Kigali is the capital city of Rwanda roughly in the center of the country. It sprawls across numerous hills ridges, valleys and has vibrant restaurants and nightlife scenes. Despite of its tropical location, Kigali has a moderate high-altitude climate, sheltering it from the sweltering heat of the surrounding areas. The city is a convenient distance away from popular tourist sites and houses the Kigali International Airport hence making it the ideal entryway into the country.
Although Kigali is located in the heart of Rwanda, it has a temperate climate with a good amount of rainfall.
Temperatures may vary slightly based on the seasonal months. Year-round temperatures in Kigali range from daytime highs between 25 °C and 27 °C (77F to 81F) and evening lows of 14 °C to 16 °C (57F to 61F). April through June are the coolest months while visitors who opt to travel between June, July, August and September are likely to experience warmer and drier weather in Kigali and thus those are the best months to visit the city since the roads to most the tourist attractions like the Kigali genocide memorial center are not muddy and slippery.
Though June, July, August and September are the best months to visit the city, but sometimes the right travel time depends on what someone wants to do in Kigali city. More so from the city you can easily take the interesting 01-day Rwanda gorilla trek and this is so common for travelers on short visit to Rwanda and going back home for work or connecting to any other destinations like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for migration safaris respectively.
Like other cities in East Africa, Kigali also experience two wet seasons in the year. The first season is of long rain and it runs from March through May and even sometimes in January and February. The months of October to November experience the short rains with December generally having a bit of rain also.
It does not rain continuously throughout the day during the wet seasons and there are times in Kigali when there is sun also. The hilly areas of Kigali and the countryside have a cooler climate with slight variations compared to the flatter lower altitude regions. It is important to keep in mind that the global climate has been affected by global warming and Africa has been experiencing uneven weather patterns in a year and Kigali always have unexpected weather changes.
Kigali is a hub that serves as an excellent starting point for day excursions. Those who come to Kigali for corporate purposes, meetings or on holiday, there are little chances of being affected by the weather. While the dry season might attract more pleasure-seeking visitors and businesspersons you may spend time here all year round.