2 Days Akagera National Park Safari

2 Days Akagera National Park Safari Highlights

• 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari in Rwanda
• Private safari from Kigali to Akagera National Park
• Evening game drive through Akagera's savannah landscapes
• Big Five wildlife viewing: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos
• Search for giraffes, zebras, topi, impalas, warthogs, and other antelopes
• Lake Ihema boat cruise through Akagera's wetlands
• Spot hippos and Nile crocodiles around Lake Ihema
• Bird watching with more than 500 recorded bird species
• Scenic views of Akagera's lakes, wetlands, grasslands, and rolling hills
• Professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Private 4×4 safari vehicle
• Return transfer to Kigali or Kigali International Airport

2 Days Akagera National Park Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Kigali to Akagera National Park & Evening Game Drive

Your 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari begins with pickup from Kigali International Airport or your hotel in Kigali. You will meet your professional driver-guide for a safari briefing before beginning the journey east toward Akagera National Park.

The drive from Kigali to Akagera takes approximately 2–3 hours, depending on your starting point and road conditions. As you leave the city, the landscape gradually changes from Rwanda's urban surroundings to agricultural countryside and rolling hills before reaching the eastern lowlands of Akagera.

Upon arrival at the park, you will proceed to your lodge for check-in and lunch. After some time to relax, you will prepare for your first wildlife experience of this 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari.

Evening Game Drive in Akagera National Park

In the afternoon, you will head into Akagera National Park for a game drive, exploring the savannah, woodland, and wetland habitats in search of wildlife. The evening is an excellent time for wildlife viewing as temperatures become cooler and many animals become more active.

Your driver-guide will carefully scan the plains for some of Akagera's most sought-after animals. Depending on recent sightings and animal movements, you may encounter African elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses, the five species collectively known as the Big Five.

Akagera's wildlife is not limited to the Big Five. During your Akagera National Park game drive, you may also see Masai giraffes, zebras, topi, impalas, warthogs, elands, bushbucks, waterbucks, hippos, and other antelope species. Olive baboons and vervet monkeys may also be encountered in suitable habitats.

The park's varied scenery makes the game drive particularly rewarding. You will travel through open grasslands, acacia-dominated areas, woodland, and wetland landscapes, with opportunities for photography and wildlife observation along the way.

As daylight fades, you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation, bringing the first day of your 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari to an end.

Day 2: Lake Ihema Boat Cruise & Transfer to Kigali

Wake up early for breakfast before continuing your 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari with a morning boat cruise on Lake Ihema.

Morning Lake Ihema Boat Cruise

Lake Ihema is one of the largest lakes within Akagera National Park and forms part of the park's extensive network of lakes and wetlands. A Lake Ihema boat cruise provides a different perspective of Akagera's wildlife and is particularly rewarding for observing aquatic animals and waterbirds.

As you cruise along the lake, keep an eye out for large pods of hippos in the water and around the shoreline. Nile crocodiles can also be seen basking on exposed banks, while the surrounding wetlands attract numerous bird species.

Akagera is one of Rwanda's important birding destinations, with more than 500 bird species recorded, making the boat cruise an excellent addition to this 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari. Depending on the season and location, you may see African fish eagles, herons, egrets, kingfishers, cormorants, storks, and other wetland and savannah birds.

The calm waters of Lake Ihema also provide beautiful views across Akagera's eastern landscape, with opportunities to photograph the lake, wetlands, wildlife, and surrounding hills.

Lunch & Transfer Back to Kigali

After the Lake Ihema boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for lunch and check-out. You will then begin your journey back to Kigali.

Depending on your departure schedule, you may have time for a short stop at a local craft shop where you can browse handmade souvenirs and locally produced artwork. You will then continue to Kigali International Airport or your preferred location in Kigali for the end of your 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari.

Your 2 Days Akagera National Park Safari in Rwanda ends with memories of Akagera's savannah wildlife, scenic landscapes, Lake Ihema's aquatic wildlife, and Rwanda's remarkable birdlife.