2 Days Rwanda Wildlife Safari in Akagera National Park

Safari highlights

• Two game drives in different parts of the park
• Boat trip on Lake Ihema with hippos, crocodiles and water birds
• Opportunity for lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and zebras
• Optional night drive for nocturnal wildlife
• Short, easy access from Kigali

Itinerary route map

1. Kigali
2. Akagera National Park

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 01
   Day 1 Kigali to Akagera National Park and afternoon game drive

   You are collected from your Kigali hotel in the morning for the drive east to Akagera National Park, which takes about two to two and a half hours. The route passes villages, eucalyptus plantations and open farmland. As you near the park, the vegetation changes to acacia savannah, and you may see your first wildlife from the road.

   After arriving, you check in at your lodge or camp for lunch and a short rest. The park covers about 1,100 square kilometres of savannah, lakes and wetlands, and is home to elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, hippos, lions and black rhinos, which were reintroduced in recent years. The lodge or camp is set within the park, so the sounds of the savannah are never far away.

   In the late afternoon you set out on a game drive, which is the best time to see animals as temperatures cool. Your guide follows tracks through the plains and along the lakeshores, and you may stop at a viewpoint to watch the sun set over the savannah. You return for dinner and an overnight stay.

2. 02
   Day 2 Morning game drive, boat trip and return to Kigali

   Rise early for a morning game drive, when predators and herbivores are most active and the light is soft. Your guide searches for lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras on the plains, and you may also see buffalo, topis, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds. After a couple of hours you return to the lodge for breakfast.

   Later in the morning you take a boat trip on Lake Ihema, the second-largest lake in the park. From the boat you can approach one of the biggest hippo populations in Rwanda, as well as Nile crocodiles basking on the banks. Bird lovers can look for African fish eagles, pelicans, herons and the elusive shoebill.

   After lunch you check out and begin the drive back to Kigali, which takes about two to two and a half hours. You arrive in the afternoon or early evening and are dropped at your hotel or the airport. Your guide confirms any onward arrangements before saying goodbye. We hope you enjoyed your time in the park, and we look forward to welcoming you again.