Akagera National Park Holidays

Akagera is all about wildlife. Stay in one of three deluxe lodges within the park to experience game drives at dawn, dusk, and even at night. Explore by 4WD safari vehicle or glide across lakes and marshlands to get a new perspective from the water. Discover smaller creatures on guided nature walks and enjoy peaceful moments among diverse flora and fluttering butterflies.

Follow a fence attendant on the security patrol around the perimeter and learn the latest initiatives to battle poaching. Look to the sky on a birding tour and spot hundreds of species from hunting kestrels to fishing storks. Away from the animals, pay a cultural visit to a local community and help care for cattle, make beer, and taste traditional dishes during a lively music and dance performance.

For a country not much larger than Wales, Rwanda packs a punch when it comes to wildlife. Not only can you get up close with mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and see chimpanzees swinging through the Nyungwe Forest, you can also enjoy a Big Five safari in Akagera. Independent viewing is permitted but guided drives are recommended for the best experience.

Abundant populations of giraffes and zebras can be found beside lions, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, and elusive leopards while monkeys and baboons find haven among the trees. Take a torchlight tour under the stars to spot bush babies, civets, and hyenas or join a cruise across lakes and swamps to see hippos, crocodiles, and birdlife searching for food.

Akagera can be reached in under three hours from Kigali but with game drives available both day and night the best way to visit is to stay in the park itself. Discover wilderness luxury at the edge of Lake Mihindi when you check-in at Magashi Camp, the only accommodation in the north. Magashi’s eight spacious tents with retractable sides and outdoor decking sit on platforms overlooking the lake for incredible viewing directly outside your room.

In the south, between Akagera Village and Lake Ihema, are the boutique Ruzizi Tented Lodge and the family-friendly Akagera Game Lodge. Ruzizi offers rustic tents and wooden walkways over the marsh waters in a serene setting powered by sustainable solar energy. Akagera provides deluxe rooms or cottages with kitchenettes, dining areas, and up to three bedrooms ideal for adults and children to feel safe and comfortable together.

June to September is the best time to visit Akagera as the long dry season brings bright days and warmer temperatures reaching averages of up to 30°C. Short grasses and firm ground make driving around more comfortable during this time and game viewing is at its peak with animals easy to spot on the open savannah.

December to February offers a second dry season with slightly lower temperatures and occasional showers which makes the perfect time for a winter wildlife break. March to May and October to November are the wetter months during which the park blooms into renewed life and migrating birds arrive in huge numbers.