Akagera safari planning
Rwanda's only Big Five safari destination sits in the far east of the country, and its wildlife recovery over the past decade is one of Africa's great conservation comeback stories.
Last updated July 21, 2026
A conservation comeback
Akagera National Park had lost most of its large predators by the early 2000s after decades of encroachment. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, followed by eastern black rhinos in 2017, and the park’s animal populations have grown steadily since under a park management partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks — making today’s Akagera a genuine Big Five park once again.
What to expect
Akagera’s landscape mixes savannah, rolling hills, and a chain of lakes, giving it a very different feel from the volcanic highlands in the northwest. Game drives here turn up elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and a wide variety of antelope alongside the reintroduced lions and rhinos, while the park’s lakes support one of the highest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in the region.
Game drives and boat trips
A typical visit combines early morning and late afternoon game drives, when animals are most active, with a boat trip on Lake Ihema — one of the best ways to see hippos, crocodiles, and water birds up close without disturbing them. Most visitors spend one to two nights in or near the park to fit in both a full game drive and the boat excursion without feeling rushed.
Where to stay
Options range from a lodge inside the park with lake views, to tented camps aimed at a more immersive safari feel, to simpler community-run campsites for budget travelers. Booking ahead matters more in the dry season, when both wildlife viewing and demand for rooms peak together.
Best time to go
The dry months, roughly June to September and December to February, concentrate wildlife around the park’s water sources and rivers, making for easier and more rewarding game drives, though Akagera is rewarding to visit year-round.
Getting there
Akagera is roughly a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive east of Kigali, making it realistic as a standalone short trip or as an add-on before or after a gorilla trekking itinerary in the northwest.