How Do You Get Around in Rwanda? Travel Easily with Car Rentals Rwanda
Rwanda is a beautiful, compact country with excellent infrastructure and welcoming communities. Whether you’re visiting for gorilla trekking, a wildlife safari, or cultural discovery, it’s important to know how to get around in Rwanda efficiently. While there are several transportation options available, many travelers choose to rent a car for flexibility, safety, and convenience.
At Car Rentals Rwanda, we help visitors and locals explore the country with ease by offering a reliable fleet of self-drive and chauffeur-driven vehicles. If you want to discover Rwanda at your own pace, car rental is one of the best ways to go.
Common Ways to Get Around in Rwanda
Few key ways travelers typically get around in Rwanda:
1. Private Car Rentals
One of the most popular ways to get around is by renting a vehicle. With Car Rentals Rwanda, you can choose between a compact car for city travel or a rugged 4×4 for national parks and rural routes. Renting a car gives you the freedom to stop where you want, follow your own schedule, and reach remote destinations that public transport can’t.
2. Motorbike Taxis (Motos)
Widely used in cities like Kigali, motos are fast and affordable. However, they’re best for short distances and may not suit travelers with heavy luggage or safety concerns.
3. Public Buses and Minibuses
For budget travelers, local buses are available between cities and towns. They’re inexpensive but often crowded and less reliable in rural areas. They’re not ideal if you plan to visit multiple destinations in one day.
4. Chauffeur-Driven Car Hire
If you’re not comfortable driving yourself, you can hire a car with a driver from Car Rentals Rwanda. This option is perfect for tourists who want stress-free navigation and local knowledge during their trip.
Why Car Rental is the Best Way to Get Around in Rwanda
While all modes of transport have their place, renting a car provides the best balance of comfort, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness—especially if you’re traveling as a couple, group, or family.
Here’s why many visitors choose to get around in Rwanda with Car Rentals Rwanda:
Freedom to explore at your own pace
Access to remote locations like national parks and lakes
Akagera National Park – Home to lions, elephants, and game drives
Nyungwe Forest – Known for chimpanzees and the famous canopy walk
Lake Kivu – Relax along the shores in Gisenyi or Kibuye
Having a car allows you to explore these destinations on your timeline, with the ability to make spontaneous stops and side trips.
Self-Drive or Chauffeur: Your Choice
At Car Rentals Rwanda, you decide how you want to travel. You can drive yourself for full independence, or choose a chauffeur-driven vehicle for convenience and local insights. Our experienced male and female driver-guides are professional, courteous, and knowledgeable about Rwanda’s top attractions and safe routes.
Whether you’re planning a short city trip or a weeklong road tour across the country, we help you get around in Rwanda with peace of mind.
Vehicle Options to Suit Every Journey
Our fleet includes:
Toyota RAV4 4WD – Perfect for couples or solo travelers
Land Cruisers with rooftop tents – Ideal for camping and overland trips
Sedans and compact cars – Efficient and affordable for urban travel
Minivans – Excellent for families or group tours
Every rental includes insurance, 24/7 roadside support, and optional extras like GPS, camping gear, child seats, and travel coolers.
Book Today and Travel with Confidence
Still wondering how to get around in Rwanda? Car Rentals Rwanda offers the perfect solution with flexible rental options, competitive prices, and reliable service. Whether you’re in Kigali for a day or exploring the entire country, we make it easy to go wherever your journey takes you.
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Car Rentals Rwanda – Your trusted partner to get around in Rwanda safely and comfortably.
Joe was incredibly helpful with all our requests. We rented a reliable vehicle, with a rooftop tent and he arranged a car for us with Ugandan plates after we requested this shortly before our trip. He was very fast to response to our questions before and during the rental period. Car rentals Rwanda even helped us get to the airport after our trip, great service!
