Kigali
Car rental in Kigali
Self-drive and chauffeur hire in Kigali and across Rwanda, booked in a WhatsApp message and delivered where you are.
Kigali is the easiest city in the region to drive in. The roads are good, the signage is real, traffic is orderly and nothing is very far from anything else. What it is, is hilly — the city runs over a series of ridges, and the short hop between two of them is a climb.
Zuruflex rents across Kigali and out to the rest of the country. Collect from a branch, or give us an address in Nyarutarama, Kacyiru, Kimihurura, Remera or the city centre and we will bring it.
Driving in Kigali
Hills, not distance
Nowhere in the city is far, but almost everything involves a gradient. A small engine will feel small; it is the one thing worth spending up for.
Motos are the traffic
Moto-taxis are most of what moves and they filter constantly. Mirror before every manoeuvre and give them room.
Rules are enforced
Speed limits, seat belts and no phone at the wheel are policed properly, with cameras. Fines against the car during your hire are passed on to you.
Umuganda
On the last Saturday of each month, community work runs from about 08:00 to 11:00 and non-essential traffic stops. Plan pick-ups and airport runs around it.
Where people take them
Around the city
Kacyiru and Kimihurura for offices, Nyamirambo and the centre for everything else. Parking is easy and largely free.
Volcanoes and Musanze
Two hours north on tarmac the whole way. The standard gorilla-trekking run, and the trip we rent most 4x4s for.
Lake Kivu and Nyungwe
Three hours west to Rubavu, five or six south-west to Nyungwe. Mountain roads, long days, worth a driver.
Renting in Kigali — questions
Do I need an international driving permit?
A national licence is generally accepted for a short visit and an international permit alongside it is safer. Tell us what you hold and we will confirm before you fly.
Can I drive to Uganda or Tanzania?
Not without arranging it first — cross-border needs paperwork on the vehicle and the insurance extended. Ask well before the trip and we will tell you what is possible.
Which side of the road?
The right. Steering wheels are on the left.
Do I need a 4x4?
Not for the city or for Musanze, both of which are tarmac. For Nyungwe, Akagera or anything unsealed in the rains, yes.
One message and you are driving.
Tell us the dates. We will tell you what is free and what it costs.