Akagera Big Five Safari from Kigali: One day, all five

Akagera park safari tour see all five leopards in one day rare wildlife experience

A full-day safari from Kigali to Akagera National Park, departing at 05:00 and returning by 19:00, with priority park entry, a morning boat safari, an afternoon game drive, and a certified guide. The park stretches along Rwanda's border with Tanzania across savannah, rolling hills and wetlands where lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, cape buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, hyenas, crocodiles and antelopes roam. Water and lunch with a soft drink are included. The safari car has a fridge for your own beverages and snacks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Akagera Big Five Safari

• Depart Kigali at 05:00
• Stop for 30-minute comfort break
• Arrive at Akagera Park at 08:30
• Take morning boat safari
• Enjoy morning game drive in southern park
• Have lunch break
• Take afternoon game drive in northern park
• Return to Kigali hotel by 19:00

The experience

Akagera sits just 2.5 hours from Kigali, with a 30-minute comfort stop on the way. You arrive at the park at 8:30 AM with priority entry, walking straight past the line at the gate. The day splits into two different ways of exploring: a morning boat safari on the water, then a game drive through the interior. That combination of routes increases your odds of spotting wildlife that a single approach would miss. Mornings stay in the south, where shrubland and woodland concentrate sightings around the game drive tracks and the lakeshore. Afternoons move north, where predators cluster and visibility opens up across the plains.

The safari car is a pop-up roof vehicle with a fridge stocked with water throughout the day. You can load it with your own beverages and snacks at the comfort stops. Your certified guide speaks English or French and drives the whole route. Lunch arrives with a soft drink included. The park's mix of savannah, rolling hills and wetlands holds giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, baboons, crocodiles, bushbucks and impalas. Leopards hunt mostly at night and are rarely spotted during the day, but Akagera is one of the few parks in Africa where all five of the Big Five are actually present in a single day.

You leave Kigali at 05:00 and return to your hotel by 19:00, or to the airport by 18:00 in time for most international flights. The full day runs 13 hours. Park entrance fees, the certified guide, boat safari fees and mandatory emergency evacuation insurance are all included. Specialized infant seats are available if you need them.

What’s included

• Round-trip transport from Kigali with a 30-minute comfort stop.
• priority park entry at 8:30 AM.
• morning boat safari and afternoon game drive.
• lunch with a soft drink.
• water throughout the day.
• certified guide in English or French.
• park entrance fees and mandatory emergency evacuation insurance.
• use of a pop-up roof safari car with a fridge for your own beverages and snacks.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:30

Book up to1h before

AgesUp to age 80

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Akagera Safari

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English or French, so the commentary is accessible if you're comfortable in either language. The full 13-hour day (departing Kigali at 05:00 and returning by 19:00 or 18:00 to the airport) suits travelers with a single day to spare and a flight to catch.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can I see all five of the Big Five animals in Akagera in one day?

Akagera is one of the few parks in Africa where all five are present, but leopards hunt mostly at night and are rarely spotted during the day, so most visitors see four. The morning boat safari and afternoon game drive through different zones of the park give you the best odds of spotting them.

What time does the safari leave Kigali and when do I get back?

The tour departs Kigali at 05:00 and returns to your hotel by 19:00, or to the airport by 18:00 in time for most international flights. You arrive at Akagera at 8:30 AM with priority entry, bypassing the line.

What animals will I see on the game drive?

Akagera holds giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, baboons, crocodiles, bushbucks and impalas roaming across savannah, rolling hills and wetlands that stretch along Rwanda's border with Tanzania.

What's included in the tour price?

Round-trip transport from Kigali, park entrance fees, a certified guide, the morning boat safari, the afternoon game drive, lunch with a soft drink, water throughout the day, driver guide fees and mandatory emergency evacuation insurance are all included. The safari car has a fridge you can stock with your own beverages and snacks.