Akagera National Park found in eastern Rwanda is a 2500 sq km of mainly Savannah land. The park is named after Kagera River that flows along Rwanda’s eastern boundary. The river feeds into Lake Ihema and other smaller lakes in and around the park. The park protects an African Savannah landscape of acacia and bush, with patches of open grassland and a dozen swampy lakes. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms a large protected wetland.
Akagera National Park is the only Savannah game park in Rwanda and the only place to sight most of the large mammals while on safari. Whereas there are forest elephants in the other parks, it is very difficult to sight them. Explore the park in the comfort of your safari vehicle while on a game drive.
No trip to Africa is complete without a game drive. Tourists can scratch the itch to go on safari just two-and-a-half hours away from Kigali at Akagera National Park.
Best time to visit Akagera
Akagera can be visited throughout the year. The Dry season (June to September) is the prime time for watching wildlife in the park. Animals are easier to spot because the bush thins out and wildlife concentrates around the lakes.
Weather and climate in Akagera
The climate in Akagera is usually moderate to warm. Average temperatures are quite uniform throughout the year. It is advised to take warm clothing for early morning or night game drives. Akagera’s Dry season is from June to September. There are two Wet seasons. The ‘short rains’ are from October to December and the ‘long rains’ are from March to May.
How to get to Akagera
Most people come to Rwanda to track gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. Kigali International Airport (KGL), about 10km/6mi from the capital, Kigali, will be the entry point into the country.
Akagera National Park is located in the east of the country, 120km/75mi from Kigali. The drive takes about 2½ hours.
Akagera is commonly visited as part of our combined destination on the safari package.