How To Get to Akagera National Park : Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s wildlife safari destination and can be accessed by both air or by road transport. Take note, the main entry point into Rwanda is known as Kigali International Airport and the airport is open to various international flights; SN Brussels, Ethiopian airlines, Kenya Airways, Air Burundi as well as Rwanda Air express. Well, Kigali Airport is located about 10 kilometers out Kigali and it is where your journey to AKagera starts.
Akagera National Park lies in the north Eastern region of Rwanda about 110kilometers from Kigali – Rwanda’s capital city in hours it takes 2 hours and 30-minute drive. The park is an ultimate with lush green scenery and lots of wildlife and birdlife to see.
The use of means of transport is quite impressive though some roads have holes but that shouldn’t stop you from making the trip. Roads take 28 kilometers of the 110kilometers from Kigali though mostly dirt, and so are all the road inside the park. We recommended you to use a 4×4 Safari vehicle especially if you are visiting the park during the rainy season.
Furthermore, you can start your Akagera safari from the Kigali city and from Kigali drive out of town towards the Kigali Airport. But before you reach the airport, it’s about 100meter out and then take a left turn. Then, you head east towards Rwamagana.
You will drive through Rwamagana and onto Kayanza and if you get to Kayanza, take the right turn at the roundabout and drive on until you access to a dissenter station on the left side of the road as you get into the town of Kabarondo.
Note, there is dirt roads after the petrol station. Later take a left turn onto that road and drive on for about 15kilometers until you come to a junction at Rwinkwavu. Amazingly, you will see a signpost that reads ‘’Akagera National Park’’ on the left. The park gates take about 13kilometers ahead after the signpost.
So, we recommend visitors to use a 4×4 vehicle which can be arranged by your safari operator of choice. Most reliable tour companies will provide a driver and a guide. You can opt to do self-drive , through using GPS for easy location within the park. Several safari companies in Rwanda offers outlets and connections with perfect hotels in Kigali. So, you can arrange for a 3 days Akagera Safari Trip to the park.
Akagera National Park is home rich to wildlife species that inhabits the open savannah grassland, wetland, woodland and animal species includes; various antelopes like impalas, water-bucks, bushbucks, Oribis, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, Olive baboons and big five like lions, Buffalo, Elephants, Leopards and Rhinos among others.
Things to do in Akagera National Park includes; Boat rides, Fishing at Lake Ihema, Camping, Community, Cultural experience, Birding, Game drive among others.
Game drive; This is second activity done on Rwanda Safari tour, this is because the park is home to more than 8,000 wildlife animals includes; elephants, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, lions and other animal species to spot like Burchell’s zebra, giraffes, antelopes, impala, Topi, sitatunga, jackals, hyenas many more. There is an option of doing night game drive where you will be able to explore nocturnal animals like lions, civets, hyenas, bush babies, leopards and serval cats among others.
Akagera National Park is located in eastern Rwanda covering 1,122square kilometers along the international border with Tanzania. The park was created in 1934 by the Belgian government, by that time they were residing in Rwanda.
