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Rwanda’s wild side.
Discover Rwanda’s savannah wilderness through open plains, wetlands, lakes, and diverse wildlife. Akagera offers a different side of Rwanda, with opportunities for classic safari experiences in a landscape shaped by water, grasslands, and rolling hills.
Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s savannah destination, offering a striking contrast to the country’s volcanic mountains and rainforest landscapes.
The park’s combination of open grasslands, wetlands, lakes, and woodland provides a rich habitat for wildlife and makes it an excellent choice for travellers looking to experience Rwanda beyond gorilla trekking.
Whether you’re planning a dedicated safari or combining Akagera with other parts of Rwanda, we can help you create a journey around your interests, travel style, and budget.
Explore Akagera through guided game drives and experience Rwanda’s wildlife across open plains, woodland, and wetlands.
Look out for elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, hippos, buffalo, and a variety of other wildlife throughout the park.
Experience the park from the water with a boat trip on Lake Ihema, offering a different perspective on wildlife and the surrounding landscapes.
Discover a remarkable variety of birdlife across Akagera’s wetlands, lakes, savannah, and woodland habitats.
Combine Akagera with Volcanoes National Park or Nyungwe to experience the remarkable variety of landscapes and wildlife Rwanda has to offer.
Akagera can be visited throughout much of the year, with changing conditions offering different wildlife and landscape experiences.
| PERIOD | WHAT TO EXPECT |
|---|---|
| January – February | Generally warmer and drier, with good conditions for wildlife viewing and safari activities. |
| March – May | The long rains bring greener landscapes and can make some roads more challenging, while birdlife and scenery are particularly rewarding. |
| June – September | Generally drier conditions make this a popular period for game drives and wildlife viewing. |
| October – December | The short rains bring refreshed landscapes and can provide excellent scenery and birdwatching opportunities. |
Weather and wildlife conditions vary throughout the year. We'll help you choose travel dates based on what you most want to experience.
Experience Akagera through a journey combining game drives, wetlands, and the park’s diverse wildlife.
Open a day to see what happens.
Begin your journey in Kigali and travel toward Akagera National Park, passing through Rwanda’s scenic countryside along the way.
Spend a full day exploring Akagera through game drives across its savannah, woodland, and wetland landscapes.
Enjoy a final morning experience in Akagera before beginning your journey back to Kigali.
From comfortable lodges to intimate safari camps overlooking the park and its landscapes, there are accommodation options to suit different travel styles and budgets.
Tell us what matters most to you, and we’ll help you find the right place to stay in Akagera.
HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend! I had such a good experience booking my safari with her. Everything was so smooth, especially considering how last-minute my trip was.
Very well arranged everything was as I hoped they delivered well Very great trip. … We gave them our budget they stuck to it.
The level of professionalism is top notch. I really enjoyed my trip.
Everything was smooth and stress free from start to finish and their customer service was exceptional. They checked in regularly to make sure I had arrived safely … and genuinely cared that I was enjoying my trip.
Planning our Cape Town trip with Elite Travel Consultants was very seamless from start to finish. The team was professional, responsive, and always ready to answer our questions.
Akagera is about 2-3 hours by road from Kigali to the park’s southern entrance.
Most travellers spend around 2-3 nights in Akagera, depending on their interests and whether they are combining it with other destinations in Rwanda.
Comfortable clothing, suitable footwear, sun protection, insect repellent, binoculars, and a light rain layer are useful essentials.
Depending on the season and location, visitors may encounter elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, hippos, buffalo, antelope, and many bird species.
Yes. Boat experiences on Lake Ihema can offer opportunities to see hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and other wildlife from the water.
Akagera can be suitable for families, with activities and accommodation options that can be selected based on the ages and needs of your group.
The official currency is the Rwandan Franc (RWF).
Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili are commonly used in Rwanda.
Rwanda uses Central Africa Time (CAT), which is UTC+2.
Tell us when you’d like to travel, who you’re travelling with, what you’d like to experience, and what you’d like to spend. We’ll help you turn your ideas into a personalised journey.
