Akagera National Park: Big Five Safari from Kigali

By Anna Axelson, Operations Manager, East Africa Safaris · Updated October 2026

Akagera National Park is Rwanda's only savanna park and its Big Five park: about 1,120 km² (432 sq mi) of plains, wooded hills, lakes and papyrus swamp on the Tanzanian border, about 110 km east of Kigali, or 2 to 2.5 hours by road. Lions were reintroduced in 2015, eastern black rhinos in 2017 and 2019, and southern white rhinos in 2021 and 2025, so lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo all live here again. African Parks has managed Akagera with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) since 2010.

An international visitor pays $100 to enter the park for a day, or for a night if you sleep inside it, and a boat trip on Lake Ihema costs $35, or $45 at sunset. A day trip from Kigali gives you morning and afternoon game drives; a night in the park adds the sunset cruise, a sunrise drive and the option of a night drive. Our private 1-day Akagera safari costs from $270 per person for a group of six, park fees included.

Checked: October 2026. Park fees and rules come from the Akagera Management Company's 2026-2027 price list and visitor FAQ on the park's official site, and wildlife facts from African Parks and Visit Rwanda (RDB's tourism site). Figures from other publishers are marked "reported." Our tour prices were checked on October 27, 2026; they are per person and include park fees.

Akagera National Park at a glance

Sources for every figure are listed at the end of this page.

Akagera park fees for 2026 and 2027

Akagera sets its own fees. These are the international visitor rates in the July 2026 version of the Akagera Management Company's 2026-2027 price list. Everyone 13 and over pays the adult rate, and children 5 and under pay no entry or activity fees.

• Inside or outside the park. If you sleep inside the park, you pay per night, and one night covers the days either side. If you sleep outside it, you pay $100 for each day you enter.
• Also good to know. A sunrise hot air balloon flight is offered, with no published price. Rwandan, East African and resident visitors pay lower rates, and the park is cashless (cards or mobile money). Our tours include park fees and the activities in each itinerary.

Day trip or overnight: how to choose

Choose the day trip if you have one free day in Kigali, before or after a gorilla trek: a 5:00 AM pickup, about 5 hours of driving in all, and back in Kigali by evening.

Choose a night if lions and rhinos matter to you. The park says lions roam the northern plains, and day 2 of our 2-day trip starts with a sunrise drive, when animals are most active, and covers the northern and southern plains. The night drive leaves at 5:30 PM, during the sunset cruise, so with one night you choose one of the two.

What an Akagera trip from Kigali costs with us

Every trip below is private, starts in Kigali and includes park fees for non-residents and a driver-guide. Most tours use 4×4 safari vehicles (Land Cruisers, Prados or safari vans).

• The day trip. The $270 includes the park's $100 entry fee, pickup at your Kigali hotel or the airport, breakfast, a picnic lunch, drinking water and taxes; tips and travel insurance are extra. Groups of three to five pay $281 to $323 each, because the vehicle and driver-guide are shared.
• The other tours. The 2-day trip includes a night near the park and meals, except dinner on day 2. The longer tours include their gorilla permits (RDB charges $1,500 for a Rwanda permit) and, on the 7-day and 10-day, chimpanzee permits; porter fees, tips and visas are extra. For prices on request, tell us your dates and group size.

Rwanda's Big Five in Akagera

African Parks says lions were hunted out of Akagera in the mid-1990s, tens of thousands of cattle displaced its wildlife, and the last black rhino was confirmed in 2007. Since African Parks and RDB took over in 2010, the park says, wildlife numbers have rebounded and lions and rhinos are back:

• Lions, 2015. Seven returned after a 20-year absence. The park says they now roam the northern plains.
• Eastern black rhinos, 2017 and 2019. 18 arrived from South Africa in May 2017, and five bred in European zoos followed in 2019. They keep mostly to thickets in the south.
• Southern white rhinos, 2021 and 2025. 30 came in 2021 and 70 more in June 2025. They graze the southern and northern plains.
• Elephants, buffalo and plains game. Elephants tend to stay near the lakes, while buffalo, impala, zebra, topi and giraffe graze the open plains.
• Leopards. They are secretive, and a night drive is your best chance, along with hyena, serval, genet and bushbabies.
• Water and birds. Hippos and large crocodiles fill the lakes, sitatunga and shoebill live in the papyrus swamps, and African Parks counts almost 500 bird species.

