Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s premier wildlife destination and the country’s only savannah national park, offering an authentic African safari experience in the heart of East Africa. Located in eastern Rwanda along the border with Tanzania, the park covers rolling grasslands, acacia woodlands, papyrus swamps, wetlands, and scenic lakes that support an extraordinary diversity of wildlife and birdlife.

As Central Africa’s largest protected wetland, Akagera National Park has become one of Africa’s most inspiring conservation success stories. Following successful wildlife restoration programmes, visitors can once again experience the iconic Big Five alongside giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, crocodiles, and more than 500 bird species. Whether you’re seeking exceptional game viewing, birdwatching, photography, or a luxury wildlife escape, Akagera offers rewarding safari experiences throughout the year.

Why Visit Akagera National Park?

Akagera National Park offers a completely different side of Rwanda, complementing the country’s famous mountain gorilla experiences with classic African wildlife safaris. The park combines abundant wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, excellent conservation, and uncrowded safari experiences, making it an essential destination for travellers exploring Rwanda.

Visitors can enjoy professionally guided game drives across open savannahs, scenic boat safaris on Lake Ihema, spectacular birdwatching, and opportunities to encounter the Big Five within a single protected area. Its convenient location, approximately two and a half hours from Kigali, also makes Akagera an excellent addition to both short wildlife breaks and comprehensive Rwanda safari itineraries.

Wildlife & Natural Highlights

Akagera National Park is home to the complete Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros—along with giraffes, Burchell’s zebras, topi, eland, impala, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthogs, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, hippos, and Nile crocodiles.

The park’s diverse habitats include open savannah, woodland, lakes, marshes, and rolling hills that support an impressive variety of wildlife throughout the year. Bird enthusiasts can record more than 500 bird species, including the rare shoebill, African fish eagle, papyrus gonolek, African jacana, kingfishers, herons, storks, and numerous migratory species, making Akagera one of Rwanda’s premier birding destinations.

Popular Experiences

Akagera National Park offers a variety of safari activities designed to showcase its exceptional wildlife and landscapes.

Game Drives

Morning, afternoon, and full-day game drives provide excellent opportunities to observe the Big Five and many other mammals across the park’s scenic savannahs and woodlands.

Boat Safaris

Boat safaris on Lake Ihema offer close encounters with hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants along the shoreline, and an outstanding diversity of aquatic birdlife within Rwanda’s largest protected wetland.

Birding Safaris

With more than 500 recorded bird species, Akagera is one of East Africa’s finest birdwatching destinations, attracting both specialist birders and nature enthusiasts throughout the year.

Wildlife Photography

The park’s open landscapes, abundant wildlife, dramatic light, and varied habitats provide outstanding opportunities for wildlife safaris and landscape photography.

Best Time to Visit

Akagera National Park can be visited throughout the year, with each season offering unique wildlife experiences. The dry seasons, from June to September and December to February, are generally considered the best periods for wildlife viewing, as animals gather around water sources and vegetation is less dense.

The green seasons, from March to May and October to November, transform the park into a lush landscape that is particularly attractive for birdwatching, photography, and scenic travel. Migratory birds are present during parts of these seasons, while fewer visitors create a quieter safari experience.

Featured Safari Packages

Discover Akagera National Park through our professionally guided safari itineraries, carefully designed to combine exceptional wildlife viewing with Rwanda’s other iconic destinations.

Featured Packages

Explore each itinerary to compare destinations, accommodation collections, pricing, and included experiences before choosing the Rwanda safari that best matches your travel style, or browse all our Safari Packages.

Stay Collections

Complete your journey through the Akagera National Park by selecting the accommodation collection that matches your preferred level of comfort and travel style. Our carefully selected safari lodges and camps provide exceptional hospitality, strategic locations, and memorable experiences while following the same professionally planned itinerary.

Choose from our Mid-Range Collection, Premium Collection, and Signature Collection to compare accommodation standards and discover the stay that best complements your Rwanda safari.

Plan Your Visit

Planning your safari begins with selecting the itinerary that best matches your interests and travel style. Explore our Rwanda Safaris, Wildlife Safaris, Birding Safaris, and Uganda & Rwanda Safaris to discover journeys featuring Akagera National Park alongside Volcanoes National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Lake Kivu, and Kigali. You can also browse our complete range of safari collections to compare destinations, trip durations, activities, and accommodation standards before planning your East African adventure.

Conservation & Tourism Partners

Akagera National Park is recognised as one of Africa’s leading conservation success stories, demonstrating how effective wildlife management and responsible tourism can restore ecosystems and benefit local communities. Conservation efforts led by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and African Parks, together with support from international conservation organisations, have successfully reintroduced lions and eastern black rhinoceroses while strengthening protection for the park’s diverse wildlife and habitats.

By visiting Akagera National Park responsibly, travellers contribute directly to wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, community development, and the long-term protection of Rwanda’s only savannah national park.