Trip readiness checklist for Rwanda

What to pack

Rwanda is a thousand green hills, gorillas in the mist, and a capital so clean it embarrasses everyone else's. One rule before you pack: plastic bags are illegal here — genuinely, at-the-airport illegal.

• No plastic bags

  Single-use plastic bags are banned and confiscated on arrival. Pack with fabric or paper alternatives — packing cubes solve this neatly.

• Layers for hill-country weather

  Kigali sits at 1,500m: warm days, cool evenings, and rain that arrives on schedule in the wet seasons.

• Trekking kit if gorillas are the plan

  Sturdy boots, long trousers and sleeves (stinging nettles), garden gloves, and rain gear — the forest is muddy and worth it.

• Modest, tidy dress

  Rwandans dress smartly and neatly; scruffy stands out more than casual.

When to go

The long dry season (Jun–Sep) is peak for gorilla trekking — permits (from USD 1,500, limited daily) sell out months ahead, so book the permit before the flights. The short dry season (Dec–Feb) is second-best. Wet seasons are green, muddy, and quieter.

Money & getting around

Rwanda uses the franc (RWF). Kigali is surprisingly cashless (mobile money rules); carry some cash outside the capital. Gorilla permits are booked ahead in USD. Moto-taxis are the city workhorse — helmets provided, fares agreed up front.

Local quirks worth knowing

Rwanda is orderly, spotless and green, and it takes both the cleanliness and the memory of 1994 seriously. Follow its lead on both.

• No plastic bags, at all

  They are banned and confiscated at the airport. Pack in cloth or paper; duty-free bags included.

• Umuganda, the last Saturday

  Every month the country stops for community work from morning to noon. Shops and transport pause; it is a fine morning to sit still.

• Gorilla permits are booked months out

  Permits are limited and expensive, and you need the permit before the flight, not after. Book through the parks board or a registered operator.

• The memorials deserve time

  Kigali's genocide memorial is the first thing to do, quietly and without photographs inside. Do not ask locals about their ethnicity; the question itself is offensive.

• Motos wear helmets, so do you

  Motorbike taxis are the everyday ride and carry a spare helmet by law. Agree the fare before you climb on.

A week in Rwanda, the list starts here

Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.

• Passport & travel documents1
• Phone charger & adapter1
• Wallet, cards & some local cash1
• Toiletries bag1
• Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
• Underwear7
• Socks7
• T-shirts / tops5

• Everything in my carry-on, and why each thing earns its spot
• The packing trick that got me through 3 countries with one carry-on