Akagera national park is Central Africa’s largest protected area, lying in Eastern Rwanda (1122 km2 )embracing the border of Tanzania, distinguished by swamps, Savannah, woodland  Low Mountains and a hub to the big (elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos and giraffes), the southern part is home to reptiles like crocodiles and hippos along vast Lake Ihema. click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

Akagera national park was established by the government of Belgium in 1934; by then it was covering 2500 square kilometers, but it was badly reduced to 50% by poachers and settlers from the genocide war of 1994 who cultivated within the national park, though in 2010 the Rwanda development board (RDB) took over the management.

Akagera national park is termed "parc de I’Akagera which is a French word meaning it is the only wildlife and Savannah national park in Rwanda, the only park where visitors can see the big five animals. This diversified terrain park is home to wildlife like elephants, zebras, rhinos, leopards, buffalos, elands, topis, hyenas, Masai giraffes, and civets, among others.

How to access Akagera national park

Tourists are required to get a tourist visa to Rwanda at a cost of 50 dollars per person for (30 days) single entry to be allowed to carry out activities in Akagera National Park. click here to check mountain gorilla tours 

Tourists can purchase their visa online, at the Rwandan embassy in their country, or on arrival at Kigali International Airport, though there are some lucky countries that do not need a visa to go to Rwanda, like South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Mauritius, Honduras, Uganda, the DRC, Tanzania, and Kenya.

Distances from Uganda, Kigali, and Rwamagana

Akagera national parks are about a 2- to 3-hhour drive from Kigali international airport, it takes about 10-11 hours from Uganda, a distance of 624.4 kilometers; and from Rwamagana, It takes one hour to reach Akagera national park.

Akagera national park can be reached through the two main gates, that is to say, the northern and the southern gate, which can be accessed by both road and air transportation. Akagera Aviation offers flight options.

Game drives Akagera national park offers both morning and afternoon game drives for tourists to enjoy the charming landscapes, flora, and fauna and also gives them an opportunity to see crocodiles, hippos sunbathing while waiting for prey along the shores, and the big five like elephants, rhinos, buffalos, leopards, and giraffes alongside other animals like zebras, elands, and waterbucks, among many more, searching for food and water.

Boat cruise in Akagera national park

Enjoy your boat cruise on this famous lake Ihema in Akagera national park, which gives you a chance to see reptiles like crocodiles, hippos waiting for prey, as well as other animals such as buffalos, zebras, elands, baboons, and wild dogs.

Birding in Akagera national park 

Akagera national park is an important birding haven marked in the history of Rwanda with over 500 bird species, rewarding tourists with exceptional experiences. Such birds include the giant kingfisher, African open-billed stock, long-toed, water-thick-knee, shoebill, papyrus gonolek, Senegal lapwings, grey-crowned crane, and African wattled plover, among others.

Cultural tour in Akagera national park 

This tour takes you to the local communities to see rural Rwandans mingling with cattle keeping to earn a living. In that case, you will participate, observe how cattle graze in their natural environment, how the locals traditionally milk cows, how milk is stored and preserved, how local yogurt is made, how they make ghee, and how the locals cook food with different ingredients. 

Sports fishing 

This non-commercial activity for pleasure is done on Lake Shakani in Akagera National Park; anyone interested must book with Akagera National Park in advance. where one is given the opportunity to take one fish for a meal after the sport if interested.

The best time to travel to Akagera National Park is from June to September and from December to February because it is considered a drier month and spotting wildlife species is easier, but it falls in the high season from June to September when the park is so busy.

The low season falls in the following months, such as March, April, October, and November, which are the months for rain but the best for bird watching. Although Akagera National Park can be visited throughout the year,.