Visiting Rwanda from Nigeria (Flights, Visa, Costs & Complete Travel Guide)

As a Nigerian, you can visit Rwanda for up to 30 days without applying for a visa in advance. You’re issued a free visa on arrival when you land, as long as your Nigerian passport is valid for at least 6 months.

Visiting Rwanda from Nigeria can be for tourism, business or transit to other countries and highly suitable for travelers on a budget.

The six basic things you need to visit Rwanda from Nigeria include:

• international passport
• flight ticket
• E-sim
• yellow fever card
• travel cash
• Booked accommodation

You can get cheap round trip flights from Lagos, Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda from NGN 1,300,000 upwards depending on the time of booking to travel date. 

The best time to travel to Rwanda is in April/May for tourists when the weather is very friendly and allows you to explore a number of fun places. 

This article would walk you through how to budget and plan for your next visit to Rwanda from Nigeria including documents required, places to visit and where to stay.

Do Nigerians Need a Visa for Rwanda?

Nigerians don’t need to apply for a Rwandan visa before travelling. As a citizen of an African Union, Commonwealth and Francophonie member country, you’re issued a visa on arrival at no charge, valid for 30 days. 

You only need to apply for a visa if you’re staying longer than 30 days. For visits to several East African countries, you can instead get the East African Tourist Visa, valid 90 days across Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

As a visa free country, visiting Rwanda is a great option for Nigerians looking to build their travel history. 

Documents you need to enter Rwanda

The documents to travel to Rwanda are your valid Nigerian passport, yellow fever card, round trip flight ticket (as proof of return) and proof of funds from at least 500 USD.

Nigerian Passport

Your valid international passport is the primary document required for your Rwanda travel. If your passport happens to be expiring in 6 months time, then it’s best to renew it with the immigration office at least 3 months before your travel.

Yellow fever card

Nigerians visiting Rwanda are expected to have taken their yellow fever vaccination at least one month before their travel date.

This keeps you safe from contacting or spreading the virus during your trip. You can obtain yours from the port health service center in Ikeja, Lagos on the weekdays before 12pm.

Flight ticket

Immigration and security authorities at the airport are usually interested in your purpose for travel and your round trip ticket is an added guarantee that you’ll return to the country after your visit.

In one search, you can select and book your flight from numerous airline options traveling to Rwanda on Flightpadi.com 

Proof of funds

As part of your check-in process, you’ll be asked to show that you have sufficient money to sustain you throughout your visit to Rwanda.

You can exchange your Naira to USD or Rwandan Franc (RF) before your trip or use the available exchanges at the Lagos International Airport. 

E-Sim

This is not a document but for your convenience, you need to have an E-sim before your travel so you don’t lose internet access or break communication with your loved ones at any point.

Different brands offer E-sim services from $19 upwards depending on the data pack you need.

Flights from Nigeria to Rwanda

Airlines with flights from Nigeria to Rwanda include; RwandAir, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Uganda Airlines, Qatar Airways.

Each of these airlines have different layover options, flight duration and prices giving you access to tons of options to pick from.

Some of the things to look out for when selecting a flight is the flight duration. This may not be convenient if you’re carrying a child or your goal is to arrive in Rwanda during the day to avoid night movements.

Another thing to take into consideration for your Lagos to Kigali flight is the number and duration of layovers. These different airlines usually stop midflight at their capitals for layovers that span between 3-23 hours.

Some tourist travelers pick a longer layover time that would allow them explore another visa free country like Kenya for a few hours with Kenya Airways before continuing their trip to Rwanda.

For combo trips like this planned with longer layovers, it’s best to plan and book your flight with Flightpadi. 

How much is a flight from Nigeria to Rwanda?

A flight from Nigeria to Rwanda costs approximately NGN 1,300,000 depending on where you book from (Lagos or Abuja) and the time between booking and flying.

You can book cheap flights to Rwanda at least 30 days ahead of your trip. Flying from Lagos to Rwanda is also a lot cheaper than flying from Abuja.

This is because there are limited airlines and a one-way ticket from Abuja to Rwanda costs the round trip price of traveling from Lagos to Rwanda.

