Akagera National Park 2-Day Tour: Night Safari & Lake Ihema

Night safari and boat rides where most travelers see only daytime wildlife

A 2-day tour from Kigali to Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda, with overnight lodge stay, night game drive, and a boat trip on Lake Ihema to spot hippos and crocodiles. The itinerary pairs a full day of game driving across the park's woodland and savannah with evening and night activities that reach nocturnal animals most day tours miss. Includes all meals, accommodation, and an English or French-speaking guide with hotel pickup in Kigali.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Transfer and activities in Akagera Park

• Meet guide after breakfast
• Drive to Imigongo Coffee Shop
• Rest and coffee break
• Arrive at Akagera Park headquarters
• Register and transfer to lodge
• Lunch at Akagera game lodge
• Boat ride on Lake Ihema
• Return to lodge and refresh
• Night game drive

Day 2: Full game drive and return to Kigali

• Breakfast at lodge
• Pick up for full game drive
• Morning game drive through park
• Observe wildlife and bird species
• Drive back to Kigali

The experience

You leave Kigali after breakfast around 9 a.m., with a guide meeting you at your hotel. The drive east takes about ninety minutes, with a stop at Imigongo Coffee Shop to stretch and refuel before entering the park. After registration at park headquarters, you check into Akagera Game Lodge by Mantis and have lunch there. At 3 p.m. the boat trip begins on Lake Ihema, where the largest hippo concentration in East Africa lives alongside crocodiles. This runs ninety minutes. Back at the lodge to refresh, you're picked up at 5:30 p.m. for the night game drive, which runs until around 8:30 p.m. and is where leopards, hyenas, lions, and bush babies become visible.

Day two starts at 7 a.m. with a full game drive from the southern to the northern part of the park. The morning drive covers the open savannah and woodland where zebras, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, impalas, and topis move through the terrain. Near the swamps and lakes (Lake Ihema and Lake Shakani) you'll see African fish eagles, open-billed storks, egrets, cormorants, and dozens of other bird species the guide can name. By late afternoon you're driven back to Kigali from the park's northern edge.

Wear long sleeves, a safari hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Avoid bright colors, white, black and blue, which either create contrast that spooks animals or attract tsetse flies. The park sits in the east where June through August temperatures run around 27°C (81°F). Dinner, breakfast, and all lodge meals are included. The guide speaks English or French depending on your choice at booking.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Kigali and return drive from the park.
• night game drive and full day game drive with English or French-speaking guide.
• ninety-minute boat trip on Lake Ihema.
• two nights' accommodation at Akagera Game Lodge by Mantis.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner both days.

Options for this experience

2 options

African residentsGuide in English or French · 09:00Akagera game lodge stay lasting 2 days, with lunch, dinner and breakfast included, in a 4x4 Land Cruiser; pickup is included.

Internationals residentsGuide in English or French · 09:00Akagera Game Lodge by Mantis, a 4-star property offering lunch, travelling in a 4x4 Land Cruiser; pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to5h before

AgesAdult (25 to 45 years) · Senior (46 to 65 years) · Child (15 to 24 years): free · Under 15: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 23 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Silverbird Tours Agency

Is this one for you?The night safari is what separates this 2-day tour from single-day park visits: nocturnal animals like leopards and hyenas only emerge after dark, so pairing the day drive with evening and night activities doubles the wildlife range you encounter. If you've only done daytime safaris before, the night drive alone justifies the overnight stay.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (15 to 24 years): free. Under 15: they can't be included in the booking.

What animals will I actually see on the night game drive in Akagera?

Night drives target nocturnal animals that rest during the day: leopards, hyenas, lions, bush babies, and smaller carnivores become active after dark. The guide uses a spotlight to locate them, and the drive runs from 5:30 p.m. until around 8:30 p.m., when most night activity peaks.

How many hippos are in Lake Ihema, and why is the boat trip worth the time?

Lake Ihema holds the largest hippo concentration in all of East Africa, along with crocodiles. The ninety-minute boat trip on day one is the only way to see them in the water and to reach the lake's interior, where bird species congregate near the swamps and shoreline.

Do I need to be fit for the game drives, or will I be sitting the whole time?

You're seated in the vehicle for the entire game drive, so the tour suits all fitness levels. The morning drive on day two covers the full park from south to north, and the vehicle stops when wildlife appears. You're not hiking or walking between sightings.

What's included in the lodge stay, and do I need to arrange meals separately?

Accommodation at Akagera Game Lodge by Mantis includes all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), so no separate meal bookings or costs. You eat at the lodge before and after each game drive.

Can I choose between English and French guides, or is it set when I book?

You choose your guide's language (English or French) at checkout. The same guide leads both days, so the language stays consistent throughout the tour.

What's the drive time from Kigali to the park, and when do I need to be ready?

The drive from Kigali to Akagera takes about ninety minutes after a stop at Imigongo Coffee Shop. Your guide picks you up at your hotel around 9 a.m. on day one, so you'll arrive at the lodge by early afternoon in time for lunch and the 3 p.m. boat trip.