Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is one of Africa’s great conservation success stories — a savanna and wetland ecosystem that was largely decimated in the 1990s and has since been transformed into one of the continent’s most successful park restoration projects. Today Akagera offers Rwanda’s only Big Five game drives, boat safaris on Lake Ihema, and some of East Africa’s best birding. This is Rwanda beyond gorillas.
Akagera’s Conservation Story
Akagera was gazetted in 1934 but lost more than half its area in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, when returning refugees needed agricultural land. By the 2000s, poaching had severely reduced wildlife populations. In 2010, Rwanda Development Board partnered with African Parks — the same conservation NGO that manages Liwonde, Malawi and other parks — and handed over management. The results have been remarkable:
- Lion were reintroduced in 2015 — the first in Rwanda in over 20 years
- Black rhino were reintroduced in 2017 — Rwanda’s first wild rhino in decades
- Elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, and leopard populations have expanded significantly
- Poaching has been reduced to near zero through community engagement and ranger training
Top Activities in Akagera
Game Drives
Akagera’s savanna is the setting for classic Big Five game drives — the only place in Rwanda where you can see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black rhino in the wild. The northern section of the park, around the Mutumba Hills, is the primary lion territory. The rolling savanna and woodland around Lake Ihema and Lake Shakani hold elephant, giraffe, zebra, topi, impala, and buffalo. Game drives depart at 6:00am (morning) and 3:30pm (afternoon).
Boat Safari on Lake Ihema
Lake Ihema is Rwanda’s second-largest lake and one of Africa’s best hippo and crocodile viewing locations. The afternoon boat safari on Lake Ihema is one of Akagera’s highlights — the boat drifts past pods of hippos, enormous Nile crocodiles sunning on the banks, and dense waterbird colonies. African fish eagle, goliath heron, pied kingfisher, African skimmer, and purple heron are regularly seen from the boat. Duration: 2 hours. Cost: $35 per person.
Black Rhino Tracking
Akagera’s black rhino population is small but growing — rangers track individual rhinos daily. A guided rhino tracking experience (on foot and by vehicle) gives you the best chance of a close encounter. This is an add-on activity that must be booked through the park. Cost: approximately $200 per person. Limited numbers per day.
Night Game Drive
Akagera is one of the few Rwandan parks offering night game drives — an exceptional way to see nocturnal species: aardvark, serval cat, genet, civet, African wildcat, porcupine, and hyena. The drives depart from Ruzizi Tented Lodge at 7:30pm. Cost: $40 per person.
Birding
Akagera is one of Rwanda’s top birding destinations with 500+ recorded species. The papyrus swamps along the Akagera River hold shoebill stork — one of the few places in Rwanda where this rare bird can be seen. Lake Ihema attracts large waterbird congregations. The park list includes the shoe-billed stork, African broadbill, papyrus gonolek, and Carruther’s cisticola.
Best Time to Visit Akagera
- June–September: Dry season — firm tracks, game concentrated around water, best visibility
- December–February: Short dry season — excellent conditions
- March–May: Long rains — lush scenery but muddy roads in places
Getting to Akagera
- From Kigali: 2.5–3 hours east on tarmac road via Rwamagana. The closest major park to Kigali in Rwanda.
- From Volcanoes NP: 4–5 hours — a full cross-country drive, but an excellent way to cover Rwanda’s diverse habitats on one itinerary.
Akagera Accommodation
- Ruzizi Tented Lodge: Comfortable tented camp on the lake shore — superb hippo and bird activity from the deck. Mid-range.
- Karenge Bush Camp: Intimate luxury camp in the northern park — best positioned for lion country. Bush dinners under the stars.
- Akagera Game Lodge: The park’s historic lodge, renovated — good value option on the eastern ridge overlooking the lakes.
Combining Akagera with a Rwanda Safari
Akagera pairs perfectly with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes NP on a Rwanda-only itinerary — gorillas in the northwest, savanna game drives in the east. Add Nyungwe Forest for primates and birding in the southwest to complete a full Rwanda circuit. Superfine Safaris designs complete Rwanda safari packages covering all three ecosystems. Contact us for a 2027 Rwanda itinerary.
