Cultural Tours experience in Rwanda

Cultural Tours in Rwanda, Do you know one of the things that make Rwanda a unique country? Cultural tours are one of those exceptional tours not to miss out while in Rwanda. Whether you are seeking for a unique travel experience, the Rwanda cultural tours are an excellent choice. Rich in customs and culture, this stunning nation in East Africa has an intriguing past. There is a lot to see and do, from touring Rwanda’s rural villages and discovering the habits and beliefs of the residents to touring the museums or to various places of interest.

Through Rwanda’s cultural excursions, visitors may experience firsthand the vivid spirit of the nation’s rich history, customs, and resiliency.

A cultural tour gives you the opportunity to get to know local people, learn about their distinctive lifestyles, and become fully immersed in Rwanda’s dynamic, living past.

What to Expect On a Cultural Tours in Rwanda ?

While on your Rwanda cultural tour, you will have an immersive encounter in to the Rwanda’s cultural heritage and norms. You will be able to meet up with the locals, learn about their customs, and also discover how they do their life of living.

A cultural tour in Rwanda allows you to visit various cultural destinations such as museums, cultural villages and many more.

Things to Expect While on A cultural Tour in Rwanda

Taking part in Cultural Performances

Rwanda is known for its music and dance. An opportunity to witness this firsthand and discover the true meaning behind the songs and dances is to attend a cultural performance.

Visiting Traditional Villages

While on the Rwanda cultural tours, a visit to a traditional Rwandan village is an opportunity to learn about the country’s customs and beliefs. You’ll have the chance to interact with locals and witness their daily routines.

Gorilla Trekking

Different tourists tend to combine their gorilla trekking adventures with a cultural tour at the end. A cultural tour can be done by visting Ibyiwachu cultural village to learn as well as explore the Rwandan culture.  At Ibiwachu you will have to interact with the locals, see them sing, dance various local dances and also see various local artisans.

Where to go for your Cultural tours in Rwanda

Visiting Ibyiwachu Cultural Village

The Iby’iwacu cultural Centre is designed to offer many interesting learning activities while at the same time allowing visitors to relax and get a feel of the local culture. Often referred to as the gorilla guardian village, the area is an ideal place for exploring Rwanda’s culture. Visitors are usually welcomed by loud dancing and drumming at the main gate which is only an indicator of the many great activities forthcoming such as

Home visits and community walks in Ibiwachu

The best approach to comprehend the diversity of humanity is to engage with, share, and generally immerse oneself in the cultures of a particular group. Visitors to the Gorilla Guardians Village get excellent possibilities to comprehend the distinctiveness of Kinyarwanda culture and tradition by taking part in home visits and community excursions.

While on your home visit at Ibyiwachu, you have chances of sitting next to the residents in their traditional dwellings and grass-thatched shelters. You can interact with the elders as they tell you stories and provide you with information about Rwanda’s rich history and traditions as you sit down. You will get the chance to see the nearby vegetable and banana plantations. You might even learn how to create fine millet flour with a special grinding stone or how to prepare one of the traditional dishes.

Visiting The King Palace in Nyanza

Enjoy a memorable and enriching experience while you embark on a cultural visit at the Kings palace in Nyanza. In the past years, Nyanza used to be the center of Rwanda. This is where the genocide war sparked off due to conflicts and power struggles. After much relocation, the monarchy ultimately decided to establish the court at Nyanza. In huts built with similar methods, up to 2,000 people resided in the capital of the kingdom.

Today you can see a few of the long-horned (Inyambo cattle), from the king’s herd, are kept and tended to by professional cattle keepers who care and sing to them in order to preserve the special tradition.  During your visit, you will be able to have close encounter with them, touch their horns and many more.

The exquisite cows, who were part of the larger Ankole breed, were very significant in the king’s honor ceremonies. They received education and had expensive jewerly on them.

Some of the things to enjoy while at Nyanza include walking around on guided tours with knowledgeable locals giving you detailed information about the traditional people of Rwanda. It involves sharing various historical facts, oral traditions and many more.

Visiting Various Genocide Centers

Kigali Various Genocide Center

This is one of the genocide centres that is located with in the capital city of Kigali. The place is just a 10 minutes drive from the city centre in Gishozi. The place is the final resting place for over 250,000 Rwandans who were killed during the 1994 war.

