Akagera National Park
Africa's greatest conservation comeback — Big Five restored, poaching down 96%, managed by African Parks.
Akagera National Park covers 1,122 square kilometres of savannah, woodland, swamps, and lakes along the Akagera River in eastern Rwanda bordering Tanzania. Managed in partnership with African Parks since 2010, Akagera has undergone one of Africa's most remarkable conservation turnarounds: lions were reintroduced from South Africa in 2015 (the first in Rwanda since the late 1990s) and black rhino from South Africa in 2017 and 2019, restoring the Big Five. Poaching has declined by 96% since African Parks took over management.
Africa's greatest conservation comeback — Big Five restored, poaching down 96%, managed by African Parks.
Best Time to Visit
June to September dry season for best game viewing. December to February also good. Boat safaris on Lake Ihema operate year-round.
What You'll See
Reintroduced lions (approximately 40), 25+ black rhino, over 12, 000 large mammals including elephant (120+), buffalo (3, 000+), giraffe, zebra, hippo, hyena, and 525 bird species — the highest density in East Africa. The papyrus swamps support sitatunga and the globally threatened shoebill stork.
Getting There
2.5-hour drive from Kigali (120 km) via a scenic route through the eastern highlands. Helicopter transfers available (30 minutes). Akagera is Rwanda's most accessible savannah park and easily combined with Kigali's genocide memorial sites.
Where to Go in Akagera National Park
Lake Ihema
Lake Ihema is Akagera's largest lake at 100 square kilometres, fringed by papyrus swamps and home to large populations of hippo, Nile crocodile, and the elusive shoebill stork. The 2-hour boat safari from Akagera Game Lodge departs twice daily and is one of the best ways to see hippo pods, African fish eagle, and papyrus-dwelling species. The lake's marshy islands provide nesting habitat for rare herons and migrant waders.
Northern Savannah
The northern sector of Akagera features open grassland plains and acacia woodland where the reintroduced lion pride now roams. This area also supports the highest concentrations of buffalo, zebra, and giraffe. Night drives operated by the park reveal leopard, spotted hyena, serval, and aardvark. The Mutumba Hills in this sector offer scenic sundowner spots overlooking the lakes below.
Safaris in Akagera National Park
Serengeti & Ngorongoro Private Safari
7 Days
A 7-day private luxury safari through Tanzania's Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Crater with exclusive lodge stays and dedicated guide.
$4,500 per person
Uganda Primates & Wilderness
7 Days
A 7-day luxury Uganda safari combining mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth NP wildlife.
$4,800 per person
Rwanda Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trek
5 Days
A 5-day luxury Rwanda experience combining mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey encounters, and Nyungwe Forest canopy walks.
$5,500 per person
Kenya Private Conservancy Safari
8 Days
An 8-day luxury Kenya safari through private conservancies — Ol Pejeta rhinos, Laikipia walking safaris, and Masai Mara's big cats.
$6,200 per person
Kruger to Indian Ocean
9 Days
A 9-day luxury journey from Big Five game drives in South Africa's Sabi Sands to the pristine Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique.
$7,500 per person
Great Migration Luxury Experience
10 Days
A 10-day luxury migration safari tracking two million wildebeest across Tanzania's Serengeti, with stays at Africa's finest tented camps.
$7,800 per person
Explore Other Destinations
Masai Mara National Reserve
Africa's most famous reserve — Great Migration river crossings, 850 lions, and the pioneering conservancy model.
Read Guide →Serengeti
Home to the only championship golf course inside a major national park — Par 72, 7,065m, wildlife on every hole
Read Guide →Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Trek to meet mountain gorilla families in 25,000-year-old UNESCO forest — Africa's ultimate wildlife encounter.
Read Guide →Volcanoes National Park
Africa's first national park — 604 mountain gorillas across the Virunga volcanoes where Dian Fossey made history.
Read Guide →Greater Kruger
25,000 km² of Big Five bushveld — world-class leopard sightings in the Sabi Sand and Africa's greatest wildlife reserve.
Read Guide →Okavango Delta
The world's largest inland delta — mokoro safaris, fly-in camps, and 22,000 km² of pristine Kalahari wetland.
Read Guide →Ready to Explore Akagera National Park?
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