Discover Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s lone refuge for wildlife, big cats, birds and savanna grassland, located in the east-central section of the continent, bordered by Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania and Burundi.

With its diverse flora and fauna, Akagera National Park is one of Rwanda’s most popular tourist sites. It is one of the four national parks in this rather tiny country.

These include Volcanoes National Park, which is home to endangered Mountain Gorillas, Nyungwe National Park, which hosts hundreds of Chimpanzees and Gishwati-Mukura National Park, known for huge variety of primates.

A dozen lakes, savannah grasslands, dotted wetlands, the sweeping and low-lying plains of Akagera National Park.

Akagera n/park is one of Africa’s oldest conservation zones, spanning 1,122 square kilometers and originally established in 1934 in the eastern part of Rwanda bordering Tanzania.

The Akagera River, which feeds into Lake Ihema, gave birth to this name. In the various locations, lions, elephants, hyenas, cape Buffaloes, roan Antelopes, hippos, Impalas – the world’s largest Antelope species, zebras, giraffes, duiker, topis, crocodiles, and cape Buffaloes can be seen feeding and roaming freely.

Shoebill stock, Senegal lapwings, African open Bill stock, grey crowned cranes, papyrus gonolek and water thick-knee are among the notable birds here. Primates in the list are not limited to Olive baboons, bush babies, Vervet monkeys and blue monkeys.

Whether you’re visiting Rwanda for honeymoon holiday, family day out, picnic, weekend escape, a wildlife safari, business trip, summer or winter vacation, Akagera National Park is the place to visit for one day or more.

It is open all year, with some excellent camps, peaceful and pleasant environment. The park’s tourism draw is the Africa Big 5 (lions, Cape Buffaloes, African elephants and rhinos), the gorgeous terrain and enormous Ihema Lake are also other pulling factors.

Activities in Akagera National Park

Game drives / Game viewing experiences

This is the park’s principal activity, which takes place in the morning and at night for nocturnal animals. Visitors get up close to Mother Nature with a safari vehicle and a professional ranger guide, seeing grazers such as African Elephants, Warthogs, Rhinos and Cape Buffaloes, among others, primates, birds, and the breathtaking environment. Lions and leopards, for example, like to hunt at night or early in the morning.

Birding

This activity in Akagera National Park happens all year-round, making it a popular birding destination in Rwanda. Birders can see endangered and migrating birds in the marshes, as well as dedicated birding sites such as the shores of Lake Ihema. Egrets, weaverbirds, shoebill stock, papyrus gonolek, and kingfishers are among the birds on the list.

Boat cruise

This is done at Lake Ihema. Visitors sail on the calm waters for about two hours, on a canoe or motorized engine boats, while looking out for the hippos, crocodiles and several other aquatic birds. The scheduled boats run in the morning and afternoon hours while carrying a restricted number of persons.

Sport fishing

Sport fishing is done at Lake Shakani, which is also located in the interior of the park. Sport fishing is a great way to test your fishing skills at a specific location while also catching and releasing the fish. The chances of capturing the fish are guaranteed and one is rewarded with the fish to consume at a later time. Everyone who plans to participate in this activity should schedule at least a few months ahead of their trip to Rwanda.

Community visits / cultural tours

A visit to the communities living near the park is always made special with a village experience, dance and local interactions. These communities tend to be vulnerable because of restrictions attached to them and the fear towards wild animals. A village tour gives one an insight into rural setups and lifestyle. Visitors are urged to participate in these activities, purchase some souvenirs and also contribute towards community development.

Nature walks / hiking

For an hour or more, visitors to the park can have an opportunity to walk, take photos and watch Mother Nature, birds and the stunning landscape at a short-range. The landscape is low-lying and gives a perfect opportunity for exploring what wildlife has to offer. The park is safe and perfect for this adventure.

Accessibility

Getting to Akagera National park is through the southern gate, while the northern gate is used for exit. The drive from Kigali city goes through Rwamagana town and lasts for roughly 2-3 hours. The park is open all year round, though the best months to visit are June to October and December to February.

It is only in Akagera national Park where visitors to the Republic of Rwanda can spot a variety of wildlife species, encounter the prey and predators in their natural habitat, take great photos and escape stress. The park is so accessible by road and air and can be visited by booking through a tour operator or own arrangement from Kigali city.