Game viewing in Akagera National Park includes the big five, birds, and other wildlife species that are all protected in this savannah type of vegetation. Akagera National Park is set in the eastern part of Rwanda, providing spectacular panoramic views of the plains and wildlife sightings. Akagera National Park shares Lake Ihema with the DR Congo. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris.

Akagera National Park offers the "Big 5," which are well-known and can be best seen on every game drive for travelers. Travelers always have a great time uncovering Akagera National Park, which has plenty of the Big Five as well as other animals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, and plant species. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour

Akagera National Park protects over 500 bird species, numerous animal species, and the renowned lions, who were reintroduced recently. Akagera National Park also accommodates giraffes, bushbucks, elephants, buffalos, and reptiles. Akagera National Park game drives take place in the park’s northern sector.

 The Akagera River, which flows towards the park's eastern edge and feeds its waters into a maze of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Ihema, gave the park its name. Akagera National Park offers a mix of forest-fringed lakes, savannah plains, papyrus swamps, and undulating mountains that bring out the best of Africa’s most picturesque national park. Akagera National Park possesses rich biodiversity and is one of the largest protected wetlands in central Africa.

Big 5 Animals in Akagera national park

Akagera National Park’s "Big Five" animals’ marshes can be seen in this savannah national park, which is the country's major draw. The big five can be viewed as part of your organized safaris. 

Wildlife viewing adventure safaris in Akagera National Park are the highlight of any wildlife vacation on the African Continent. By adding some extra days to Akagera National Park, travelers may include this in their Rwanda Wildlife Safaris, mountain gorilla trekking experiences, bird watching safaris, and cultural tours.

Akagera national park wildlife safaris are the finest method of seeing the numerous custom-made safari vehicles within the national park. Akagera national park provides possibilities of sighting various unique species while relaxing in luxury style in your safari vehicles.

Akagera National Park protects major plains game species like buffaloes and elephants, among others; as with those limited to papyrus swamps, Akagera National Park offers an excellent safari encounter.

Akagera national park's most notable plain game includes elephants, topis, buffalos, zebras, waterbucks, elands, antelope species such as duikers, oribis, bushbucks, reedbucks, Klipspringers, and impalas, primate species like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys that can be seen during the day, and bushbabies often seen during the night game drives.

Akagera National Park morning game drive

Akagera National Park’s morning wildlife drive allows travelers to witness the early risers and grazers that wander in the savanna grasslands. Herbivore animals such as zebras, warthogs, elands, impalas, topis, waterbucks, bushbucks, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, blue monkeys, and velvet monkeys are common.

As a tourist gets closer to the swampy lakes, like around L. Ihema and L. Shakani, you will come across a variety of bird species like the African Fish Eagle, egrets, open-billed storks, Caruthers’ cisticola, cormorants, Senegal lapwings, fan-tailed widow birds, African darters, Hammerkop, pied crows, black-headed weaver, fan-tailed widow birds, Violet's black weaver, Violet’s black weaver, and the long-crested Eagle.

Crocodiles, hippos, and other creatures can be viewed along the lake’s banks. It is important to note that carnivores, such as great hunters like lions and leopards, are kind of difficult to detect during the early morning game drives due to the fact that they could be sleeping in the morning. Akagera national park morning game drives begin at 6:30 a.m. and can go until 11: 30 a.m.

 Akagera national park evenings and night game drives

Akagera National Park evening and night game drives offer guests a second chance to see nocturnal animals if they missed seeing them during the morning game drive. Evening game drives start at 12:00 p.m. and conclude at 5:00 p.m., while Akagera National Park night game drives start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Night game drives require a strong spotlight torch, and they are always conducted with a park ranger guide. 

The main goal of Akagera National Park night game drives is to see nocturnal animal species that you might have missed during the day game drive. Night game drives offer travelers another opportunity to see the park come back to life as well as the evening sunsets. A night game drive in Akagera national park gives tourists a chance to witness nocturnal species such as lions, leopards, hyenas, bush babies, civets, and other varieties of cats.

Tourists always encounter grazers such as impalas, bushbucks, and topis, which normally act as prey for large cats. Akagera National Park offers a vibrant nightlife game drive. These animals can be frantically searching for prey, unlike during the day when most predators lose their fear. 

Akagera boat cruises take place on Lake Ihema. Lake Ihema is Rwanda’s second largest lake, coming after Lake Kivu. Lake Ihema provides a spectacular chance to view aquatic species and bird sightings that bring out the single best way to discover the park, and tourists can also enjoy the fauna surviving in the lake’s waters. A boat cruise on Lake Ihema provides an excellent opportunity to increase the number of animals spotted during the safari game drives.

 During the boat launch, keep an eye out for crocodiles, hippos, and buffaloes, as well as the colorful Kingfishers, fish Eagles, Egrets, Hammerkop and their endless massive nests, and the prehistoric-looking rare Shoebill. Akagera National Park's endemic bird species include jacanas, plovers, hawks, ibises, herons, malachite kingfishers, and many others. The Lake Ihema boat tour lasts about 2-3 hours and provides unforgettable views of Rwanda's largest Savannah national park.