If you’re in Abuja, it’s still cheaper to book your local flight to Lagos then fly from Lagos to Rwanda.

The cheapest one way flight ticket from Lagos to Rwanda is approximately NGN 650,000 and a round trip fare price is approximately NGN 1,300,000.

You can book your flight directly on the airline’s website or with Flightpadi as this allows you to save time on comparing the best flight options and enjoy assisted flight booking services throughout your trip.

How long is the flight? (Lagos to Kigali)

Flight from Lagos to Kigali takes between 5 to 32 hours long depending on your preferred airline and the duration of layovers.

There is only one direct flight with RwandAir which is the fastest option and the rest has layovers for different time ranges.

The different airlines and their layover stops include; Kenya Airways at Nairobi, Ethiopia Airlines for Addis Ababa, Uganda Airlines for Entebbe, Qatar Airways for Doha.

Some airlines have more than one layover too like Egyptair with layovers at Cairo and Addis Ababa. The duration of layover each airline has determines if you would get to explore that capital city before continuing to Rwanda.

However, this is not compulsory as some places would require a transit visa which may not be worth the stress and as such you can wait out your layover period at the airport lounge. 

How to find & book cheap flights from Lagos to Kigali

Here’s a step by step guide on how to book cheap flights from Lagos to Kigali:

• Visit Flightpadi.com

• Enter your Routes, Lagos to Kigali including your departure and return dates. This is equally where you include the number of travelers if it’s not a solo trip

• You also have the option to use the Whatsapp feature. Flightpadi’s Ava assists you with searching all available flights to Kigali and booking your preferred option(s).
• The moment you click on Ask Ava, you’ll be directed straight to your Whatsapp to complete your flight booking process.
• The Whatsapp feature is highly suitable if you have questions to ask regarding your trip. You’ll get detailed follow-up and responses regarding your trip.

• In less than 60 seconds, you’ll get a comprehensive list of all the airlines going from Lagos to Rwanda with their flight time, layover options and prices.
• Other features you get to see at the same time is your ticket type (refundable or non-refundable and your baggage allowance).

• After you’ve selected your departure flight, you go ahead and select your return flight. It’s not compulsory to use the same departure flight for your return.
• Selection is purely based on budget and flight time to avoid missing your flight or arriving so late at night.
• This is equally what makes booking your flight on Flightpadi a great option because regardless of the types of airline you book with, you’ll enjoy great customer support if you ever need to contact the airlines you booked with at any point.

• After selecting your return flight, you review your flight details to confirm the dates and time, then go ahead and proceed to payment 

• Here, you fill in your passenger details which includes, name, email address, whatsapp number (for receiving your E-ticket and making further inquiries if any), date of birth and passport details.
• You’ll equally receive the stipulated Padimiles for your completed booking. You’re eligible to receive Miles for every flight you book on any airline for future fare discounts.
• However, Padimiles by Flightpadi stacks yours regardless of any airline you book your flights with on our platform.

• And after successful completion of payment, you’ll receive your flight ticket from Lagos, Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda instantly on your mail and your whatsapp.

How Much Does a Trip to Rwanda Cost?

A trip to Rwanda costs between NGN3,000,000 to NGN5,000,000. This is largely dependent on the duration of your stay in Rwanda and so can exceed this range or be lower than it.

While it’s not recommended to travel with a large sum of money as Rwanda certainly has ATMs, you’re expected to hold between $500 to $1,000 when traveling.

This would at least allow you to settle in properly and pay for your feeding, transport and accommodation for the first 3 days. 

We’ll walk you through your first 24 hours in Kigali and what each stage costs. This would help you approximate your spending with the duration of your stay.

These prices are based on our personal Rwanda experience and so may have been adjusted over time and so should not be taken as it is. 

Daily budget: food, transport, data

Here’s a budget breakdown of visits to Rwanda before and after your flight. 

If you’re yet to obtain your International passport, the price for it varies based on your location and how many page passports it will be (32/64 pages).

Getting one ranges from NGN 200,000 upwards. The yellow fever vaccination costs less than NGN 10,000 and getting an E-Sim with 1gb data costs $19.

You can use the exchange rate options at the airport terminal to change your Naira to Dollars after comparing 2-3 options there.

