Gorilla trekking, Volcanoes National Park. Tracking mountain gorillas through bamboo forest at altitude is one of Africa's great experiences. Only 96 permits are issued per day, at $1,500 each — book months in advance through the Rwanda Development Board. The park is about two and a half hours from Kigali.
Kigali Genocide Memorial. The memorial in the Gisozi neighbourhood of Kigali holds the remains of over 250,000 victims and contains an unflinching exhibition on the genocide and its causes. It is painful to visit and necessary.
Genocide memorials in the countryside. The memorials at Nyamata and Ntarama — churches where thousands were killed — and the Murambi Genocide Memorial near Gikongoro offer a more intimate, locally rooted understanding of what happened in 1994. None of them should be missed if you are trying to understand Rwanda.
Nyungwe National Park. The southwest holds one of the largest montane rainforests in Africa. Chimpanzee tracking is the main draw, though the forest is also home to 13 primate species, over 300 bird species, and a canopy walkway above the treetops. The hiking is serious but rewarding.
Akagera National Park. The rolling savanna and lakeland of eastern Rwanda supports elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, zebra, and — since reintroduction — lion and rhino. Less visited than the parks of Kenya or Tanzania, Akagera rewards early risers with genuine wildlife sightings without the crowds.
Lake Kivu. The western border of Rwanda is defined by this enormous lake, shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The towns of Gisenyi (now also called Rubavu) and Cyangugu (Rusizi) sit at its northern and southern ends. The scenery is dramatic, the swimming is safe (it is one of the few Rift Valley lakes without bilharzia), and boat trips to small islands are easily arranged.