half to two hours there. It is free but they do accept donations or for $30 You can get a pin and a digital guide which I highly recommend. You can even visit the hotel Rwanda where things actually took place. I didn’t get a chance to see that but it’s actually nearby. The food was amazing. I got two experienced traditional food in Rwanda and I’m a vegan and I was able to find vegan options. Definitely vegetarian options with the traditional food. I’m talking potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, cabbage, peas, and of course they do have meat for those of you who love meat. They have the traditional bread. It was amazing and Benjamin was great. I’m very grateful I had him at the market. People are constantly coming up to you in yellow jackets wanting to take you to their shops for commission, and people at the shops are very aggressive. In regards to you going to their shop. Everybody is friendly. It’s 100% safe, but it is overwhelming because you have about 10 or 12 people fighting for your attention and talking all at once at the same time to where you can’t think, or even respond, wanting your business to where I really couldn’t enjoy it and I wanted to leave but very friendly people. They love talking to visitors. Thank you, Benjamin had a great time. You did excellent job.

It was a pleasure spending half my day with Benjamin. He was professional from the very start, on time and very knowledgeable. His car was also super clean with AC and such a good driver. I enjoyed getting to learn about Rwanda. Benjamin answered every question I had and even more. Thank you so much and I would highly recommend doing your tour with him.

Jerry was a very bright, knowledgeable and intelligent tour guide! Every stop was explained beforehand and kept the tour flexible. I decided to skip out on the Belgian Memorial because I didn't really care what they had to say. My favorite parts were lunch, the genocide memorial (even though it made me sad, it's necessary) and having the opportunity to support a woman run/owned shop and get some dresses for my nieces. The view from Mount Kigali was beautiful and vast. Stopping at the Kimoronko market was great, I was able to grab some fresh fruit and vegetables and save myself a trip to the grocery store and spend my money directly into the community. Highly recommend 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jerry the guide is an amazing local guide very knowledgeable. Very best introduction to Kigali and Rwanda

Our Kigali city tour was a great introduction to Rwanda. We came wanting to understand more about the country, not just see the main sights, and that is exactly what we got. Jeremiah was a wonderful guide to spend the day with. He was easy to talk to, had a great sense of humour, and made the history of Rwanda feel much more personal. We learned about the early history of the country, the traditions that shaped Rwandan culture, and how Rwanda has continued to rebuild and grow after such a difficult past. Jeremiah introduced us to different Rwandan foods and explained the importance of milk in Rwandan culture and hospitality. It was a simple experience, but it helped us understand the meaning behind these traditions rather than just seeing them from the outside. The car was also a nice touch. It was clean, comfortable , branded and spacious with AC throughout made the whole experience feel organised and smooth.

Before visiting Kigali, I had heard so much about how clean and green the city is, and I can honestly say it is all true. What surprised me most was how clean every part of the city is, even the neighborhoods that are considered less developed. It really says a lot about the pride people take in their city. The rolling hills are beautiful, there is greenery everywhere, and the city feels peaceful and well organized. The people were also incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even more enjoyable. A big thank you to my guide from Iriza Tours & Safaris for making the tour so interesting and easy to follow. I learned a lot about Kigali’s history, culture, and daily life while discovering places I would never have found on my own. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rwanda.

Had a great experience on the Kigali City Tour with Jerry. The tour was a fantastic introduction to Rwanda’s history, culture, and daily life in Kigali. Jerry was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to answer all of our questions throughout the day. He did an excellent job balancing the city’s important history with visits to local art and cultural highlights. The tour was well organized, transportation was comfortable, and the hotel pickup made everything easy. I especially appreciated Jerry’s insights and personal perspective, which made the experience much more meaningful. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kigali for the first time.

