National Park · Eastern Rwanda
Akagera National Park
Rwanda's only savanna park and its Big Five destination — lions and black rhino were both reintroduced here after being locally wiped out, in partnership with African Parks.
How to get there
By road from Kigali, roughly two and a half hours northeast toward the Tanzanian border.
What to find
Classic game drives, a dozen lakes including Lake Ihema, and boat trips for hippo and crocodile sightings.
Overview
Akagera National Park covers about 1,122 km² of savanna, woodland, wetlands and lakes along Rwanda's eastern border with Tanzania. Since 2010 it has been managed by the Rwanda Development Board together with the conservation organisation African Parks.
Akagera is one of Africa's great conservation comebacks. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, black rhinos in 2017 and white rhinos in 2021, making it Rwanda's Big Five park. It also has elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippos and more than 480 bird species.
Highlights
- Big Five game viewing within a day's drive of Kigali
- Boat trips on Lake Ihema for hippos, crocodiles and water birds
- Night drives and behind-the-scenes conservation experiences
- Shoebill sightings in the northern wetlands (rare)
Things to do
Game drives
Self-drive or guided. The northern plains are best for plains game.
Lake Ihema boat trip
One of the park's highlights.
Night drives
Look for leopard, hyena and bushbabies.
Walking and fishing
Guided walks and catch-and-release fishing on Lake Shakani.
Best time to visit
The dry season (June to September) is best for game viewing. December to February is also good.
Getting there
About 2.5 hours by road east from Kigali.
Where to stay
Lodges and tented camps inside the park, from a lakeside lodge to an exclusive camp in the north.
Akagera National Park
A selection of well-known options, not a complete list. See all accommodation in Rwanda →
Good to know
- An easy add-on after gorilla trekking for a full Rwanda safari.
- Stay overnight for the best early-morning game viewing.
Permit prices, park rules and access can change. We always confirm the latest details when we plan your trip.