An African elephant walks across the savanna past acacia trees and distant hills.

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Akagera Big Five Safari

Two full days of game drives and a boat safari in Akagera, Rwanda's only savanna and Big Five park.

Enquire about this trip See the day by day

Duration4 Days / 3 Nights

Group size2 – 6 travellers

Best monthsJune – September, December – February

From$2,380 per person sharing

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The Trip in Short

Akagera sits on Rwanda’s eastern border with Tanzania and looks nothing like the postcard image of the country – open grassland, acacia woodland, and a chain of lakes instead of volcanoes and forest. It’s also the one place in Rwanda where the Big Five are all technically possible, rhino included since a 2017 reintroduction programme.

This trip gives it the time it deserves: two full days of game drives across different habitats, plus a boat safari on Lake Ihema where hippos and shoebills are the draw rather than lions.

Park fees and gorilla permits in Rwanda are set by the Rwanda Development Board.

Highlights

Game drives across savanna, woodland and wetland habitats
Chance of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and reintroduced black rhino
Boat safari on Lake Ihema for hippo and shoebill
Optional night drive for nocturnal species
500+ recorded bird species
Managed jointly with African Parks since 2010

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Where You Go, Stop by Stop

Day 1

Kigali – Akagera National Park

Day 2

Full-day game drive, night drive optional

Day 3

Boat safari on Lake Ihema, afternoon game drive

Day 4

Akagera – Kigali – departure

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Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Kigali to Akagera

A two-and-a-half-hour drive east from Kigali, the landscape opening out from hills into savanna as you approach the park boundary. Afternoon game drive on arrival, weather permitting, before settling into the lodge for dinner.

Day 2: Full-day game drive

A full day covering Akagera's different zones – open plains in the south, denser woodland further north – tracking lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and the reintroduced black rhino population. An optional night drive after dinner is worth adding for a chance at leopard, genet and other nocturnal wildlife rarely seen by day.

Day 3: Lake Ihema and afternoon drive

A morning boat safari on Lake Ihema moves close to hippo pods and basking Nile crocodiles, with good odds of the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork along the reed lines. An afternoon game drive covers ground not seen on day two.

Day 4: Return to Kigali

A final early drive if the group wants one more pass, then the return to Kigali for departure.

From

$2,380

Enquire about this trip

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What the Price Covers

Included

Akagera National Park entry fees
Boat safari on Lake Ihema
All accommodation, 3 nights
All meals as noted in the itinerary
Private 4x4 transport and driver-guide
Bottled water

Not included

International flights
Rwanda entry visa
Optional night game drive fee
Gratuities
Alcoholic drinks
Travel insurance

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Before You Book

Are sightings guaranteed?

No safari can guarantee wildlife, but Akagera's managed population and varied habitat make multi-species days the norm rather than the exception.

Is rhino tracking a separate add-on?

Rhino sightings happen during normal game drives; a dedicated rhino tracking experience with park monitors can be arranged for an extra fee.

How does this compare to Kenya or Tanzania?

Akagera is smaller and quieter than the famous Mara-Serengeti reserves – fewer vehicles, fewer animals overall, but a genuine and much less crowded Big Five setting.

What's the lodge standard here?

Midrange tented camps and lodges inside or on the park boundary; a luxury upgrade to Magashi Camp or Ruzizi Tented Lodge is available on request.

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Where This Trip Goes

Rwanda

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Akagera Big Five Safari