Rwanda · National park
Akagera Big Five Safaris
Rwanda's savannah park, restored and home to the Big Five again.
Discover Akagera
An Akagera safari shows a different Rwanda: open savannah, papyrus swamps and a chain of lakes along the Tanzanian border. Akagera National Park covers about 1,122 square kilometres and has been managed by African Parks, in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board, since 2010.
Under that partnership, lions were reintroduced in 2015 and eastern black rhinos in 2017, making Akagera Rwanda's only Big Five park. Game drives across the northern plains, a boat trip on Lake Ihema and night drives with park guides fill two or three days. Akagera combines easily with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
- Size
- About 1,122 km²
- Managed by
- African Parks with the Rwanda Development Board
- Big Five
- Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino
- From Kigali
- About 2.5 hours by road
- Ideal stay
- 2 nights
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
What to do in Akagera
Game drives on the northern plains
The open grassland in the north of the park holds giraffe, zebra, buffalo and topi, and is where lions and rhinos are most often found.
Safaris in Akagera
A boat trip on Lake Ihema
Boat trips on Rwanda's second-largest lake pass hippos, crocodiles and fish eagles, with big numbers of water birds along the papyrus.
Lakeside lodges
Night drives
Drives after dark with a park guide look for animals rarely seen by day, such as genets, civets, bushbabies and, with luck, leopard.
Add a night driveWildlife you may see in Akagera
The Big Five
Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and both black and white rhino.
Plains game
Giraffe, zebra, topi, impala, eland, roan antelope, waterbuck and warthog, with hippos and crocodiles in the lakes.
Birds
Around 480 species, including the shoebill in the papyrus swamps and the red-faced barbet.
The story of Akagera
Akagera was established in 1934 and takes its name from the Akagera River, which runs along its eastern edge and the border with Tanzania before flowing into Lake Victoria. In 1997 the park was reduced in size to provide land for returning refugees.
The landscape mixes rolling hills, acacia savannah, papyrus swamps and a chain of lakes, of which Ihema is the largest. It is warmer and lower than the rest of Rwanda, and feels more like classic East African safari country.
When to go
Akagera is lower and warmer than the rest of Rwanda. The long dry season, June to September, is best for game viewing, as animals gather near the lakes and vegetation thins. The park is open all year.
- JanDrier
- FebDrier
- MarWetter
- AprWetter
- MayWetter
- JunDrier
- JulDrier
- AugDrier
- SepDrier
- OctDrier
- NovWetter
- DecWetter
Drier, peak seasonWetter, green season
Where we travel in Akagera
Featured Akagera safaris
Luxury lodges in Akagera
Magashi Camp
A tented camp on the shore of Lake Rwanyakazinga in the quiet north of Akagera.
Ask about this lodgeRuzizi Tented Lodge
Tents among the trees on the Lake Ihema shore, run by the park's management.
Ask about this lodgePlanning your visit
Getting there
About two and a half hours by road east of Kigali.
How long to stay
Two nights covers a full day on the northern plains, a boat trip and a night drive.
Where to stay
Lakeside camps put you close to the boat trips and the wildlife that comes down to drink.
Combine with
Volcanoes for gorillas, with Nyungwe in between on a week-long route.
Questions travellers ask
Can you see the Big Five in Akagera?
All five live in the park. Lions, elephant and buffalo are seen regularly; rhinos and leopard take more luck.
How long should we spend in Akagera?
Two nights gives a full day of game drives, a boat trip and a night drive.
Can Akagera be combined with gorillas?
Yes. Our Rwanda itineraries pair Akagera with Volcanoes National Park, often with Nyungwe in between.
Do we need a guide in Akagera?
Our private guide drives you throughout. A park guide can join the game drive, and night drives are run by the park.
More of Rwanda
Volcanoes
Bamboo and forest on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, under three hours from Kigali. Gorillas, golden monkeys and Dian Fossey's grave.
Discover VolcanoesNyungwe Forest
Ancient montane rainforest with chimpanzees, 13 primate species and a canopy walkway high above a ravine.
Discover Nyungwe ForestSomething made for you
Any trip can be lengthened, upgraded or combined across both countries. Send your dates and the number of travellers, and you'll get a costed plan within a day.