What Is the Best Time to Go to Rwanda?
Rwanda sits almost exactly on the equator, which means the temperature stays relatively consistent throughout the year. You are not choosing between hot and cold seasons the way you might in a more temperate country.
What you are choosing between is wet and dry, and that distinction matters considerably more in Rwanda than temperature does, particularly if gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is the main reason for your visit.
The country has two dry seasons and two wet seasons. The long dry season runs from June to September. The short dry season covers mid-December through February. Between these windows, the long rains run roughly from March to mid-May and the short rains from October through mid-December.
Each of these periods has a different character and a different set of trade-offs, and the right time to visit Rwanda depends on what you are coming for, what kind of trekking conditions you can manage, and what your budget looks like.
Understanding Rwanda's Climate
Daytime temperatures across the main tourist areas, Kigali, Musanze near Volcanoes National Park, and the Lake Kivu shore, typically range from around 20 to 26 degrees Celsius year-round.
Evenings and early mornings are considerably cooler, particularly at altitude. Volcanoes National Park, where gorilla trekking takes place, sits at between 2,400 and 4,500 metres. Nights there can drop to 6 degrees Celsius, and some mornings the briefing point at Kinigi is cold enough that lodge fireplaces and an extra fleece are not optional. This is worth knowing before you pack.
Annual rainfall at Volcanoes National Park averages nearly 2,000 millimeters, most of which falls in the long rainy season from March to May and the shorter burst from October to November. Even during the dry season, the park receives some rain and can be misty and overcast. You are trekking through a rainforest. The forest is wet because that is what it is, and this does not change meaningfully regardless of the season.
What the dry season offers is drier trails, a lower baseline of daily rainfall, and better odds that your trek day does not coincide with a heavy downpour. It does not offer a guarantee of sunshine.
June to September — The Long Dry Season
The long dry season is the most popular time to visit Rwanda, and it is the period that most safari operators refer to when they say the best time to go. From June through to early September, rainfall drops significantly across the country, trail conditions in Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe Forest are at their most manageable.
June
June is the start of the long dry season and still relatively quiet in terms of visitor numbers compared to the peak summer months. It is a good compromise month: conditions are improving, permits are slightly easier to secure than in July and August, and accommodation near Volcanoes National Park is available with more notice. For visitors who want good trekking conditions without the peak season crowds, June is one of the better choices in the dry season window.
July and August — Peak Season
July and August are Rwanda’s busiest months. Permits for gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park sell out months in advance for these two months, often twelve months or more for the most popular families and lodges. Accommodation near the park fills at the same time. If you want to visit Rwanda in July or August, booking a year ahead is not an exaggeration. The trade-off is that these months offer the most reliable trekking conditions of the year. Trails are as dry as they get in a tropical forest.
September
September remains part of the dry season for most of the month, though rainfall begins to increase toward the end as the short rains approach. It is a slightly quieter month than July and August, which makes permits and accommodation marginally easier to book closer to the date. A significant event takes place in Musanze in September: Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming ceremony.
December to February — The Short Dry Season
December
Mid-December marks the return of dry conditions after the short rains of October and November. The second half of December is a good time to visit Rwanda: trail conditions have recovered from the rains, the country is green from the recent wet period but the paths are firming up, and the week between Christmas and New Year has a warm, celebratory atmosphere in Kigali and at the lodges near Volcanoes.
January
January is one of the best months to visit Rwanda and is consistently underrated. Conditions are dry, trails in both Volcanoes and Nyungwe are in good shape, visitor numbers are lower than the summer peak, and the new year period sees a relatively calm atmosphere across the country. Prices at many lodges are lower than in the June to September period.
February
February continues the short dry season and is similar in character to January. Daytime temperatures across the main tourist areas are warm and comfortable, and evenings at altitude remain cool.
March to May — The Long Rains
The long rainy season runs from around mid-March through to mid-May, with April marking the peak rainfall period across the country. Average rainfall in April at Volcanoes National Park reaches around 186 millimeters for the month, which is the highest of any month in the year. The trails become muddy, the forest paths get slippery in places, and some of Rwanda’s unpaved roads become difficult for standard vehicles.
March
March is a transitional month. The first half is often still relatively dry, and the second half sees rainfall increasing noticeably. For budget-conscious visitors who want reasonably good trekking conditions at lower cost, early March is a window worth considering.
April
April is the wettest month in Rwanda and the hardest time to trek. Trails in Volcanoes National Park are at their muddiest, rainfall can be persistent rather than in short bursts, and the atmosphere in the country carries a particular weight: 7 April is the National Day of Remembrance for the 1994 genocide, and Rwanda as a whole is subdued through much of the month. Lodge prices are at their lowest, gorilla permits are available with less advance notice, and visitor numbers are at the year’s minimum.
May
May sees rainfall starting to ease toward the end of the month as the long rains wind down. The forest is at its most intensely green, and Volcanoes National Park in particular takes on a deep, lush character that the dry season cannot match. Birdwatching is excellent in May: resident species are in breeding plumage and the forest activity in the mornings is considerable.
October and November — The Short Rains
The short rainy season brings rainfall between October and mid-December, though with considerably less intensity than the long rains of March to May. Showers typically arrive in the afternoon or evening rather than settling in for the whole day, and mornings are often clear.
For gorilla trekking, the short rains make trail conditions more challenging but the experience itself remains possible and rewarding.
Many experienced visitors actually prefer October or November for their combination of lower prices, available permits, a lush forest environment, and the shorter treks that sometimes result from gorillas ranging at lower altitudes.
October is also a good month for Nyungwe Forest, where the short rains bring breeding bird activity that adds significantly to the already strong resident bird list. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe is available year-round and is not meaningfully disrupted by the short rains beyond muddy trail sections. For visitors combining Nyungwe, Volcanoes, and Akagera in a ten-day circuit, October is a reasonable choice that avoids peak season prices without the full intensity of the long rains.
Best Time to Visit Rwanda by Activity
Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is done all year-round. The permit system operates twelve months with no off-season closure. The practical difference between seasons is the trail conditions and the length of the trek rather than the likelihood of finding the gorillas, which is consistently high across all months given that habituated families are tracked daily by park rangers.
For the easiest physical conditions, June through September and January through February are the best windows. For lower costs and shorter treks due to gorillas ranging at lower elevations, consider March, May, October, or November with appropriate footwear and a porter.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe
Nyungwe Forest is excellent year-round, but the dry season months of June to September make the trails considerably more manageable. The wet season brings heavy mist and persistent rain to the forest, which adds atmosphere but creates physically demanding conditions on the steep paths.
The canopy walk is also better in the dry season when visibility from the suspended bridge is clearest.
Nyungwe birdwatching is genuinely good in all months, with October to April providing breeding activity and migrant species.
Akagera National Park
Akagera is Rwanda’s savannah park in the east, and it behaves more like a traditional game viewing destination in terms of season timing.
The dry season, June through September, is when wildlife concentrates around the park’s permanent lakes and the game viewing is most consistent. Vegetation is lower, animals are more visible, and boat safaris on Lake Ihema produce the best conditions for shoebill sightings.
The wet season brings tall grass that makes spotting smaller animals harder, but large mammals including lion, elephant, and rhino are visible regardless.
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