Location, size and Accessibility

Akagera National Park was gazetted in 1934 and is one of Rwanda’s most popular wildlife safari parks. It covers approximately 1085 km². It is just a 2-hour drive East of Kigali, Rwanda.
Akagera National Park is dominated scenically by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, the most remote source of the Nile. This is an archetypal African savannah landscape of tangled acacia woodland interspersed with open grassland.

About Akagera National Park

Among the park habitats are Bush Savannah tangled with acacia and branchystagia woodlands with stands of Euphorbia candlebrum, patches of rolling grasslands, riverine, lakes, and swamps. To the west of the park, there are hills reaching elevations of 1600m-1800m above sea level.
Akagera is, above all, big game country! Herds of elephant and buffalo emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes, while lucky visitors might stumble across a leopard, a spotted hyena, or even a stray lion. Giraffe and zebra haunt the savannah, and more than a dozen types of antelope inhabit the park, most commonly the handsome chestnut-coated impala, but also the diminutive oribi and secretive bushbuck, as well as the ungainly tsessebe and the world’s largest antelope, the statuesque Cape eland.

The main features and attractions of Akagera National Park include the Akagera River and Lakes Ihema, Kivumba, Hago, Mihindi, and Rwanyakizinga. Akagera National Park has a large mammal population, including elephants, buffalo, lions, Maasai giraffe, gazelles, impala, baboons, oribi, Butchel’s zebra, topi, bush babies, leopards, and bushbucks.
Among aquatic life are crocodiles and hippos. Akagera National Park also features a large concentration of bird life with over 525 species identified. Unique species such as the shoebilled stork and papyrus gonolek can be encountered. Among the Endemics are jacanas, ibises, sandpipers, and herons.
Accommodation in Akagera National Park can be found at Akagera Game Lodge, Akagera Park Inn, Rhino Lodge, and Campsites.

Important Information for visitors to Akagera Park

  1. Akagera can be accessed through the two gates of Kabarando and Kiyonza.
  2. Visitors to Akagera Park are not allowed to go beyond point 19 in the direction of Gabiro Guest House.
  3. The park is open between 07:00 Hrs and 17:00 Hrs.
  4. For the best experience in this park, always use a ranger guide.
  5. ORTPN is not responsible for any injuries sustained from animals within the park.
  6. Clients are advised to respect animals’ rights, especially regarding flight distance.
Tour Activities: The activities in Akagera National Park include:- Camping, Picnics, Nature walks, Bird watching, game viewing, and Boat rides.