At 9:00, Libère picked me up from my hotel. I’d already spent a few days in the country, but this was my first real day exploring Kigali itself, and the city wasted no time challenging my expectations. Everything here feels organized. Traffic moves smoothly, the streets are remarkably clean, and people seem to genuinely take pride in keeping it that way. Our first stop was the Kigali Genocide Memorial. I knew it would be hard, but I wasn’t prepared for how much time I’d end up spending there. Some sections are difficult to walk through, especially once you register how recent it all was. What stayed with me wasn’t just the tragedy itself, but how completely the country has rebuilt since. Standing in Kigali today, it’s hard to square this place with what Rwanda went through only a few decades ago. From there we drove through different neighborhoods, stopping at a few viewpoints along the way. Kigali is built across a series of hills, and every turn opens up a new view: red rooftops, green valleys, new buildings rising in between. The city feels modern without feeling rushed. It’s growing fast, yet somehow stays calm about it. One thing I appreciated about Libère: he didn’t just point at landmarks and rattle off facts. We talked about daily life, education, business, how things have changed over the years. Those conversations ended up being more interesting than most of the sights themselves. By lunchtime I was hungry enough to try anything local, so we stopped at a buffet packed with Rwandans on their lunch break, always a good sign. I loaded my plate with things I could barely name: beans, plantains, rice, vegetables, grilled meat, potatoes, a few dishes Libère picked out for me. Nothing fancy, just simple, fresh food in generous portions. Something else caught my attention all day. I’d assumed Rwanda’s reputation for tech innovation was at least a little exaggerated. It isn’t. Digital payments are everywhere, government services keep moving online, and startups come up constantly in conversation. At one point Libère walked me through some of the plans to turn Kigali into a regional tech hub, and what struck me was how people talk about it: not as some distant ambition, but as something already happening around them. Coffee deserves its own mention too. Rwanda takes it seriously, and after a few local cups, I understood why. Some of the cafés in Kigali wouldn’t look out of place in Europe or North America, except the beans were grown just a few hours from where I was sitting. The longer I spent in the city, the harder it became to put it in one box. It isn’t only a place defined by its history, and it isn’t only a modern African capital either. It feels like somewhere that knows exactly where it came from and has a clear sense of where it’s headed. When Libère dropped me off that afternoon, I realized I’d learned far more than expected, not just about Kigali, but about Rwanda as a whole. I’d arrived knowing the country mainly through its past. I left thinking mostly about its future.

Very average experience, you are getting more of a driver than a tour guide. Cheaper to just order bolt to the main attractions and skip some of the shop stops and save time. Also not sure why the guide was sneaking and taking pictures of us on his own phone without informing us, very strange.

Our guide was amazing (Jerry).

I felt that I was in great hands with my guide, Jerry. We visited a variety of places while he shared his knowledge of history and cultural events. I learned a great deal about the development of the city in recent decades.

Benjamin was great. Friendly and accommodating.

We certainly enjoyed our city tour with Jerry our guide . Jerry is very accommodating, friendly and patient. Jerry helped us get a safe ride home in a cab with a driver he knows after we had dinner in downtown . Jerry showed us multiple areas in Kilgari and we never felt rushed . Jerry is extremely knowledgeable about the city and answered all of our questions - and shared many stories!! We would definitly recommend Jerry to all of our friends and family and are definitly planning on returning to Rwanda ourselves!!!

If you only have one day in Rwanda, Jerry is the person to call. We arrived in Kigali with a flight out early the next morning and no accommodation booked, and while we initially planned for a half-day tour, Jerry was incredibly flexible and extended it to a full-day experience to make sure we saw everything. He ensured we had ample time to reflect at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial without ever making us feel rushed, which allowed us to truly take in the weight of each location. ​The car deserves a special shout-out as well, as it was very spacious and comfortable, making our navigation through the city a breeze. We also enjoyed a fantastic cocktail at the hotel that served as the model for the Hotel Rwanda movie, which was a great historical touch to the day. To top it all off, Jerry even took us out clubbing where we spent the night playing pool games. Jerry went above and beyond to turn a simple layover into an unforgettable adventure, and I highly recommend him for anyone visiting Kigali!

