Southern

Southern Province covers the central-southern portion of Rwanda, stretching from the outskirts of Kigali to the border with Burundi. This is the cultural heartland of Rwanda, home to the former royal capital of Nyanza, the National Museum in Butare, and the deeply forested Nyungwe National Park in the southwest. The landscape is a mix of terraced hills, tea plantations, and the mountains of the Congo-Nile divide.

Butare (Huye) is the intellectual and academic centre of Rwanda, home to the National University and the excellent National Museum. Nyanza preserves the royal heritage, while Nyungwe National Park offers some of the best primate tracking and hiking in East Africa.

The dry seasons (June–September and December–February) are best for Nyungwe trekking. Cultural sites in Butare and Nyanza can be visited year-round. Nyungwe can be rainy even in the dry season — pack for wet conditions.

The main road from Kigali to Butare is paved and well maintained (about 2 hours). From Butare, roads branch west to Nyungwe (2 hours) and south to the Burundi border. Buses from Kigali serve Butare, Nyanza, and Muhanga frequently.

• Nyanza — the former royal capital with the King's Palace Museum and Inyambo cows
• Butare — Rwanda's cultural capital with the National Museum and university
• Muhanga — a commercial town at a road junction
• Ruhango — a market town in the central hills
• Nyamagabe — a highland district near Nyungwe Forest
• Gisagara — a southern district near Burundi
• Kamonyi — a district on the road from Kigali to Butare
• Nyaruguru — a southern district near the Burundi border
• Nyungwe National Park — ancient rainforest with chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and a canopy walkway

Butare has several good restaurants serving both Rwandan and international food. The region is known for its tea — the Gisovu and Nyungwe tea plantations are some of Rwanda's finest. Local honey from Nyungwe is a specialty.

The King's Palace in Nyanza is the most important cultural site, with the famous long-horned Inyambo cattle. The National Museum in Butare offers the best overview of Rwandan history and culture. Intore dance troupes perform regularly in Butare.

• Walking through the King's Palace and seeing the Inyambo cattle in Nyanza
• Exploring the National Museum in Butare
• Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park
• The Nyungwe Canopy Walkway — a 70 m-high suspension bridge
• Colobus monkey trekking in Nyungwe
• Tea plantation tours near Nyungwe