Kigali

Kigali is Rwanda's capital and one of Africa's cleanest, safest and most welcoming cities — a calm, green metropolis spread across a series of ridges and valleys that serves as the gateway to the country's gorillas and rainforests. Compact and beautifully organised, it is most travellers' first impression of Rwanda, and a half-day here is genuinely moving and worthwhile: the Kigali Genocide Memorial offers essential context to the country's remarkable recovery, while thriving coffee houses, craft markets, galleries and restaurants reflect a confident, forward-looking nation. With Volcanoes National Park two to three hours north, Kigali makes a polished start and finish to any Rwandan journey.