Jerry is an outstanding guide. He was excellent. He not only gave thorough explanations about the sites we visited but he gave me an excellent briefing on the Rwandan way of life, traditions, customs and more. He is highly recommended

Jerry was a perfect guide to help me get a feel for the culture and life around Kigali. My favorite was lunch at the restaurant where I enjoyed Matoke. Also enjoyed the kids car free zone and walking through the neighborhoods! Jerry was knowledgeable and passionate and went above and beyond. I would highly recommend him as your guide whenever you’re in Kigali

Very positive experience. Jerry the driver arrived on time, and outlined the itinerary, carefull driver who took no risks while driving. Very knowledgeable, friendly, courteous, willing to adjust and accomodate client request to enhance the experience. Very happy to share historic and cultural details about Kigali and willing to listen and learn from points of similarity shared from other countries.

Jerry our tour guide was excellent. He was friendly and knowledgeable about Rwandan history. His selection of tour sites was fantastic. It lasted about 6hrs with a local Rwandan lunch meal break. Loved it. His car was neat, ambience was good and he drove well. We felt safe throughout.

Had a great tour with the main man Jerry. He explained the itinerary of the day clearly but showed he was flexible to cater to my personal interests hence we stopped off for a drink at the Hotel Des Mille Collines which of course has its place in Rwandas’ recent history. Jerry escorted our group around the market which for newbies can be quite intimidating as some vendors can be persistent, but Jerry guided us through professionally. We finished the day off with Jerry allowing me to DJ in the car and we sung and danced along to some big afrobeats tunes. JUGUMILAAAA JUGAMILA haha. Thanks Jerry! Would highly recommend this tour.

Really great way to spend the day and get a good overall of Kigali. Our guide, Jerry was great, patient and allowing plenty of time at the various stops. Lunch was delicious. Well worth the time and money!

After a business focused trip we had 2 days to explore. We did a day tour of Kigali with Jeremiah (Jerry) and it was simply the best. To tour with someone who knows the city, history, culture so well and loves sharing it (like it's his first time telling the stories) made the tour so very enlightening, enjoyable and rich. We did more than sightseeing, we felt like we got to know a people. Jerry was keen on what we wanted to experience and tailored the experience accordingly. A tour that we will always remember.

Good overview of Kigali city. The tour hits several highlights. A good mix of driving, walking etc. Lunch spot was nice, felt authentic. I would recommend this tour for anyone with limited time in Kigali or just wanting a good overview and hitting some of the main highlights as well. Tour duration was roughly 6 hrs. The guide, Jerry, was communicative on WhatsApp the evening before the tour. He was on time the next morning. Nice comfortable roomy vehicle with WiFi.

Very good city overview of Kigali. The tour lasts 6 or so hours and covers several highlights of the city. It's a nice variety of the Genocide Memorial, the main market, neighborhoods, light walking, viewpoints etc. If you only have a short time in Kigali this is a good tour to do. Or even for longer stays do at the beginning. Our guide Jerry was very communicative and patient taking us around. Definitely recommend.

My family and I had an amazing time on this tour. Our tour guide Jerry was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Five star rating.

Uniquely suited as a Kigali ambassador to visitors far and wide, Jerry is knowledgeable, courteous, and friendly. We learned so much about Kigali and the country of Rwanda. The tour with Jerry was a highlight of our trip.

I had a great experience with Olivier for the Kigali city tour. Olivier is an incredibly kind and knowledgeable tour guide. I was traveling solo, the tour was myself and one other person and Olivier was happy to tailor the itinerary based on our preferences. He also took some great photos that he sent afterwards! It was a perfect activity for my first day in Kigali to get to know the city. I would absolutely book again and recommend to anyone!

Great sights, professional and knowledgeable guide. Flexible planning, the guide kept the schedule open and we could decide after every sight what we would do next. One part that I was not fond of was the feeling that I was expected to buy something everywhere we went - but this might just be bothersome to me.

Oliver was such a gentleman, I liked the explanations of history and Kigali as whole he was very helpful with negotiations and very knowledgeable. He wanted to show me so much more than I expected and he just exceeded expectations. He is also very professional and kind. I will give an A+ any day.

Jerry is a great guide! He was on time in picking me up, took me to a great local meal, and I enjoyed exploring the city with him

I went on this tour solo and had a blast with my tour guide, Olivier! He was very knowledgeable about the country and adapted to my needs (even making time for me to pick up a medication at a pharmacy). Olivier went above and beyond making me feel welcome, safe, and I greatly enjoyed the time.