Sightings are never guaranteed, and your guide adjusts the route on the day. Your park fee stays in the park: 10% of its income goes to neighboring communities, and in 2025 Akagera became the first park in the African Parks network to cover its operating costs from its own revenue.

The Akagera boat trip on Lake Ihema

Lake Ihema, Akagera's largest lake, lies in the south of the park. Scheduled boats run for about an hour from 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM ($35 per adult), and the sunset trip from 4:30 to 6:00 PM ($45). Expect hippos close to the boat, crocodiles on the banks and water birds in the shallows. Our 2-day tour includes the sunset cruise, and our 5-day, 7-day and 10-day tours an afternoon boat trip; on the 1-day tour, ask us to add one.

Kigali to Akagera: distance, drive time and gates

Akagera is about 110 km east of Kigali, through Rwamagana, Kayonza and Kabarondo. The park puts the drive at 2 to 2.5 hours, and our itineraries allow about 2.5 hours each way; both are approximate.

• Gates. You enter by the main gate in the south, and reception is 3 km farther on. The north gate is exit-only, about 100 km away through the park, and the park says to allow 5 to 6 hours to cross.
• No walking. You leave the vehicle only at reception, campsites and picnic spots.
• Onward to the gorillas. Akagera to Volcanoes National Park takes about 6 to 7 hours by road on our 5-day itinerary. The park also lists helicopter access.

Where to stay in Akagera

The park's official site lists five places to stay inside the park:

• Ruzizi Tented Lodge. Run by the park, on Lake Ihema in the south, with nine en-suite tents and a tree-top tent.
• Karenge Bush Camp. Also run by the park, on a ridge above the northern plains, for up to 16 guests.
• Akagera campsites. Muyumbu and Shakani in the south, Mutumba in the center and Mihindi in the north: basic, fenced sites at $25 per person a night, or $50 at Mihindi with breakfast.
• SALT of Akagera. A lodge on a hill above Lake Ihema with 60 rooms and suites and a pool, according to the lodge. The park's visitor FAQ lists it as Akagera Game Lodge.
• Wilderness Magashi. Upmarket tented camps on Lake Rwanyakazinga in the north.

On our tours, the lodge is in the price, so tell us the level you prefer, from a park-run tented lodge to an upmarket camp, and we will quote it.

When is the best time to visit Akagera?

Akagera is open all year, and so are our tours. The park, warm by day and cool at night year-round, names November to April as the best time to visit. Visit Rwanda gives the dry season as June to mid-September and the rains as mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December, and SafariBookings (reported) calls June to September the prime time for wildlife, when the bush thins out and animals gather around the lakes. In the wet season, low-lying areas can flood. If you are adding gorillas, our best time for gorilla trekking guide goes month by month.

Akagera and gorilla trekking in one trip

Gorilla trekkers check in at Kinigi at 7:00 AM. Volcanoes National Park is about 2.5 hours north of Kigali and Akagera about 2.5 hours east, so the two parks take separate days:

• Two day trips from Kigali. Our 1-day Akagera safari, then our 1-Day Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Adventure, from $1,692 per person for six, permit included.
• Five days. The 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour pairs a night in Akagera with a gorilla trek and golden monkeys; the 5-day Rwanda and Uganda double adds a second trek in Bwindi. We book Uganda permits through our Ugandan partner.
• A week or more. The 7-day tour adds chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park and Lake Kivu; the 10-day also adds golden monkeys and two nights on the lake.

RDB's minimum age is 15 for gorilla trekking and 12 for golden monkeys, and our multi-day tours set 15, but our 1-day and 2-day Akagera trips have no minimum age. Compare every Rwanda gorilla tour in Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda: How It Works and Tours from Kigali, plan your trip length with how many days you need for gorilla trekking, and see our Volcanoes National Park guide and Rwanda page.

