Kimironko Market

Kimironko is the biggest market in Kigali, a covered hall and the streets around it selling everything: mountains of produce at the front, a fabric section where kitenge and imigongo-patterned cloth is sold by the length, tailors with treadle machines who will make a shirt or dress from a picture within a day or two, plus baskets, household goods and secondhand clothes. It is busy, orderly by market standards, and prices are negotiable.

What you actually see

• The produce hall - the covered market's fruit and vegetable section.
• The fabric aisles - kitenge and printed cloth sold by the length.
• The tailors - treadle machines making clothes to order in a day or two.
• The basket section - Rwandan woven baskets, the country's best-known craft.

When to go

Year round; the market runs daily and is busiest in the morning. Saturday is the fullest day. It winds down in the late afternoon.

Honest expectations

Prices quoted to visitors start high and bargaining is expected. The market is crowded and pickpocketing happens. Tailoring needs time, so it works only if you are in Kigali for several days.

Nearby

Central Kigali is west, and Nyandungu Eco Park is nearby.