Is Rwanda safe for solo female travelers?
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How safe is Rwanda for female travelers?
Overall rating
based on 3 experiences from female travelers
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Budget-friendly
Rwanda, Group travel
My overall experience in rwanda was good. I stayed in Kigali the capital. I felt safe. It's a very quiet country. They respect their rules and regulations. It's also very clean. Most of the locals don't speak English.
Posted: January 1, 2025Experienced: February, 2024
Emily
United Kingdom
Rwanda, Family travel
I almost always felt safe whilst travelling through Rwanda. Particularly outside of the tourist areas our white skin and obvious tourist status drew attention but it was almost always friendly. Local hawkers would come up to us but always respectable and accepted when we said no. Kids asking for money were sometimes a bit more persistent and on one occasion a little verbally aggressive but on the whole manageable. I travelled with a male family member who drove a hired car to get us from place to place. You would need to be a very confident driver to manage a self-drive as rules of the road can be non-existent! The majority of the roads between the main tourist destination are relatively well maintained tarmac except the N15 which had a lot of potholes. There are local drivers available though for a good price and this could be an option for a solo traveller/ non confident driver. My itinerary for just over a week in Rwanda was a couple of days in Kigali (recommend the women’s co-operative walking tour and of course the Genocide Memorial Museum is a must) then over a couple of days travel (via King’s Palace) to Nyungwe National Park (a nice trek and canopy walk but incredibly expensive, as are all the national parks, for tourists). Travelled across to Lake Kivu for a couple of days to relax and enjoy a boat trip (stayed at Spa Shallom which was a lovely and peaceful BnB but with a big hotel just down the road to get food and drinks). Then across to Akagera for a couple of days Safari. There was no time on this trip to see the northern park with its Gorillas but also the expense ($1500 per person) put this out of reach on this trip. Although the cost of living is low and this translates to cheap findings in hotels and local food, activities and things focused on tourists can be very expensive. A ticket to Nyungwe park for a local is USD$5 and for a tourist USD$100. Overall I had a great time in Rwanda and could have easily enjoyed a much longer time here. Just be prepared to draw a fair bit of attention if your appearance means you stand out and remember experiences may not be cheap but probably worth it!
Posted: April 6, 2024Kigali, Solo travel
I felt safe in Kigali, more so than in any other large city. I noticed that people look out of understandable curiosity, as tourism there is still relatively new. I just looked back at them, said hello and moved on. Men can be annoying, but I never felt unsafe. I travelled around the city by motorcycle taxis and had no problems.
Posted: December 25, 2023Kigali, Group travel
It’s a great city with a few nice places to enjoy art. There are some great cafes like the chess cafe. I really enjoyed the Niyo Arts Gallery, where you can enjoy art as well as food and drinks. Another recommendation would be the Kimironko market. You can get anything here! From food, to decorations, to jewelry. Really busy but pretty amazing :)
Posted: November 9, 2023How safe is Rwanda for women?
Safety index
Based on 3 local experiences
Crime index
Based on 3 local experiences
Paula
Nyagatare District
Nyagatare is a small town in the east province of Rwanda. People are very nice, I feel safe everywhere. People are always helpful and I never experienced any trouble. Of course, I have my precautions like not going out at night alone, or not showing off.
Posted: June 6, 2025
Raisa
Kigali
Honestly the safest place I’ve ever been! I go for late night walks in my neighborhood and don’t need to worry about my purse or phone getting stolen. There’s also little to no catcalling on the streets and people here are very polite. There’s not a lot of night life but people can get home late no issues with safety.
Posted: January 19, 2025Kigali
Kigali is quite safe that I've gotten too used to walking alone at night, but I've been sexually harassed on public transport in the day once. Aside from that, the crime rate is very low, and it's a very safe country to live in compared to many other African countries.
Posted: December 31, 2024Safety in Rwanda
