Akagera National Park Safari: Big 5 Game Drive & Boat

See the Big 5 and hippos on a single day trip east from Kigali

A private guided safari from Kigali to Akagera National Park combines a morning and afternoon game drive with a boat cruise on Lake Ihema, where hippos and crocodiles live alongside migratory birds. Your English or French-speaking guide picks you up at 5 a.m., handles park registration, and returns you to Kigali by 7:30 p.m. The tour includes park entry, a pop-up roof Landcruiser, hot lunch and the boat ride.

Step-by-step itinerary

Akagera National Park guided tour

• Pick up from Kigali hotel at 5:00 AM
• Drive through farmlands and markets to Akagera NP
• Register at park headquarters
• Game drive spotting Big Five and wildlife
• Boat trip on Lake Ihema at 2:00 PM
• Drive back to Kigali at 5:00 PM

The experience

Your guide arrives at your Kigali hotel before dawn and drives east through farmland and local markets for two and a half hours to reach Akagera by 7:30 a.m. After registration at park headquarters, you board a Landcruiser with a pop-up roof and spend the morning scanning the savanna for lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, rhinoceroses, giraffes, antelopes, hyenas and warthogs. The vehicle stops when wildlife appears. The open roof and guide's knowledge of where animals move through the park's diverse habitats shape what you see.

At 2 p.m., you leave the vehicle for a boat on Lake Ihema, where hippos surface near the water's edge and crocodiles sun themselves on the banks. The lake holds migratory and resident bird species the savanna does not. The boat ride offers a different angle on the park's ecosystem and a break from the vehicle before the afternoon game drive resumes.

A hot lunch happens between the morning drive and the boat, and you depart the park at 5 p.m. for the return to Kigali, arriving around 7:30 p.m. depending on traffic. WiFi is available on board the Landcruiser throughout the day.

What’s included

• Private safari Landcruiser with pop-up roof.
• park entry fees and government fees.
• hot bush lunch.
• boat cruise on Lake Ihema.
• WiFi on board.
• English, French, Spanish or Italian-speaking driver-guide.
• hotel pickup and return to Kigali.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (6 to 14 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 25 pickup points.

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

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Gorilla Hub Safaris

Is this one for you?The 5 a.m. pickup and 12-hour day suit travelers with a full morning and afternoon free, and the early start is what puts you in the park when wildlife is most active. If you arrive in Kigali the night before or have a flexible schedule, this timing maximizes what you see.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 14 years); Infant (under 6).

What animals am I most likely to see on the Akagera game drive?

Akagera is home to the African Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinoceroses) as well as giraffes, antelopes, hyenas and warthogs. The park also holds a variety of indigenous and migratory bird species. What you encounter depends on the season and where animals move through the park's habitats on the day you visit.

How early does the pickup happen, and why?

Your guide picks you up at 5 a.m. from your Kigali hotel. The early start gets you to the park by 7:30 a.m., when wildlife is most active and visible before the heat of midday drives animals into shade.

What happens on Lake Ihema during the boat cruise?

Lake Ihema is teeming with hippos, crocodiles and a variety of bird species. The boat ride gives you a close perspective on the lake's wildlife and the park's ecosystem from the water, a different vantage point from the game drive.

Is lunch included, and when do we eat?

Yes, a hot bush lunch is included. You eat between the morning game drive and the afternoon boat cruise on Lake Ihema, around midday.