Response from the owner 16:18 03 Apr 25
We sincerely appreciate your generous feedback. We are delighted to learn that you had a positive experience with Car Rentals Rwanda’s cross-border service to Uganda. It’s our pleasure to provide reliable vehicles and exceptional support throughout your journey. We appreciate your trust and look forward to serving you again on your next adventure in Rwanda or Uganda! Safe travels!
Just amazing service, we took a car for 11 days. Contact on WhatsApp was great, everything was clear we chose self-drive option. Cars are in good or even great condition.
Our car’s fuel pomp broke down (it aslo broke once in my own car, so it happen and there is nothing to worry about) while a trip in Akagera National Park, so quite long way from Kigali, and also we were on Camping in the center of the park, we get new car as replacement in about 5/6 hours, which was even better than previous without any extra costs.
I sincerely recommend this rental company; they didn’t let me down in a difficult situation, which speaks best of them.
Stay safe Guys and thank you once again!
Response from the owner 08:32 19 Mar 25
Thank you, Mateusz, for choosing Car Rentals Rwanda for your trip to Rwanda.
Clean car, easy pick up och drop off, easy to communicate, replies fast and overall a great experience! Really recommend if you are renting a car in Rwanda!
Response from the owner 16:03 13 Mar 25
We sincerely appreciate your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you had a satisfactory experience with our service. Effective communication is paramount to us, and we value your recommendation. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you again in the future.
Excellent service, would highly recommend By far the most professional and punctual rental company I have dealt with since being in Rwanda! Jacob was very knowledgeable and offered assistance/advice about a variety of questions.
Perfect! My plan was to visit Rwanda and Uganda by self driving and so I looked up for a rental company on the internet. I contacted Car Rentals Rwanda and got response to all my questions within minutes or at least the following day. The fares were fair for pick up in Kigali and drop-off in Kampala (4WD Toyota 600$ rent + 150$, very good for Akagera Park) and the car was brought to our hotel to start the adventure. The car was in great condition and for crossing the border all the papers were already prepared so the procedure just took a few minutes (marks on some papers..). Cashless payment was a great option and without any problem. Defninite recommendation and thanks for the great adventure!
The car was in good shape and we drove it from Kigali to Akagera with no problem. Good service and good price. He delivered the car where we wanted to, so very kind.
Response from the owner 12:12 04 Dec 24
We truly appreciate your kind feedback! It's fantastic to hear you had a seamless journey from Kigali to Akagera and enjoyed our service. We look forward to welcoming you back for another amazing adventure in Rwanda or Uganda.
My brother and I rented a car through Joe for just under a week. The process was smooth and easy, with Joe dropping the vehicle to us and also collecting from us which made things so much easier for us. Joe was responsive and easy to communicate with. It was a great experience and highly recommend renting a car through Joe.
Response from the owner 20:48 08 Nov 24
Thank you for choosing Car Rentals Rwanda! We look forward to assisting you on your future travels in Rwanda. Safe journeys, and thank you for the recommendation! Joe
Incredibly friendly, efficient and helpful. Joe was a pleasure to deal with and helped beyond just car rental, helping us with accommodation issues and advice. The car was great for our needs and will definitely use them again. 👍🏼🏆😀
Response from the owner 10:07 24 Sep 24
Thank you so much for choosing us on your Trip in Rwanda
Excellent service and car was delivered to the airport when I was supposed to pick it up...Also I was supposed to use the car till the end of day and when I told the team that I was leaving the next morning at 7am for the airport they allowed me to keep the car without any additional charges...highly recommended to use their service...
We had rented a Prado for 3 weeks in Rwanda and Uganda. Renting the car was easy, same as pick up and return. Since the car was quite old, (>12 years), we had some technical issues. Nevertheless Joe was always easy to reach and all problems were solved. Regarding the sometimes really bad roads, the car did a good job. Overall a recommendable agency!