Before you go

Pack a warm layer for the early start, a light rain jacket, neutral-colored clothes, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens. Game drives are in the vehicle, with no hiking. Check current travel advisories before you book; our FAQ has our latest note.

Ready to book your Akagera safari?

We plan trips from Musanze, next to Volcanoes National Park, and from Cedar City, Utah. East Africa Safaris is the trading name of East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation, licensed by the Rwanda Development Board (license RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995).

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter Akagera National Park?

An international visitor pays $100 for one day, or for one night if you sleep inside the park, under the park's 2026-2027 price list. Two nights cost $150 and three $200. Children aged 6 to 12 pay $50, and children 5 and under are free. Each car also pays a $10 vehicle fee. All our Akagera tours include park fees.

Can you visit Akagera on a day trip from Kigali?

Yes. The park is about 110 km east of Kigali, and our itineraries allow about 2.5 hours each way. Our 1-day Akagera safari picks you up at 5:00 AM, spends the day on morning and afternoon game drives with breakfast and a picnic lunch, and has you back by evening. It costs from $270 per person for six or $391 each for two, park fees included.

Can you see the Big Five in Akagera?

Yes. African Parks reintroduced lions in 2015, eastern black rhinos in 2017 and 2019, and southern white rhinos in 2021 and June 2025, so lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo all live here. On a typical day you can expect elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and hippos; lions, rhinos and leopards are seen less often. A night in the park, with a sunrise drive, improves your chances.

How much is the Akagera boat trip on Lake Ihema?

$35 per adult for a scheduled trip of about an hour, from 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM or 3:00 PM, or $45 for the sunset trip from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Children aged 6 to 12 pay $20 or $30, and a private boat costs $200 for up to 11 people. Our 2-day tour includes the sunset cruise, and our 5-day, 7-day and 10-day tours include a boat trip.

Where can you stay in Akagera?

The park lists Ruzizi Tented Lodge on Lake Ihema and Karenge Bush Camp in the north, both run by the park, four campsites, SALT of Akagera above Lake Ihema and Wilderness Magashi in the north. On our tours the lodge is included in the price. Inside the park, the entry fee is charged per night.

When is the best time to visit Akagera?

You can visit all year. The park names November to April as the best time, while SafariBookings (reported) calls the June to September dry season the prime time for wildlife, when animals gather near the lakes. Visit Rwanda gives the rains as mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December, when some low-lying areas of the park can flood.

Can you combine Akagera with gorilla trekking?

Yes, on separate days, because gorilla trekkers check in at Kinigi at 7:00 AM. Do two day trips from Kigali, or take our 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour, which pairs a night in Akagera with a gorilla trek and golden monkeys. Gorilla trekkers must be 15 or older, while our 1-day and 2-day Akagera trips have no minimum age.

Sources

Official sources and our tour pages were checked on October 27, 2026. Official sources come first, then conservation and tourism bodies, then reported figures, then East Africa Safaris.

