Akagera National Park National Park

Discover Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only Big Five safari destination. Explore wildlife, boat safaris, game drives, lodges, and travel tips.

Why Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah national park and the country’s premier Big Five safari destination. Covering approximately 1,122 square kilometres (433 square miles) in eastern Rwanda along the border with Tanzania, the park protects a remarkable landscape of rolling grasslands, wooded hills, papyrus swamps, lakes, and river systems. Named after the Kagera River, which forms its eastern boundary, Akagera offers a classic African safari experience unlike anywhere else in Rwanda.

Established in 1934, Akagera National Park is one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories. Once heavily impacted by human settlement and poaching, the park has been transformed through a partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks. The successful reintroduction of lions in 2015 and eastern black rhinos in 2017 restored the Big Five, making Akagera one of the few places in Africa where visitors can see lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros in a single protected area.

The park’s diverse ecosystems support an extraordinary variety of wildlife. Vast savannahs are home to elephants, giraffes, zebras, topi, eland, impalas, waterbucks, and buffaloes, while its forests shelter leopards, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and bushbuck. Wetlands and lakes attract hippos, Nile crocodiles, and more than 500 recorded bird species, including the rare and prehistoric-looking shoebill stork, making Akagera one of East Africa’s finest birdwatching destinations.

One of the highlights of any visit is a boat safari on Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second-largest lake. Cruising through calm waters lined with papyrus reeds offers exceptional opportunities to observe hippos, crocodiles, African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, and other waterbirds from close range. Combined with traditional morning and afternoon game drives, this unique water-based safari sets Akagera apart from many other African parks.

Whether you’re searching for the Big Five, photographing spectacular landscapes, enjoying a sunset boat cruise, or combining your safari with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park offers an unforgettable wildlife experience. Located just 2.5 to 3 hours from Kigali, it is the perfect destination for first-time safari-goers, families, photographers, and seasoned wildlife enthusiasts alike.

Akagera National Park showcases Rwanda’s incredible natural diversity, where thriving wildlife, scenic lakes, and successful conservation combine to create one of East Africa’s most rewarding safari destinations.