Most people come to Rwanda for one thing: mountain gorillas. They fly into Kigali, drive north to
Volcanoes National Park, trek, and leave. That is a remarkable trip, but it is only half of what the
country offers, and the other half surprises almost everyone.
Akagera National Park sits in eastern Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. It is the country’s
only savannah park and, since lions and rhinos were brought back, the only place in Rwanda where you
can see all of the Big Five. If your picture of Rwanda is misty volcanoes and bamboo, Akagera will
rearrange it.
Akagera at a glance
- Size: 1,122 km² (433 sq mi)
- Altitude: 1,286 to 1,718 m (4,219 to 5,636 ft)
- Established: 1934, making it one of Africa’s older parks
- Named after: the Kagera River, which runs along its eastern boundary
- Habitat: savannah, montane and swamp. Lakes and papyrus swamps cover more than a
third of the park, the largest protected wetland in east and central Africa - Wildlife: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and both black and white rhino
- Birds: almost 500 species documented
Three different parks in one
The first thing that strikes you is how much the landscape changes as you drive through it.
Head north and you get flat, open grassland that feels like the classic safari country of Kenya
or Tanzania. It is here that you find the biggest herds, the widest skies, and the best odds of
finding lion and elephant. Giraffe are everywhere, browsing the acacia in small groups.
To the west, the terrain rises into rolling hills and valleys. It looks more like the Rwanda most
people picture: cultivated slopes, small farms, ridges fading into haze.
Then the east opens into water. The Kagera River feeds a chain of lakes, marshes and papyrus
swamps that make up more than a third of the park. This is the part that makes Akagera unlike any
other safari destination in the region, and it is why the birding is so good.
The Big Five, honestly
Akagera’s marketing leans on the Big Five, and that is fair, but the experience varies a lot by
species. Here is what the sightings actually look like.
Buffalo, elephant, hippo, zebra and giraffe are effectively guaranteed over a couple of days of
game drives. Lion are very likely: reintroduced in 2015, now a population of around 72, and on a good
day you will find a pride on a kill or stretched out in the shade. White rhino odds have improved
enormously with the recent translocations, and you should expect to see them.
Leopard is a different matter. They are the hardest of the big cats to find anywhere and Akagera
is no exception; even experienced guides put sightings well under half of drives. Black rhino are
present and heavily protected, but shy and far less frequently seen than the white. Both are bonuses
rather than targets, and any guide who promises you a leopard is telling you what you want to
hear.
The rhino story here is worth knowing because it is one of the most remarkable conservation
turnarounds in Africa. Black rhinos were introduced from Tanzania in 1957 and more than 50 lived in
the park by the 1970s. Poaching wiped them out; the last confirmed sighting was in 2007. Then, in
May 2017, 18 eastern black rhinos were flown in from South Africa, followed by five more from three
European zoos in 2019 in the first relocation of its kind. Thirty southern white rhinos arrived from
Phinda in 2021. In June 2025, a further 70 southern white rhinos were moved in from the Munywana
Conservancy, which remains the largest single rhino translocation ever recorded. Akagera now holds
both black and white rhino, and it is the only park in Rwanda that holds either.
Lions returned in July 2015, when Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal donated two males. Around
1990, 250 to 300 lions lived here, and the entire population was destroyed in the years after the
1994 genocide. Seventy years of loss, reversed in a decade.
The wider numbers tell the same story. Large mammals went from about 4,000 animals in 2010 to
more than 13,500 by 2018. Giraffe, introduced from Kenya in 1986, numbered 78 in 2024.
The boat safari on Lake Ihema
If you only do one thing in Akagera beyond the game drives, make it the boat.
Lake Ihema is Rwanda’s second largest lake, and the hour you spend on it is a completely
different way of watching wildlife. Hippos surface in pods, often closer than you expect. Nile
crocodiles lie on the banks. The shoreline is thick with waterbirds, and if you are a birder this is
the part of the trip you will talk about afterwards. It is also the calmest hour of the day, which
matters more than you would think after hours in a vehicle.
There is fishing on Lake Shakani for anyone who wants it, and if you take one of our longer
Akagera safaris your lunch is served at Lake Mihindi, looking out over the water.
What you can actually do in Akagera
Game drives are the backbone of any visit, usually a long morning and a late afternoon session
because that is when animals move. Akagera also offers night drives, which are your best chance at
the smaller nocturnal animals that stay hidden during the day, plus balloon safaris for a view over
the plains that no vehicle can give you.
And then there is the birding, which deserves its own heading.
Almost 500 species of bird
African Parks has recorded nearly 500 bird species in Akagera, along with 179 butterfly species.
The mix of savannah, wetland and woodland habitats means you can tick off raptors, waterbirds and
regional rarities in the same morning, and the park is now recognised as an important ornithological
site.
You do not need to be a serious birder to enjoy it. You do need binoculars, and you should
probably bring them even if you think you will not use them. If birding is your main interest, our
guide to the Nyandungu wetland in
Kigali makes a good half day before or after your safari.
When to visit
The dry seasons are the best months for wildlife watching in Rwanda,
and Akagera follows the same pattern as the rest of East Africa.