We really appreciated the services provided by Joe. He is very responsive by WhatsApp and travels to the hotel. The rental cost is competitive compared to the competition. We particularly appreciated the following points: 1) We first rented a Hyundai Santa Fe car and upon our request Joe immediately replaced the front tires. 2) Then, the car having a problem en route, he immediately sent a replacement car (Kia Sorrento model) at night while we were in Musanze (in the north of the country). 3) He agreed to let us have the car for an extra half day at no charge.
7-seater car rented from Joe. Very responsive, efficient, and very accommodating (Car delivered and collected by him) perfect Huyndaye Santa Fe vehicle. All for a very good price. 100% recommended.
We rented two cars, a Prado and a Santa Fe. More than twenty hours of driving with each vehicle. No problem, both vehicles worked perfectly. Joe is very accommodating, available and kind. I can only recommend this agency!
Car Rental Rwanda is a totally legit and serious company. Good cars, honnest price, amazing service. Joe would move mountains to help you if you need it. A relation based on trust, the Rwanda way! We drove with family 11 days around the country, main roads, dust roads, everything. The car provided was perfect! Thank you Joe!
We rented a car for 5 days and experienced outstanding customer service. There were some problems with the car at the beginning, but we were helped as quickly as possible at all times. One Evening in Akagera National Park the car would not turn on and the next morning, we had a replacement car brought from Kigali into the National Park! This car then accompanied us reliably for the remaining days. The handovers were uncomplicated and were where it was most convenient for us. We can highly recommend the car rental company and would rent here again at any time. Thanks for all the effort!
Very professional company. we received the best service with professional, polite and cooperative drivers. excellent condition vehicles for VIPs. the company is amazing and I absolutely recommend.
Fantastic company. Fast responses to messages, reliable and punctual pick up and drop off of the car. Solid car that held up to an intense week of touring around Rwanda, including a few days bumping around Akagera. I would recommend this company happily.
I have rent a car for one week to visit Kigali and other cities in Rwanda. The service is very professional and the cars are in a very good condition. The driver was very fine and have the advantage to be also a guide.
My experience in Rwanda was amazing thanks to this rental company.
I have just rented a car for two weeks, I am extremely satisfied. On the advice of a colleague, I contacted Joe by Whatsapp. The booking process was simple and the car was waiting for us directly outside the airport. Vehicle in good condition!
Great car rental company! The two owners were really kind, responsive and helped us a lot during the whole trip. We could pick up the car at the airport and let it in the rental office our last day. We rented a Toyota Prado, well equipped and appropriate to any Rwandan road. Highly recommended 🙂
Had a fabulous experience with Car Rentals Rwanda, booked from the UK and they were very helpful and communicative about the size of car we would need for our journey. Car was in great condition, and we asked for an exchange for one without a wheel inside, to allow for more luggage space, they immediately came to our hotel to exchange the car for a more appropriate one. Travelled nearly 1000km across the whole of Rwanda without any issues and no extras such as additional mileage. They were waiting for us at the airport before our flight home, and no additional charges for late drop off. Would highly recommend and would definitely use again when visiting Rwanda 🇷🇼
We rented a Toyota RAV4 for almost 3 weeks so that we could tour around all of beautiful Rwanda. The Toyota was delivered in excellent condition to us at our hotel in downtown Kigali. We drove around the entire country and sometime on very rough back roads. The Toyota never let us down. We did have one problem when the battery on the remote key died. We could not get into the car or start it. A phone call back to Car Rentals Rwanda had a service technician at our car very quickly. That was the only problem we ever faced. The owner before our trip, during our trip, and at the end of our trip was always extremely helpful. He even drove us to the airport on two different days because we had different flights. That is certainly going well beyond what we ever expected in terms of service. Should we ever return to beautiful Rwanda there is no doubt that we will rent our vehicle once again from Rwanda Car Rentals. Thank you for a great experience. Philip B.
Car Rentals Rwanda provided us with excellent service. Joe is a great guy to work with. Punctual and he has lots of patience - we had lots of questions about hiring vehicles in Rwanda. The vehicle was clean and in good condition. I can recommend Joe anytime.