I booked this tour not knowing exactly what to expect and I can say with certainty that Jeremiah went above and beyond in ensuring I had a great experience. When a Presidential visit to the Genocide memorial prevented us from visiting when he had planned for us to do so, he quickly pivoted and rearranged the schedule to put that stop later in the day. He didn’t just drive me from one location to another. Along the way, he told me what part of the city we were going through, he pointed out landmarks that I would not have otherwise noticed, and he asked me what kinds of things I was interested and tailored his commentary accordingly. I can’t recommend Jeremiah and this tour company highly enough. I had a wonderful experience!

Great day plan! You get to see the memorials, views of the city, eat local dishes, take pictures at key landmarks, shop at affordable non-tourist prices, with a knowledgeable guide who we found out is a national rap star (Jerry) and air conditioned car!

I had such an amazing time on the Kigali City Tour. The city is stunning, with beautiful buildings, great hotels, clean streets, and greenery everywhere. From start to finish, the team took really good care of me. Lunch at a local restaurant was unforgettable. I tried Rwandan dishes I had never tasted before, and every bite was incredible. Olivier, our driver-guide, shared so much history and insight, which made the tour even more special.

Iriza tours representative was Jerry and he was awesome. His knowledge of the city was deep and exquisite. He was easy to communicate with, friendly and polite, and prompt. His driving was so good as well and he was patient as well. He made our experience a memorable one and without a doubt it is one that we would love to experience again.

Such an amazing experience being in a beautiful city Kigali during UCI was great seeing how people are so cheerful and friendly everywhere we went , we had so much memories we will cherish forever. Thanks to the team of Iriza tours for making our trip to Ruanda amazing

We had a great experience with Iriza Tours & Safaris. Our guide, Jerry, was very knowledgeable and friendly, which made the whole tour even more enjoyable. Everything was well-organized, and we really appreciated the warm hospitality. Highly recommended!

I had an amazing time on my Kigali City tour, and I have to give a big shoutout to my guide, Jermaine. He was absolutely wonderful, knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole experience feel personal and fun. He took me to so many different places throughout the day, each one offering a unique glimpse into the city's culture, history, and daily life. One of the highlights was enjoying a delicious local lunch, which really added to the authentic feel of the tour. Kigali itself is such a clean and beautiful city. I was genuinely impressed. This is my 10th country in Africa, and I have to say I’ve really fallen in love with Kigali and Rwanda as a whole. If you’re thinking about visiting, I highly recommend this tour. It’s a great way to experience the heart of the city with someone who knows it inside and out.

Olivier was a great tour guide, and it was a very thorough tour! Perfect way to learn about the history of the country, and to see the city, all at once. Would highly recommend.

Olivier was a great guide. He explained the intricate history of Rwanda while effectively leading us through the important landmarks listed on this tour. We’d recommend this tour and Olivier as a guide to anyone interested in learning more about Kigali and Rwanda.

If l could give Olivier more than 5 stars, I would. I had a brilliant tour with him. He listened to my wishes and showed me a variety of places that I really enjoyed. The stop for lunch was excellent, his driving was very safe, and he was clear and informative. I highly recommend him.

Upon arrival in Rwanda, this was the first tour we went on and it was a great introduction to the city. Ange was our guide & she was fantastic. Ange picked us up at our hotel. She made sure we hit all the points of interest while personalizing the experience to our areas of interest. Our tour featured: genocide memorial, lookout point over Kigali, car less street (beautiful murals), lunch in the Muslim quarter, women's craft store, art gallery, Belgian peacekeepers memorial, and the Kigali sign. Ange shared information related to each stop and insights on life in Rwanda more generally. The genocide memorial was very moving - we would highly recommend the audio guide for a comprehensive experience. We loved the art gallery Ange took us too - we met several artists and bought a beautiful painting to commemorate our gorilla trek & time in Rwanda. We truly had a great day & would highly recommend this experience.