1. Akagera Management Company, "Pricing for Akagera National Park 2026-2027" (official PDF, document dated July 20, 2026, linked from the park's campsites page): https://visitakagera.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Akagera-NP-Pricing-List-2026-2027-1.pdf. A second copy, dated April 24, 2026 and linked from the Day Visitors page (https://visitakagera.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Akagera-NP-Pricing-List-2026-2027-2.pdf), has the same rates except that it adds $40 for foreign-registered vehicles, drops the 2-person minimum for scheduled boat trips and gives 18 people instead of 16 for the larger private boat; the page uses the newer July version and mentions the $40 fee. Supports the international visitor entry fee of $100 for one day or night, $150 for two nights and $200 for three, and $50, $75 and $100 for children aged 6 to 12; free entry for children 5 and under; adult rates from age 13; no entry fees beyond 3 nights for up to one week; the per-night fee for visitors staying inside the park, with the second and third nights at 50%, and the per-day fee for visitors staying outside; the vehicle fee ($10 per car or minibus, $20 per bus); guides for self-drive game drives ($25 half day, $40 full day); the night drive ($40 adult, $25 child, 2.5 hours, minimum 2, 5:30 PM to about 8 to 8:30 PM); fishing ($25 and $15); scheduled boat trips ($35 and $20, minimum 2), the sunset trip ($45 and $30) and private boats ($200 for up to 11, $360 for up to 16, starting between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM); the boat times (7:30, 9:00, 3:00 and 4:30 to 6:00 PM); camping ($25 and $15; $50 at Mihindi with breakfast) and tent hire ($30); the behind-the-scenes tour ($25 and $15, minimum 4, 1.5 hours; $180 for 8 or more); park-operated game drives ($200 half day, $350 full day, up to 7); Walk the Line ($30 and $20, 7 km, about 2 hours, minimum 3); community cultural experiences ($30 and $20, half day, minimum 3); cashless payment by MTN MoMo, DPO, bank transfer or Visa and Mastercard; and lower rates for Rwandan, EAC, resident and Pan-African visitors.
2. Akagera National Park, "Visiting Akagera National Park & FAQ's" (official PDF, uploaded July 2026, linked from the Book Now page): https://visitakagera.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FAQ_Akagera-NP_compressed.pdf. Supports 112,000 hectares; the Akagera River on the eastern boundary; the only protected savanna in Rwanda; buffalo, impala, zebra and topi on the plains; elephants near the lakes; seven lions introduced in 2015, now roaming the northern plains; black rhinos (2017 and 2019) in the southern thickets and white rhinos (2021 and 2025) on the southern and northern plains; leopard, hyena, jackal, genet, serval, bushbabies and porcupine on night drives; sitatunga and shoebill in the papyrus swamps; about 110 km and 2 to 2.5 hours from Kigali by way of Rwamagana, Kayonza and Kabarondo; the reception 3 km from the entrance gate; the exit-only north gate; about 100 km and 5 to 6 hours between the gates; the hot spots (Giraffe Area, Mutumba Hills, Mohana and Kilala plains); flooding of low-lying areas in the rainy season; no walking in the park and no leaving the vehicle except at campsites, picnic spots or reception; payment of entry fees on arrival and a 50% deposit to book activities; the five places to stay, including Ruzizi's nine en-suite tents and tree-top tent with all profits to the park, Karenge's maximum of 16 guests, the four fenced campsites, Akagera Game Lodge on a ridge above Lake Ihema, and Magashi Camp (8 tented suites) and Magashi Peninsula (4) run by Wilderness on Lake Rwanyakizinga; and 100% of fees to the park, 10% of park income to revenue sharing and 5% to the National Special Guarantee Fund for human-wildlife conflict.
3. Akagera National Park, official site (managed by African Parks): https://visitakagera.org/. Supports the eastern border location; lion and rhino reintroductions (lion 2015, eastern black rhino 2017, southern white rhino 2021); lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, hippo and crocodile; self-drive game viewing from 6 AM to 6 PM daily; guided game drives, Lake Ihema boat trips, fishing, behind-the-scenes tours, night drives for overnight guests, the hot air balloon, Walk the Line and community cultural experiences; two hours' drive (110 km) from Kigali, on the Tanzanian border; helicopter access; 4×4 vehicles recommended in the wet season; the warm days, cool nights and best time to visit of November to April; Lake Ihema as the park's largest lake; the five places to stay (Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Karenge Bush Camp, Akagera Campsites, Wilderness Magashi and SALT of Akagera); the Kagera River; 1,200 km² with a third covered by water; and the red-faced barbet and papyrus gonolek.
4. Akagera National Park, Day Visitors (official): https://visitakagera.org/day-visitors/. Supports the activities open to day visitors and the boat trip times.