- June to September is the long dry season. Vegetation thins out, animals gather around water, and
sightings are easiest. It is also the busiest period, particularly at weekends. - Mid-December to mid-February is the short dry season, with good conditions and fewer visitors.
- March to May and October to November bring the rains. The park turns green and the birding is
excellent, but some tracks get difficult. Rain usually falls in short spells rather than lasting all
day.
April is the low season for the higher-end lodges and rates can drop considerably, which makes it
a reasonable trade if you can live with a bit of mud.
Where to stay
There are three established options in and around the park. Magashi Camp opened in 2019 on its own
private concession just north of the park boundary, and it is the most exclusive. Ruzizi Tented
Lodge, which opened in 2012, sits directly on the shore of Lake Ihema and is the one people usually
mean when they talk about staying inside Akagera. Akagera Game Lodge is the largest of the three, a
full hotel with sweeping views, and the easiest to book at short notice.
You can also visit Akagera as a day trip, which a surprising number of people do.
How many days do you need
One day is enough to see the park and get a taste of it. It is a long day, mostly driving, and you
will spend a lot of it in the vehicle. Two days is better. Three is where it starts to feel like a
proper safari rather than an excursion, because you get multiple game drives at the right times of
day and enough slack to spend real time with a sighting instead of leaving it to make the next stop.
If you are weighing Akagera against the gorillas, this comparison
of the two experiences may help, and if you are planning a longer itinerary, how many days you actually need in
Rwanda covers the rest of the country.
Practical notes
- Tsetse flies are present and they bite, but they do not carry sleeping sickness here. Long
sleeves and neutral colours help, and it is worth avoiding bright blue and black, which tend to
attract them. - The park sits between 1,286 and 1,718 metres, so mornings can be genuinely cold and the midday
sun is strong. Bring layers rather than a single jacket. - Akagera is in a malaria area. Whether you take prophylaxis is a decision for you and your doctor,
not for a tour operator. - Closed shoes, not sandals, even for the boat. If you are combining Akagera with gorilla trekking,
our guide to hiking
boots for gorilla trekking covers the other end of the trip.
Why the park looks the way it does
Akagera was founded in 1934 by the Belgian colonial government and was originally 2,500 km²,
roughly twice its current size. It held African wild dogs in numbers so large they were considered a
pest; the last one was seen in 1984. After the 1994 genocide, people returning to Rwanda settled and
grazed inside the park boundaries, and the park shrank accordingly while its wildlife was hunted
down.
The recovery began in 2009, when the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks signed a 20-year
renewable agreement to manage the park together. A joint management company was formed in 2010 and
roughly $10 million was spent over the following five years, much of it on security: a 120 km fence
along the western boundary, an air surveillance helicopter, a specialist rhino tracking and
protection team, and a canine anti-poaching unit.
It worked. Not one high-value species has been lost to poaching since 2010. In 2025, Akagera
became the first park to operate as a financially self-sustaining conservation landscape, meaning it
now pays for itself through tourism rather than depending on donors.
Ten percent of park income goes into Rwanda’s revenue-sharing scheme, which funds schools, health
facilities and cooperatives in the surrounding communities. The Gishanda Fish Farm, running since
October 2022, farms tilapia that provides more than 17,000 kg of affordable protein locally while
generating income. Eco-club programmes reach more than 2,300 students a year.
Visitor numbers have climbed from about 8,000 in 2010 to 67,661 in 2025, and tourism revenue
reached $4.8 million in 2023. National Geographic named Akagera one of the world’s 25 best
destinations to visit in 2026. Your park fees are part of how all of this is funded.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Big Five in Rwanda?
Yes, and Akagera is the only place in the country where you can. Elephant, buffalo and lion are
seen reliably, and white rhino sightings are now reliable rather than lucky. Leopard is possible but
genuinely difficult, so treat it as a bonus rather than a target.
Is Akagera worth visiting if I am already going gorilla trekking?
They are completely different experiences and they work well together. Gorilla trekking is one
intense, humid morning in the forest. Akagera is open country, long drives, water and big herds. Many
of our guests do both on the same trip and almost none of them regret the second half.
How do I get to Akagera from Kigali?
The usual approach is a drive from Kigali to the park’s southern gate, then game drives from
there. It is close enough that we run Akagera as a single-day trip from the city, and we handle the
transfer, the vehicle, the guide and the park fees.
Do I need to book game drives and the boat safari in advance?
Activities inside the park are limited and popular dates fill up, especially in the June to
September high season. If you are travelling then, book before you arrive rather than deciding on the
day.
Planning an Akagera safari
We run Akagera at several different lengths, depending on how much time you have and whether you
want to pair it with Kigali or the gorillas.
- 1 day Akagera National Park safari,
a full day from Kigali with game drives and a boat ride on Lake Ihema. - Akagera National Park day trip, the same
idea with a slightly different route and pace. - 2 days Akagera Big Five wildlife
safari, with an overnight lodge stay and game drives at the best times of day. - 3 days Akagera
Big Five safari and Kigali city tour, which adds the genocide memorial and the city to the
wildlife.
Park entrance fees, a private 4×4 with a pop-up roof, a professional driver guide and the Lake
Ihema boat trip are included on all of them. You can see everything we offer on our Rwanda tours page, or get in touch and we
will put together an itinerary around your dates.