Akagera Safari Tours and wildlife journeys are among our most recommended safaris in Rwanda. Akagera National Park is the only savanna national park in Rwanda. The park is located in eastern Rwanda about a 3-hour drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital city.
It was established in 1934 and covers a land area of 1,122 square Kilometers. This makes it the largest protected wetland in East and Central Africa. Akagera National Park is diverse with open savannas, wetland vegetation, and woodland ecosystems that are home to various wildlife species.
Akagera Safari Tours are therefore the only savanna-related tour experiences you can have in Rwanda. Below are some of the top-rated Akagera Safari Tours that make the park a must-visit savanna wildlife destination.
Big Cats Safari Tours
Akagera National Park is home to two major big cats, lions and leopards. Lions in Akagera had gone extinct but through the partnership of the Rwanda Government and Africa Parks, they were reintroduced in 2015. Today the park boosts a reasonable number of lions and they are easily spotted while on game drives.
Leopards even though solitary are other big cats you encounter on Akagera Safari tours. The leopard population in the park is stable and the abundance of prey is a guarantee of their survival and sustainability.
Game drives in Akagera especially in the northern sector are rewarding and feature these big cats.
Big Five Mammal Safari Tours
Akagera National Park is among the few national parks in the area with all the big five mammals. Rhinos had also gone extinct but were reintroduced to the park and now it has both black and white rhinos.
The elephant and Buffalo population is very stable and these can easily be spotted on game drives. Adventure travelers visit African parks to journey with the Big Five mammals and you are guaranteed of that on Akagara Safari Tours.
To fully explore the Big Five Mammals in the park it is better to spend at least 2 nights there. Night game drives are also doable where you get to catch up with the nocturnal wildlife. Other notable safari animals in the park include giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, and the topi Among others.
Boat cruise experiences
Lake Ihema is the prominent water body in Akagera National Park and it is explored on boat cruise adventures. There are quite a number of animals you can spot on a boat cruise along this Lake. They include crocodiles, Hippos, and various birds including the fish eagles.
Morning boat cruises are doable and ideal for birders. Afternoon boat cruises are great as some animals come down the lake for water. You Can also enjoy the sunset over the horizon on an evening boat cruise.
Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s most important birding area after Nyungwe forest. The park’s diversity gives it a great advantage to be a haven for various bird species. Notable birds in Akagera include the prehistorical shoebill stork. Grey-crowned cranes, Marabou storks, Grasshopper Buzzards, and Ross’ Turaco are also often seen in the park.
Birding Akagera Safari Tours are doable throughout the year. The wet months favor open grassland birds and the dry months are ideal for seeing many wetlands birds. Migratory birds set in from November to April coming from as far as Europe.
Balloon safaris
These have recently been introduced in the park and they never disappoint. Balloon safaris enable a panoramic view of the open savannas as you witness the wild animals freely roam the open plains. Giraffes give an impressive view towering over the skies and zebras are also colorful and stand out because of their stripes.
There are a number of accommodation options in the park ranging from Budget to luxury. Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Mantis Akagera Game Lodge and Magashi Camp are examples you can look at. Magashi Camp is located in the Northern Sector on a private concession. It overlooks Lake Rwankayanja where you can have a boat cruise with sightings of hippos and other wildlife species. This gives you exclusive safari tour adventures featuring the Big Five Mammals and Birds.
While in Rwanda do not hesitate to book Akagera Safari tours for the ultimate savanna wildlife experience.
Other Wildlife Journeys
If you want to explore more you can book our Discovery Journeys adventures to Kenya and Northern Tanzania. In Kenya, there are a number of exclusive safari lodges and camps where you can relax and explore the parks. Our 10-day Kenya safari is ideal for this and the 10-day southern Tanzania safari as well. Kenya and Tanzania offer classic wildlife adventures to include the wildebeest Migration.
Kenya safari destinations like Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Tsavo East and Tsavo West stand out. Northern Kenya destinations like Samburu and Lewa Conservancy are home to rare wildlife species. The Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffes, Oryx Beisa and Gerenuke are some of the notable safari animals you can spot there.
For Rwanda Safari adventures you can opt for a 10-day Rwanda Safari. This also features Nyungwe National Park for chimpanzee trekking and Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking. You can also combine a Rwanda and Uganda safari like the way it is for our 8-day Rwanda Uganda Safari. Uganda offers other exclusive safari tours like the gorilla habituation experience. This is done in the southern sector of Bwindi called Rushaga. It gives you up to 4 hours in the presence of the gorillas. Contact Us now to get started with your next Rwanda Safari tour.
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