Kigali · Rwanda
February
Long rainy season begins — gorilla trekking possible but increasingly challenging.
Strong option
#7 of 12 months
There are better months for Kigali — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
26°C
Low
16°C
Rain
98mm
Sun
6.1hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How February scores in Kigali
Weather
Good
Value
Very good
Crowds
Good
Events
Average
Atmosphere
Good
What you gain in February
- ↑February marks the transition into the long rainy season, but the rains are not yet consistent: clear mornings followed by afternoon showers are common. Morning gorilla treks (which always begin at 7am from Kinigi headquarters) often avoid the worst of the rain, making trekking feasible for the persistent.
- ↑Accommodation prices at lodges near Volcanoes National Park — including Bisate Lodge and One&Only Gorilla's Nest — begin to ease slightly compared to peak season. February is a cost-effective window for luxury Rwanda experiences.
What you sacrifice
- ↓The long rainy season (February–May) transforms the Volcanoes National Park trails from challenging to genuinely difficult. Rain gear is essential, boots will be mud-caked within minutes, and the steep volcanic flanks become treacherous. The gorilla trek experience is authentic but physically demanding in a different way than the dry season.
- ↓Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe becomes harder as the forest floor turns to mud and chimps range more unpredictably. The canopy walk can close during heavy rain events.
How February compares to June (best month)
| Factor | February | June ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 7 | 5 |
| Crowds | 6 | 4 |
February in other destinations
Lisbon (14.3°C)Barcelona (14°C)Tokyo (10.4°C)Bali (30.1°C)Santorini (13.2°C)Paris (8°C)New York (4.5°C)Marrakech (19.1°C)Amsterdam (6°C)Maldives (30.2°C)Rome (11.9°C)Bangkok (33°C)Istanbul (8.6°C)Vienna (4.9°C)Seoul (4°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (31°C)Kyoto (10.1°C)Phuket (32.1°C)Cape Town (26.9°C)Prague (4°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (23°C)Medellín (29°C)Fiji (31°C)London (9°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (3°C)Tulum (29°C)Dubai (26°C)Singapore (31°C)Hoi An (26°C)Chiang Mai (31.5°C)Miami (24.8°C)Florence (11.4°C)Queenstown (22.2°C)Madrid (11.2°C)Porto (15°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (6°C)Kraków (4°C)Tbilisi (8°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (19°C)Osaka (10°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (26°C)Cancun (29°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (17°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (27°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (29°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (20°C)Jordan (13°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.3°C)Cairo (21.2°C)Kenya (28°C)Jaipur (25.1°C)Las Vegas (17.2°C)San Francisco (14°C)Madeira (19.8°C)Vancouver (8.4°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (27°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (6.5°C)Penang (32.2°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (25.8°C)Fez (15.8°C)Kerala (32°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (0°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Kigali, not across destinations. Methodology →