5. African Parks, Akagera National Park (official, park manager): https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/akagera. Supports establishment in 1934; the 2010 partnership with RDB and the Akagera Management Company; lions reintroduced in 2015, eastern black rhinos in 2017 and 2019, 30 southern white rhinos in 2021 and 70 more in June 2025; almost 500 bird species; no high-value species lost to poaching since 2010; 10% of park income to Rwanda's revenue-sharing scheme; and Akagera as the first park in the African Parks network to fully cover its operating costs from its own revenue, in 2025.
6. African Parks, "Rhinos Return to Rwanda After Ten-Year Absence," May 2, 2017 (official press release): https://www.africanparks.org/newsroom/press-releases/rhinos-return-rwanda-after-ten-year-absence. Supports the eastern black rhino translocation from South Africa in May 2017, the last confirmed sighting in 2007, and seven lions reintroduced in 2015.
7. African Parks, "The Return of the Rhino: From Europe to Rwanda" (official campaign page, 2019): https://www.africanparks.org/campaign/rhinos-return-rwanda-2019/about. Supports lions hunted out and rhinos gone by the mid-1990s, cattle displacing wildlife, lions reintroduced in 2015 after a 20-year absence, 18 eastern black rhinos in 2017, and five captive-bred rhinos from Ree Park Safari (Denmark), Flamingo Land (United Kingdom) and Safari Park Dvur Kralove (Czech Republic).
8. Visit Rwanda, Akagera National Park (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/destinations/akagera-national-park/. Supports savanna, woodland, wetland and lakes, the partnership with African Parks, the boat trip on Lake Ihema with hippos, crocodiles and water birds, and exploring the park by vehicle only.
9. Visit Rwanda, Weather (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/facts/weather/. Supports the rainy seasons (mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December), the June to mid-September dry season when roads are easier, Akagera as generally the warmest area, and daytime highs rarely above 30°C (86°F).
10. RDB booking portal, Mountain Gorilla Tracking (official): https://visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw/rdbportal/web/rdb/mountain-gorilla-tracking. Supports the $1,500 gorilla permit for foreigners, the minimum age of 15 and the 7:00 AM reporting time at Kinigi.
11. RDB booking portal, Golden Monkeys (official): https://visitrwandabookings.rdb.rw/rdbportal/web/rdb/golden-monkeys. Supports the minimum age of 12.
12. SALT of Akagera, FAQ and fact sheet (the lodge's own pages): https://www.saltresorts.com/en/rwanda/hotel/saltofakagera/faq and https://factsheets.theluxcollective.com/SALT/rwanda/saltofakagera/SALTofAkagera_EN.pdf. Supports the location on a hill in the southern part of the park overlooking Lake Ihema, 60 rooms and suites and a pool, and the company name, Akagera Game Lodge Ltd, with the same phone number the park's FAQ gives for Akagera Game Lodge.
13. SafariBookings, "Best Time To Visit Akagera National Park," Philip Briggs (reported): https://www.safaribookings.com/akagera/best-time. Supports June to September as the prime time for wildlife, mid-December to mid-February as also good, and thinner bush with wildlife around the lakes in the dry season.
14. East Africa Safaris tour pages: https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/1-day-akagera-safari-adventure/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/2-day-akagera-safari-adventure-with-sunset-boat-cruise/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/5-day-rwanda-gorilla-tour/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/5-day-rwanda-and-uganda-double-gorilla-trekking-safari/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/7-day-rwanda-wildlife-and-primates-safari-adventure/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/10-day-best-of-rwanda-safari/ and https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/1-day-rwanda-gorilla-trekking-adventure/, and the tours page, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tours/, which lists the 5-Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour. Supports the prices (solo to six sharing; the 2-day and both 5-day tours on request), the inclusions and exclusions, the 5:00 AM and 6:00 AM pickups, about 2.5 hours each way, breakfast near the park and the picnic lunch, the sunset cruise and sunrise drive on the 2-day tour and its coverage of the northern and southern plains, the nights in Akagera on each tour, the Lake Ihema boat trips, the 6 to 7 hour drive from Akagera to Volcanoes, the minimum ages (none on the 1-day and 2-day tours, 15 on the others), the packing list, the vehicles and year-round, 7-days-a-week availability.
15. East Africa Safaris, Mark Axelson's and Anna Axelson's answers of October 5 to 6, 2026: supports no minimum age and about 2.5 hours each way on the Akagera day trip, the vehicles used, Uganda permits booked through our Ugandan partner, office locations and the legal name, East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation.
16. East Africa Safaris, FAQ: https://eastafricasafaris.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Supports the RDB license number, RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995.