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Gisenyi

File:GisenyiBeach.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ830631· pop 40· linked from 158 articles

Also known as Gisenyi, Rwanda, city of rubavu

Gisenyi, historically rendered as Kisenyi, is the second largest city in Rwanda, located in the Rubavu district in Rwanda's Western Province. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma as it was formerly also part of now Democratic Republic of the Congo, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Place details

Locality
Gisenyi
Region
Western Province
Country
Rwanda
Population
172,357
Timezone
Africa/Kigali

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

82US AQIModerate
PM2.5
36.7 µg/m³
PM10
37.0 µg/m³
As of 2026-08-13 06:00 · Open-Meteo

Key facts

Settlement.official_name
Gisenyi
Settlement.other_name
Rubavu
Settlement.settlement_type
City
Settlement.image_skyline
GisenyiBeach.jpg
Settlement.imagesize
300px
Settlement.image_caption
Lake Kivu beach at Gisenyi
Settlement.pushpin_map
Rwanda
Settlement.pushpin_label_position
bottom
Settlement.pushpin_mapsize
300
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
Location in Rwanda
Settlement.subdivision_type
Country
Settlement.subdivision_name
25px Rwanda
Settlement.subdivision_type1
Admin. Province
Settlement.subdivision_name1
Western Province
Settlement.subdivision_type2
District
Settlement.subdivision_name2
Rubavu
Settlement.leader_title
Mayor
Settlement.area_total_km2
11

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
border city
Official name
Гисеньи
Country
Rwanda
Population
53603
Elevation
1481
Time zone
UTC+02:00
Image
The streets of Rubavu-Gisenyi.jpg
Show 3 more facts
Commons category
Gisenyi
native label
Gisenyi
Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

Travel guide

Understand

Gisenyi is a town on the north shore of Lake Kivu on the border with DR Congo (Goma) Gisenyi is coterminous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Get in

Buses run two times an hour between Kigali and Gisenyi 3 hours. and at least once a day between Kibuye and Gisenyi.it is said to have about 546,683 inhabitants(2022).It is famous for hosting the Lake Kivu

Kampala Coach has a bus to Kampala Uganda. 14 hours.

Get around

Gisenyi is a small town and can easily be gotten around on foot, alternatively there are hundreds of Motorbike Taxis around.

Do

Situated on the north of Lake Kivu, it also offers many opportunities for water sports or for excursions on the lake.

Gisenyi town features a resort on the shores of Lake Kivu, with best hotels and biggest sandy beaches. The area is also known for water sports. The northern shore of the lake on which Goma and Gisenyi lie is a flat plain featuring lava formations from the eruptions of nearby Nyiragongo Volcano.

Wildlife Tours, Gorilla Trekking, Historical & Cultural, Village visits, Volunteer, Walking & Trekking, Kayaking & Boat trip, Community based Tours, Sightseeing Tours.

Go next

Gisenyi is right on the border with DR Congo and you can easily walk there, most nationalities can get an 8 day Congolese visa at the border for $35. Plane trips can be made from here to view the Nyiragongo volcano craters.

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~3 min read

Encyclopedic overview

4 sections
Contents
  • Overview
  • Education
  • Climate
  • References

{{Infobox settlement

|official_name = Gisenyi |other_name =Rubavu |native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = City |motto =

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Gisenyi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (9)

On the map

5 mapped locations