Akagera National Park

Why visit

After the green hills and forests of the rest of Rwanda, Akagera comes as a revelation — the land suddenly opens into broad savannah, papyrus swamp and a chain of glinting lakes along the Tanzanian border. This is the classic, vehicle-based African safari, set in a Rwanda most travellers don't expect to find.

What makes Akagera remarkable is its story. Two decades ago the park was emptied of its big animals; today, after one of the continent's most successful rewilding efforts, it once again holds the full Big Five — lion and rhino both returned to plains they had vanished from. To drive these grasslands now is to witness a wilderness deliberately, patiently brought back to life.

And it sits within easy reach. A few hours east of Kigali, Akagera lets a Rwanda journey balance the intensity of a gorilla trek with the slower rhythm of a savannah drive — big skies, water birds, and the long golden light over the lakes at dusk.

Wildlife & landscapes

Akagera holds the Big Five — lion and black rhino restored through reintroduction, alongside resident elephant, buffalo and leopard. The lake-fringed savannah supports big herds of plains game: zebra, impala, topi, the elegant roan and sable antelope, and towering Masai giraffe. The wetlands are a birder's prize — papyrus, fish eagles, and the chance, for the patient, of the prehistoric shoebill stalking the reed beds.

The landscape is the park's signature: a mosaic of rolling acacia savannah, forested ridges and a string of lakes — Lake Ihema the largest — where hippo wallow and crocodile bask. It is the lowest and warmest corner of Rwanda, a different country entirely from the misted volcanoes in the north-west.

Best time to visit Akagera National Park

Akagera rewards travellers year-round, but the dry seasons (June–September and December–February) are easiest for game viewing: the bush thins, animals gather at the lakes and tracks stay firm. The wetter months (March–May and October–November) bring lush green country, dramatic skies, newborn game and exceptional birding, at the cost of taller grass and the occasional muddy track. Big game is resident every month; the boat safaris run year-round. See our → Best time to visit Rwanda guide for month-by-month detail.

Things to do here

• Game drives — Morning and late-afternoon drives across the savannah for the Big Five and plains game, in the open south and the wilder, hillier north.
• Boat safaris — Cruises on Lake Ihema for hippo, crocodile, water birds and elephants come to drink — an Akagera signature (see → Safaris).
• Night drives — Guided after-dark drives for nocturnal hunters, where conditions allow.
• Birding — Wetland and savannah birding, with the shoebill the great prize.
• Behind-the-scenes conservation — Time with the teams behind the rewilding, where available.

Know before you go

• Getting there: Roughly a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive east from Kigali International Airport (KGL) to the southern entrance gate; no scheduled flights are needed.
• Fees: Park entry and activity fees apply (per day/per person), set by the park authority; we confirm current rates and include them in your quote.
• How long: 2–3 nights lets you cover the lakes and the northern plains without rushing; easily paired with Volcanoes or Nyungwe for a fuller Rwanda journey.
• Pairing: A natural savannah counterpoint to a gorilla trek — many journeys combine Akagera with Volcanoes National Park.

Related Nobu journeys

• Thousand Hills Circuit — Gorillas, the Big Five and rainforest chimps in one compact loop. → Explore
• Forest & Savannah Passage — Nyungwe's rainforest paired with Akagera's lake-strewn plains. → Explore