Akagera National Park: Rwanda's Big Five Safari You Probably Didn't Know Existed

When most travellers think of Rwanda, they think of gorillas. But in the country's northeastern corner, a very different kind of wildlife story has been unfolding — one of the most remarkable conservation comebacks in Africa. Akagera National Park once lost its lions to poaching and its rhinos to conflict. Today, thanks to a visionary partnership between the Rwandan government and African Parks, all five members of Africa's Big Five roam Akagera's sweeping savannah once again. Rwanda Safari Tours takes visitors here regularly, and every time we go, we see something extraordinary.

A Conservation Miracle

Akagera's story is one of resilience. The park was gazetted in 1934 and for decades supported healthy populations of large mammals. The 1994 genocide and its aftermath devastated both the country and its wildlife — the park shrank by half as returning refugees settled its land, and most of the large predators were lost. In 2010, African Parks took over management. Lions were reintroduced in 2015. Black rhinos followed in 2017, arriving from European zoos as part of a carefully managed breeding programme. Today the rhino population has more than doubled from the original 18 animals. It is one of the great wildlife restoration stories of our time, and you can witness it firsthand.

Game Drives in Akagera

Akagera covers 1,122 square kilometres of diverse habitat — savannah, woodland, wetland, and a chain of lakes along the Tanzanian border. Morning and evening game drives offer the best wildlife sightings. Elephants are abundant and surprisingly easy to find around the lake shores. Giraffes stride elegantly across the open plains alongside zebras and topi antelopes. The lions, though harder to spot, are well habituated to vehicles and offer spectacular sightings when found. Your Rwanda Safari Tours guide knows the park intimately and will maximise your chances with every drive.

"We'd driven for two hours without seeing the lions and I was starting to think we'd missed them. Then our guide stopped the car and pointed — three lions were sleeping in the shade of a acacia tree, twenty metres away. Breathtaking."

Lake Ihema Boat Safari

Lake Ihema is the largest of Akagera's lakes and the setting for one of Rwanda's most magical wildlife experiences. A two-hour boat safari at dawn or dusk brings you within metres of hippo pods, Nile crocodiles, and extraordinary waterbirds — African fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, shoebill stork (a rare sighting), and great white pelicans. The light at golden hour over the lake is extraordinary for photography.

Birdwatching in Akagera

Akagera is now the largest protected wetland in central Africa and records over 500 bird species. It is one of the best places on the continent to find the rare and prehistoric-looking shoebill stork. The papyrus swamps along the lake shores also hide the elusive papyrus gonolek, while the open savannah supports raptors including the martial eagle and bateleur.

Practical Information

Akagera is approximately three hours east of Kigali on good tarmac roads. The park has two excellent lodges — Ruzizi Tented Lodge, perched above Lake Ihema, and Magashi Camp, a luxury tented camp in the remote northern sector. Rwanda Safari Tours recommends a minimum of two nights in Akagera to do justice to both the game drives and the boat safari. Combine it with a gorilla trek in Volcanoes National Park for the ultimate Rwanda wildlife experience.

Plan Your Akagera Safari Today

Akagera National Park is proof that conservation and tourism can transform a place. When you visit, you are directly contributing to the continued protection of this precious ecosystem. Contact Rwanda Safari Tours to add Akagera to your Rwanda itinerary — we promise it will surprise you.