Is Gisenyi safe? Rwanda travel risk
Is Gisenyi safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Gisenyi scores 65/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Rwanda Level 3 (Reconsider Travel, updated 4 Jun 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 4 Sep 2026); Canada says: exercise normal security precautions (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Gisenyi scores 65/100 (Elevated). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Rwanda (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Gisenyi: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: security (84/100) and health and medical access (68/100). Governments disagree: US Level 3, UK Level 2, Canada Level 1.
A score of 65 is higher than the scores of 88% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Rwanda travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Geographically located in Western Province (1.7000° S, 29.2500° E), Gisenyi sits 94.4 km ESE from Kigali at 1461 m elevation.
Western Province
1.7000° S, 29.2500° E
1461 m
Africa/Kigali
53,603
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in Rwanda
Climate by Month
Hottest: September (24 °C avg high); Wettest: November (502 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 23° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 22° | 23° | 23° | 24° | 24° | 22° | 22° | 22° |
| Low °C | 19° | 19° | 19° | 18° | 18° | 18° | 19° | 19° | 19° | 18° | 18° | 18° |
| Rain mm | 157 | 198 | 405 | 395 | 124 | 23 | 9 | 24 | 109 | 352 | 502 | 365 |
Normals: Goma (2.9 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Wildfires | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Volcanoes | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Gisenyi happened in January, March, April and November (12 of 18 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Rwanda travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Rwanda entry requirements.
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