Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s only savannah wildlife park and the only place in the country where you can see the Big Five. The park, in Rwanda’s northeast on the Tanzania border, covers 1,122 square kilometres of savannah, woodland, and a series of lakes fed by the Akagera River. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, rhinos in 2017, and the park has been recovering from decades of habitat loss and poaching with remarkable success under African Parks management. For self-drive visitors, Akagera offers a genuinely rewarding game drive experience — less dramatic than Tanzania’s Serengeti but with a real chance of encountering all five iconic species in a compact, manageable circuit.
Getting to Akagera from Kigali
Distance from Kigali: approximately 100 km to the Kiyonza (south) gate. Driving time: approximately 2 hours on tarmac. The road north from Kigali through Kayonza to the park gate is well-maintained. An alternative entry is the Nyagatare (north) gate — approximately 130 km from Kigali, 2.5 hours via the northern route through Rwamagana.
Wildlife at Akagera
- Lion: Reintroduced in 2015, population growing (12+ individuals as of 2024). Less reliably sighted than established lion populations in Uganda or Tanzania but encountered regularly on game drives. The Mutumba Hills circuit is the best area for lion.
- Black rhinoceros: Reintroduced in 2017 (5 animals from Europe) — more have been added since. Sightings are difficult as rhinos are in protected areas of the park during the early reintroduction phase. Check with the gate rangers for current rhino visibility.
- Elephant: A well-established population of approximately 100 elephants — visible in the northern savannah and near the lake system. Very reliable sightings.
- Buffalo: Large herds throughout the park — one of the most reliable species here.
- Hippo: Lake Ihema and the other Akagera lakes hold excellent hippo populations. The boat trip on Lake Ihema (see below) provides the best hippo encounters.
- Giraffe: Masai giraffe present in the northern sector — visible on the Gabiro circuit.
- Zebra, topi, impala, eland: All present and reliably sighted on open grassland circuits.
- Leopard: Present but rarely sighted — nocturnal and shy. Night drives improve sighting chances.
Game Drive Circuits at Akagera
Akagera’s game circuits are well-maintained murram tracks. The park’s main circuits cover the central and northern sectors:
- Mutumba Hills Circuit (north): Best for lion and rhino. Hilly terrain with excellent views. 3–4 hour drive.
- Lake Ihema Circuit (south): Best for hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. The road along the lake shore is the most consistently productive for diverse wildlife sightings.
- Northern Plains Circuit: Best for elephant, buffalo, and giraffe.
Boat Trip on Lake Ihema
The boat trip on Lake Ihema is Akagera’s equivalent of the Kazinga Channel trip at Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth. Two-hour morning trips (depart 7am and 9am) cruise along the lake shore with hippos, Nile crocodiles, and extraordinary waterbird concentrations including African fish eagle, goliath heron, open-billed stork, and various kingfisher species. Book at the park headquarters in Kiyonza. Cost: approximately USD $35 per person.
Park Entry Fees at Akagera
USD $40 per person per day + USD $40 per vehicle per day (2024 rates). Payment by Visa/Mastercard at the gate. No cash payments.
Car Hire 4×4 Drive provides vehicles suitable for Akagera game circuits. Contact us for Rwanda self-drive vehicle rental.
