City & Town in Rwanda
Ethnographic Museum and the university town
Huye, once called Butare, is Rwanda's university town and its intellectual heart. It sits on the main road from Kigali to Nyungwe, and it makes a good stop to break the journey.
The Ethnographic Museum on the edge of town is one of the best in East Africa, with fine displays on traditional Rwandan life, crafts, kingship and history. The town itself is relaxed and green, with the university campus, a large cathedral and coffee cooperatives in the surrounding hills.
Rolling green hills, eucalyptus groves and tea and coffee plantations around the town, with the Nyungwe forest further to the south-west.
Activities here
Huye has a mild climate, with daytime temperatures of around 22 to 26°C and cool evenings. The long rains fall from March to May and the short rains from October to November.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 15 | 110 |
| Feb | 25 | 15 | 110 |
| Mar | 25 | 15 | 150 |
| Apr | 24 | 15 | 170 |
| May | 24 | 15 | 100 |
| Jun | 25 | 14 | 20 |
| Jul | 26 | 13 | 10 |
| Aug | 27 | 14 | 40 |
| Sep | 26 | 15 | 90 |
| Oct | 25 | 15 | 120 |
| Nov | 24 | 15 | 140 |
| Dec | 24 | 15 | 120 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
The long dry season runs from June to September, with a shorter, less reliable dry spell from December to February. Days are sunny and warm, around 25 to 27°C, with cool evenings, and the coffee hills are dry and dusty by August.
The long rains fall from March to May, with April usually the wettest month, and the short rains from October to November. Showers usually fall in the afternoon, and the hills are at their greenest.
Huye can be visited at any time of year. It fits most naturally into a journey to or from Nyungwe.
Best time to visit Jan to Feb, Jun to Sep
Huye is about 2.5 to 3 hours by road from Kigali, and about 2.5 to 3 hours from Nyungwe. Nyanza is about 45 minutes away on the same road.
No permit is needed to visit Huye. Please see the Rwanda page for visa details.
Huye is a university town with a local hospital and clinics. Drink bottled or filtered water. Please take medical advice on vaccinations before you travel.
National ParkVolcanoes National ParkMountain gorillas in the Virungas
National ParkNyungwe National ParkChimpanzees and the canopy walkway
National ParkAkagera National ParkRwanda’s Big Five savannah
National ParkGishwati-Mukura National ParkRwanda’s restored rainforest
Lake & IslandsLake KivuLakeshore rest between treksLake & IslandsTwin Lakes Burera & RuhondoQuiet lakes below the volcanoesOur take
“Break the journey”
We almost always stop in Huye on the road to Nyungwe. A couple of hours in the Ethnographic Museum and lunch in town turn a long drive into two easy halves. Our guides are good at bringing the museum's exhibits to life with stories of their own families.
Plan your time in Huye
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