While you’re traveling to Rwanda, changing your money to dollars is basic as it’s a widely accepted currency which you can use to make purchases during your layover while in the terminal or duty free shopping inside the aircraft. 

You’re also expected to have made at least one night booking for your accommodation before traveling. This costs around $70 and can be reserved on platforms like booking.com. 

While your accommodation can be catered for in USD, you’ll need to make payments for local purchases like food with Rwandan Franc (RF).

Just at the exit of the airport, you’ll be able to use their exchange points to get Rwandan Franc (RF). At that same spot, you can also purchase a local Sim card with access to unlimited data throughout your stay in Rwanda. 

There’s no doubt that you’ll be hungry as soon as you land. Luckily, the Kigali International Airport is located at the heart of the town. You can take a straight 5 minute walk outside the airport premises to a local restaurant.

There, you can find drinks and foods like their popular Ubugali (their fufu and bean soup), rice, chicken, chips, and snacks like Samosa (didn’t particularly enjoy this one though), etc. Feeding costs around 1,500 to 3,000 Rwandan Franc (RF). 

Where to stay — hotels in Kigali

If you’ll be arriving in Rwanda very late at night, they have great accommodation 3 minutes away from the airport. Airgo Residence in Kigali has a nice space with great interiors too. And since it’s a short walk from the airport, it does not require any form of local transportation. 

As soon as you confirm your reservation with them, you can maintain communication with them via WhatsApp when you arrive in Kigali and have them come pick you from the airport to their residence.

This is very helpful as most Rwandan motorists are not predominantly English speakers and may get confused and take you to a different spot. However, with their assistance, you can rest comfortably for the night and get possible directions for exploring Rwanda as well. 

The accommodation payment is completed as soon as you get there and requires only your passport for documentation. 

What to Know Before You Go

Rwanda is safe for Nigerians and everyone is very accommodating too. If your visit to Rwanda is for tourist purposes, you’ll be using their bikes mostly for transportation of which most of their riders are not predominantly English speakers.

This would require a lot of patience from you till you find a rider that you can easily communicate with as it’ll save you from a lot of stress. 

If you’re visiting Rwanda during your first layover, arrange your 6kg carry-on luggage to fit in extra clothes and underwear, toiletries and makeup.

Don’t forget that items like liquid soap and cream should be transferred into a small plastic bottle if they’ll be in your carry-on luggage. Only carry your perfume/deodorant in the same carry-on bag if altogether, they’re less than 100mls.

Your baggage allowance of 46kg (23 kg each) means that you can’t pack up the full 46kg in one box. Each of your luggage must weigh 23kg or less or you’ll be asked to drop some items at the airport or pay for extra luggage. 

If you’re very picky with food, you may need to pack up some snacks for your trip and if you’re a core Nigerian that loves peppery dishes, you may need to carry your suya spice. Though you can always request for their pepper shaker when your meals are served. 

The value of the Rwandan Franc (RF) is almost the same as our Naira. This would help you have a mental picture of the cost of things when shopping. 

Getting around Kigali

The first rule to safely get around Kigali is to know the exact names of places you’re going to so the motorcyclists or your rider don’t confuse locations.

A typical example is this popular fun spot, Fazenda Sengha which someone who’s trying to address it in a simpler term would refer to as Mount Kigali (It’s kinda sitting on a hill though), but so are other structures in the city.

Your cyclist may end up driving you to the gate of Kigali university instead of the fun spot Fazenda Sengha, and so you must always confirm the popular name of any spot you’re going to and communicate it clearly. 

Things to Do in Rwanda

Rwanda packs in far more than you’d expect for a short trip. In Kigali alone you can spend a full day ziplining, go-karting and watching the sunset from the rooftop at Fazenda Sengha.

Beyond the city, there’s a boat cruise and hot springs on Lake Kivu, and the once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park. Whether you’ve got 24 hours or a full week, there’s something for every kind of traveller.

We’ve pulled all of it, the top attractions, what each one costs, and ready-made 1, 3 and 5-day itineraries into this dedicated guide: 15 Best Things to Do in Rwanda.

Frequently Asked Questions