Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah national park. It covers 1,122 square kilometers in eastern Rwanda, sitting along the country’s border with Tanzania. The park was established in 1934 and protects three key habitats: savannah, mountains, and swamps.

The park takes its name from the Kagera River, which flows along its eastern border and feeds into Lake Ihema and several smaller lakes, including Lakes Gishanju, Mihindi, Shakani, and Rwanyakizinga. Additionally, Akagera protects the largest wetland in Eastern-Central Africa, covering roughly one third of a network of interconnected lakes and papyrus swamps.

These water features, combined with open grasslands, acacia woodlands, rolling plains, and hills, make Akagera a truly stunning safari destination. Furthermore, the park shelters a remarkable variety of wildlife, including all of the African Big Five and countless bird species.

After Rwanda’s typically hilly and cultivated landscapes, Akagera delivers an exciting change of scenery. It is a place where tangled acacia bush, open grasslands, and calm lakes come together to create one of Africa’s most unique and rewarding safari experiences.

About Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park presents a fascinating safari park that has existed for several years, though it has endured some challenging times. The 1994 Rwandan genocide and civil war resulted in a huge number of refugees fleeing the nation through the park. Even after the war, refugees once more used Akagera National Park to enter the nation. During this period, some of the refugees turned to poaching animals and tree-cutting in the park in search of land, food, or a place to go. The management of the park faced difficulties during this time since some of the park’s wild creatures became extinct, while others faced threats.

Domestic animals, particularly the indigenous long-horned cattle, gradually replaced the park animals; a populace that they could not simply eject without a plan of action. Therefore, the government decided to allocate half of the park to those who had nowhere to start their lives after the war, whereas it set aside the other half for preserving the wild creatures that had escaped the menace of humans.

In 2010, the Howard Buffet Foundation and other groups partnered with the Rwandan government and signed a cooperative management agreement with the Africa Parks Network, signaling a significant change in the park’s fortunes. The park administration, working with several donors and organizations dedicated to international wildlife conservation, launched an ambitious program to reintroduce extinct animals like lions and rhinoceroses while enhancing safety by enclosing the area in fencing and stepping up air surveillance to combat poaching.

Safari Activities in Akagera National Park

Game Drives

Game drives in Akagera National Park are available throughout the day, although the best times to see animals are early in the morning and late in the afternoon. On a game drive in Akagera National Park, a guide will drive you along marked trails across the savannah plains and marshes, in search of several mammals and bird species. Your driving guide will accompany you the entire time to locate regions where animals spend the majority of their time during the day. Expect rewarding vistas of the Big 5 animals—the Buffalo, Lion, Elephant, Rhino, and Leopard—roaming the savannah. You may also see the Defassa Waterbuck, Semi-Aquatic Sitatunga antelopes, Topis, Giraffes, Bohor Reedbucks, Oribis, and Eland, to mention but a few.

Furthermore, another way to see the wildlife at Akagera National Park involves going on a night game drive, which gives you the chance to witness the nocturnal animals. Nocturnal wildlife in the park includes civet cats, leopards, and bush babies, among others. Your driver guide and an experienced ranger will lead you as you use powerful torch lights to look for animals.

Birding

Due to the variety of habitats and abundance of avifauna species, Akagera National Park also offers the thrilling pastime of birding. Observers have identified a total of 500 bird species in the woodlands, ponds, lakes, forests, and savannah grasslands of this park. African fish eagles, grey-crowned cranes, bateleurs, African jacanas, gigantic and malachite kingfishers, blue-billed teals, eastern grey plantain-eaters, cattle egrets, common squacco herons, African darters, blue-cheeked bee-eaters, and many other species are common.

Boat Tours

The Boat tours represent one of the most tranquil things to do in Akagera National Park. Boat tours in the Park take place on Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second-largest lake, and they prove as fulfilling as possible. Travelers can enjoy sighting crocodiles and huge herds of hippos, in addition to various aquatic bird species such as the papyrus gonolek. Visitors can observe other animals at the shoreline as they swim or drink in the afternoon to relieve their thirst. Moreover, no better way allows you to enjoy up-close and personal wildlife in Akagera National Park than to go on a boat tour on Lake Ihema.

Sport Fishing

While visiting Akagera National Park, you can also enjoy sport fishing. This offers an exciting experience that you can have on both Lake Ihema and Lake Shakani. Tourists can fish in the calm waters while listening to chipping birds and hippos who grunt as if to encourage them. Moreover, visitors are free to keep their catch and roast, fry, or grill it to enjoy the taste of fresh fish from the Land of a Thousand Hills.

Guided Nature Walks

Guided nature walks in Akagera National Park take place in selected areas of the forest in the park, in the company of a park ranger guide. This is one of the terrific approaches to exploring the park and learning all there is to know about it and its residents. Additionally, it’s the perfect way of discovering hidden attractions that you would otherwise not notice while on a game drive.