While at this genocide centre you will be able to see different things including the personal belongings of the victims, reconciliation notes, genocide perpetrators and also photographs. However, at this place you can still look at the photographs or read about the information concerning other genocides that happened around the world. The Kigali genocide centre is divided in to  many sectors such as the children’s memorial centre, education center, memorial gardens, National documentation, memorial gardens and many others but all describe the 1994 massive war.

The place has also got gardens that have different mass graves where those who lost their loved ones plus the survivors can come and reconnect.

Further more genocide centres help to teach people about the goodness of reconciliation.

Murambi Genocide Memorial Center

This genocide centre is positioned in the southern parts of Rwanda in Murambi town. This is one of the six national genocide memorial sites that are found in the land of a thousand hills.  The genocide memorial center was established on 21st April 1995 in remembrance of the 1994 genocide and also to recall the victims of the war. This centre at first it was a technical school though during 1994 it was a death center for over 5000 Tutsi. Many Tutsis who were busy seeking for help and rescue were killed from this area.

Upon your arrival at this genocide center, you will be given information about what rally transpired while in Rwanda and also see live examples of its effects. You will know the goodness of reconciliation and also peace plus unity.   Today the genocide aims at contributing to the country’s efforts to remember and learn more from its past.

Nyamata Genocide memorial Center

This genocide centre before it was a church. It is found in Bugesera and it has over 25000 victims who were killed from here. Many Tutsis were killed mercilessly from this place by the Hutu.

While at this area you will be able to see many things including the clothing of the victims and also the national Ids and still outside the church there are massive graves for the victims.

Ntarama Genocide Memorial

This genocide Centre is situated in Ntarama and is approximately 30km from Kigali Rwanda’s capital. Ntarama genocide centre today serves as one of those memorials that were established to honour the victims of the 1994 war.

Many Tutsis were running seeking for help and safety but to their surprise the church just turned into a trap for them to die. The church was always taken as one of the safest places during the times of the genocide but this time it was to their surprise that they were murdered. The Interahamwe made an ambush to them and over 5000 people died inside from this church.

Some of the things to see at this memorial centre include the human remains of the victims, clothing of the victims stained with blood. The walls still have marks of the victims, the holes still have bullets covering the ceiling too, the altar cloths still have stained blood and many others.

At Ntarama genocide center you will see many graves out side the church, clothes of the victims plus their identity cards. These identity cards today help tourists to identify the victims are either Tutsi or Hutu.

Ntarama genocide memorial centre shows the effects of how brutal the genocide was and it still depicts the goodness in emphasing the need for peace, reconciliation to prevent future aggressions.

Bisesero Genocide Memorial Site

This genocide centre is located in the western parts of Rwanda. This place shows the massive massacre of people who were killed in the hills of Bisesero.

During the genocide periods, Bisesero acted as a focal point by the Tutsi to hide from the Hutu. Despite the fact that they decided to defend themselves the Hutu went on making attacks and also killing people.

Today the place has many graves that contain historical information about them. The place serves as an education, and a form of remembrance to the unforgettable 1994 war.

Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial Center

Nyarubuye genocide centre is located in the eastern parts of Rwanda in kibungo town. It is found at a church where more than 1000 Tutsi that were seeking for refugee were greatly killed. Upon the commencement of the genocide, many Tutsis were afraid and were busy setting plans of how they can be safe. They decided to run to Nyarubuye village and when they reached, every one was looking for a safe place to hide such as the churches. However, to their surprise the local community just collaborated with the Hutu and many Tutsis were killed. The Tutsi were massively killed and it is said that only 18 people survived.

The church walls still bare marks, stains of blood that serve as examples while educating the visitors the 1994 war. It also has a sector which harbours some of the weapons that were used to kill people and how attacks were organised.

Today this genocide and others in Rwanda ensure that people learn lessons about what really transpired in the war of 1994 in order to control such atrocities from happening in the future times.

Visiting  Craft Center

Another way of experiencing the Rwandan culture is visting various craft centres with in the land of thousand hills. You can pay a visit at Nyakarambi village, where see various crafts painted with Imigongo (cow dung). Some of the other crafts to see with in still in Rwanda include weaving baskets, mats and many more. Rwanda still stands out as an incredible area for discovering more about culture due to its rich cultural heritage.

Taking  Part in the Umuganda Ceremony

This is part of the traditional community services that happens in Rwanda every last Saturday of each month and it involves mainly fostering community development. The word Umuganda refers to coming together and achieving a common objective.

Umuganda involves cleaning various areas and streets in Rwanda thus improving sanitation and hygiene. Further more, Umuganda involves promoting environmental protection, through planting new trees.