“Highly recommended place to stay near Akagera National Park! Exceeded beyond any expectations!!”

Our stay at Rutete Eco Lodge was truly exceptional and one of the most memorable experiences we had in Rwanda. First and foremost, the location itself is absolutely breathtaking - extremely serene, peaceful, and fully immersed in the beautiful nature of Rwinkwavu. The lodge offers a rare sense of tranquility, surrounded by greenery, birdsong, and stunning landscapes that immediately make you disconnect from the noise of everyday life. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was incredibly warm and welcoming. Rather than feeling like guests at a lodge, we truly felt at home. Everything was arranged with care, authenticity, and attention to detail, creating a very personal and comforting experience throughout our stay. A very special thank you goes to our host, Ms. Julienne, whose kindness and hospitality made our experience even more meaningful. She was exceptionally attentive, supportive, and thoughtful during our entire stay, always making sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. Her generosity and warmth were felt in every interaction. Beyond the hospitality, Ms. Julienne also went above and beyond in helping us navigate unexpected changes to our flight schedule. She kindly assisted us with calls, coordination, and logistics, ensuring everything was arranged smoothly. We are extremely grateful for this experience and highly recommend Rutete Eco Lodge to anyone looking for a peaceful, authentic, and deeply welcoming place to stay in Rwanda!

“Beautifully located lodge 12 km from Akagera NP.”

Beautiful lodge, beautiful garden, nice bungalow, very good shower.

“Do not miss an opportunity to visit!”

An incredible find and the photos really don't do it justice. Such a friendly welcome and a beautiful complex. We borrowed bikes, had amazing fresh food (make sure you have the dinner there!), breakfast was the best in two weeks across Rwanda and overall a wonderful experiance to stay at a beautiful lodge.

“Good location”

The host is amazing friendly and passionate about hosting , easy access to Akagera National Park gate, The meals are delicious

“Wonderful hide-away to enjoy Eastern Rwanda with the best host you can imagine!”

Julienne and her team are absolutely fabulous hosts. Julienne not only was the most welcoming host you can imagine, she was also of tremendous help to organise our transfer from Kigali to the lodge and for booking a guide for visiting Akagera NP. The lodge has a beautiful garden, all chalets are well equipped and have a fantastic interior design. We enjoyed both the delicious breakfasts and the wonderful four-course dinners at the long table in the dining-room. And not to forget Angeline’s magic hands and amazing massage! Full recommendation for everyone who is looking for a relaxing hide-away with views over Rwanda’s lush nature or a great location to visit Akagera.

“Amazing place to stay”

Loved our stay with family of 5. Thank you! Staff was really friendly, location near the entrance of Akagera and the food was delicious.

When you arrive at Rutete Eco Lodge, you feel like a guest in someone’s home rather than a hotel. Julien and her team provide the utmost comfort throughout your stay. What can I say — it was hard for me to climb the stairs, and the very next day the team welded handrails! The property is beautiful, with an interesting little farm and the chance to interact with the animals. The food was also delicious, and the birthday cake exceeded all my expectations. Thank you to the team for such a warm welcome!

“We really enjoyed our days with Julie”

Very nice lodge, exceptional hospitality, great atmosphere

Very welcoming and comfortable. I loved the gardens and animals. The breakfast was also fantastic.

“Fun stay”

location was excellent, staff is super welcoming and friendly. food is nice. It's a good place to stay at to relax, enjoy nature, want to understand the culture a bit better etc

Nice accommodation in a beautiful garden. Lovely owner. Dinner available for extra 20Usd but good option when nothing around available.

“Superb value for money”

Great location for south gate of Akagera. Wonderful host/owner who looked after us.

“This place is like a little piece of paradise.”

This place is like a little piece of paradise. Beautiful garden with very cute animals and a fireplace, cozy cottages, great food and lovely staff.

This is a wonderful place to stay. Our room was spacious and tastefully decorated, with a very comfortable bed with luxury bedding. The breakfast is amazing - delicious homegrown organic food for dinner too. You are made to feel totally at home and relaxed to enjoy the main house and the gardens by the friendly staff. We particularly enjoyed feeding the donkeys carrots provided by the kitchen 🥰 We loved Rutete so much that we went back there after visiting Akagera Park to spend another night, changing our plans so that we could enjoy the relaxing ambience of the Lodge again. Julienne is a wonderful hostess - merci beaucoup, Julienne

“Amazing « homey » place to stay !”

Everything. The chill vibe. The bamboo constructions. The kindliness of staff. The animals (donkeys, chickens, etc) as we were with young kids, the flower garden, the rosemary Ti-punch, the local products, the food (delicious and with a Rwandan touch), the spacious room, the feeling of being home/hosted by a friend, the sunset view on the terrace, etc.

A perfect relaxing place. Close to the national park, embedded in a nice tranquil village. Food, service and attention are outstanding. The food is mostly homegrown, the owners are nice to chat with and help to organise everything. After a week of hectic conference in Kigali this was the perfect place to hang out. Thank you!

Rutete Ecolodge is a wonderful little place with very nicely built and decorated bungalows. Everything is very well designed and comfortable, and the dinner is excellent. Welcoming staff and everything is very clean. We also got a lot of help finding the way and guides for the akagera parc The dinner is also absolutely excellent, local dishes with an international Touch and followed by a comforting tea around the fireplace outside.

“Wonderful experience of rural Rwanda!”

Everything! Four of us travelled together and we all had the same impression. Julienne, the owner, and her team were amazing. We had a tour of the property, which was truly special and rural. A wonderful walk around the village to say hi is a must. Take some sweets! The rooms and bathrooms are really lovely. Such a relaxing place to stay. Loved the communal dinner with other guests - we all ate what was served on the night. The ambience here is excellent. We loved that they grow their own crops and have animals on site. The freshly roasted peanuts are a must!

“Great place to stay while visiting the Akagera park!”

Small, personal and Great service

Fantastic stay. The hostess was *extremely* helpful in every aspect of our trip. Just perfect. Great food, great location. I will recommend friends and family to stay here.