Cultural Tours

The Akagera National Park management works in union with neighboring communities to permit visitors to enjoy cultural tours. Cultural tours in Akagera take you to the various cultural sites to explore and mingle with the Rwandese natives, and community guides manage these excursions. Tourists can learn how the villagers live while witnessing how they care for their long-horned cows, cook, and maintain their homestead, among others. Furthermore, visitors can participate in the milking of the cows, sample some of the regional Rwandese local cuisines, and dance to their folk music. Cultural tours in Akagera National Park take no more than 3 hours.

When to go to Akagera National Park

The Park is accessible all year long; however, tourists can experience safaris in the park to the fullest during specific months. The best time to visit Akagera National Park is during the dry season, which lasts from June to September. The climate in the park doesn’t change much throughout the year, but travelers will notice warmer temperatures during the protracted dry season. Temperatures in Akagera National Park range from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Rwanda experiences two climate seasons: the dry and wet seasons. Whereas the dry season occurs between June and September and December to February, the wet season occurs between March and May and late September to November. Nonetheless, the dry season remains the best time for tourists to travel there.

During this season, tourists typically have more opportunities to view species in the Park as the grass is short and the game tracks are dry and accessible, enabling visitors to simply drive around in search of wildlife. Additionally, animals in the park spend most of their time cooling off in the nearby waterholes and grazing in the open savannah grasslands, which makes them easier to find.

How to Get to Akagera National Park

Travelers can access Akagera National Park both by road and air. Kigali International Airport serves as the country’s main entry point, and it is a 3-hour drive from the airport to Akagera National Park. Visitors may experience a stunning aerial view of the park during the journey from Kigali. For travelers coming from Rwamagana or Kibungo, it will take one hour. The road from the main road to the park entrance is dusty; however, this 27-kilometer road is navigable by cars even during the rainy season. A solid 4-wheel drive vehicle is required because the roads inside the park are not as good as those heading up to the gate, especially during the wet season.

However, Akagera Aviation also organizes domestic flights from Kigali to the Park and back for travelers who dread the drive. For approximately $175 for a half-day or $275 for a full day, you can rent private automobiles and drivers from Kigali or the park. However, the majority of foreign travelers prefer convenience and reserve their safari through a seasoned tour operator. Tour operators often provide the best choice because they will handle all arrangements, including lodging, transportation, and making reservations for activities. If you have never traveled to Rwanda before, use the services of a tour operator for the best option for you.

Additional Information You Need to Know

If you plan on visiting Rwanda’s Akagera National Park, you need to know a few other things. The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm, and all visitors must pay an entrance fee of RWF 15,000 for Rwandese nationals, USD 50 for East African Citizens, and USD 100 for international tourists.

Furthermore, because Rwanda is a tropical country, it harbors insects and diseases to which foreign travelers may not be immune; hence, visit your doctor and have a yellow fever vaccination before flying to Rwanda. Try to bring malaria pills with you because the park has tsetse flies and mosquitoes. Additionally, game drives take place with the car windows open, which can attract unpleasant insect bites. Therefore, carry an insect repellent to prevent insect stings. More so, you may wish to pack comfortable safari clothing, which includes long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and neutral-colored clothing.

Where to Stay in Akagera National Park

Compared to other national parks, Akagera offers fewer lodging choices. Some of the lodges are seasonal, so you must confirm in advance when they’ll be open. The park’s stakeholders faced a significant obstacle in the form of these hotel issues. The good news is that new lodges are being constructed both inside and outside the park. To avoid any hassles, make your hotel reservations in advance. The general hotel and lodge industry separates itself into three price ranges: luxury, mid-range, and budget. The lodges include both permanent brick buildings and opulent tents. Accommodation facilities in Akagera National Park include Mantis Akagera Game Lodge, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, and Akagera Rhino Lodge.

On the other hand, unlike many other national parks where camping is unrestricted, the park allows for independent camping for daring and budgeted visitors. However, keep an eye out for intruders, particularly baboons and insects that prefer to steal from campers. Three established campgrounds exist in Akagera National Park, where foreign travelers must pay $20 per person each night and an additional $20 for tents that can accommodate up to 6 people. Every campsite provides extras like firewood, restrooms, and cooking equipment.

What to Pack?

Packing the right items makes your safari more comfortable and enjoyable. Here is everything you need to bring.

Carry a torch for when lights go out at your lodge. Apply insect repellent during game drives and any outdoor activities to keep stinging insects away. Bring binoculars to get a clearer view of wildlife and interesting park features. Pack sunscreen to protect your skin from the intense sun, as temperatures in Akagera can reach 30 degrees centigrade.

Additionally, bring light clothing, especially during the dry months of June to September and December to mid-January. A safari hat protects your hair from dust as vehicles drive along the park tracks. Pack safari boots and flip flops for comfort during game drives.

Furthermore, carry a camera and an extra fully charged battery to capture animals, birds, and scenery without running out of power. Bring wipes to clean off dust during drives. Also, pack a travel journal, a first aid kit, a travel adaptor, toiletries, and some hard cash for souvenirs and personal needs.