Safari Country: Rwanda
SAFARI DURATION: 3 Days 2 Nights
Safari Location: Akagera national park
Tour activities: Boat cruise, Game drive.
3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park Trip Overview.
Your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park starts and ends in Kigali.
However, the park can be accessed both from Tanzania and from Uganda through the Mirama hills boarder or even Gatuna boarder post.
Akagera National Park is situated on the Eastern side of Rwanda towards the border with Tanzania.
It covers an area of about 433 square miles.
Akagera national park was founded in 1934 and is Rwanda’s only Savannah Park and home of the BIG 5 in Rwanda.
Akagera national park boasts presence of both the white and black rhinoceros which proves its diverse wildlife experience.
The park is named after the River Kagera which feeds Lake Ihema and other water bodies in the park before proceeding northwards to Lake Victoria.
Believed to be one of the sources of River Nile, it forms an important catchment area that allows wildlife to thrive here in Akagera national park in Rwanda.
Summarised 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park itinerary
Day 1: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Akagera national park with afternoon Boat cruise on Lake Ihema
Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park, Picnic Lunch and Night Game drive
Day 3: Morning Game drive in Akagera national park and Return to Kigali
How to prepare for your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park
A 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park can be booked any time all year round.
However, it is advisable to book with a local tour operator and to use an all-weather 4×4 safari vehicle during the rainy season.
Book your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park trip with Rwanda
For many countries, Rwanda allows visa on arrival but still you have to apply for the visa online; make sure to arrive with a printed online visa application to be able to check in easily and get your visa on arrival.
What to pack for your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park
Rwanda safaris are very interesting given the cool climate and weather which makes it easy for you to pack for your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park.
Rwanda being a country in the tropics, you still have to carefully pack for your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park as follows;
- Have an insect repellant as travelling through the jungle with wildlife can harbor insects from mosquitoes to many other insects.
- Swimming gear as you can be able to swim from your lodge in Akagera national park depending on where you stay.
- Short safari clothes for the summer or long safari clothes for the wet season with jumpers as Rwanda does get cold.
- Sunscreen to avoid sun burns.
- A safari hat
- A binocular to get a clear view of that wildlife on your safari.
- A camera to capture your memories
Detailed 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park itinerary
Day 1: Kigali City Tour and Transfer to Akagera national park with afternoon Boat cruise on Lake Ihema
You will be picked by a Bujuku Eco Tours driver guide from your hotel or from Kigali international airport to start of your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park.
You will be briefed by your driver guide before checking out for a Kigali city tourto visit the Gisozi genocide memorial museum in Kigali, visit the Kigali convention centre, Nyamirambo women’s centre, Kemironko market, the former presidential palace, Nyandundu Eco park, etc.
Thereafter, proceed with your 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park driving eastwards to Akagera national park.
The road drive to Akagera National Park takes 2 to 3 hours.
You will have a stop at the Nyakarambi village to learn about the cow dung paintings by the Kakira women cooperative.
Learn about their unique style of decorating houses that was started by Prince Kakira using cow dung.
This fascinates many visitors to Rwanda.
The cow dung is first dried and then mixed with different colors from natural material (including plants). This produces products with a mix of red and white paintings that are very eye-catching.
Arrive at the southern gate of Akagera national park for clearance with your guide before proceeding with a drive through the park to the visitors centre and then to your hotel.
Check in to your hotel and have some rest for afew minutes as you prepare for a scheduled boat cruise on Lake Ihema at 3pm or 4.30pm Kigali time.
The boat trip provides opportunities to spot crocodiles, hippos and other animals coming to bath or drink from the lake. Look out for the elusive Sitatunga (swamp antelope) and waterbucks.
Accommodation options:
Budget: Akagera Campsites (MUYUMBU, SHAKANI, MUTUMBA, MIHINDI CAMPSITES)
Mid-range: Karenge Bush camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp
Luxury: Mantis Akagera Game Lodge
Day 2: Game drive in Akagera national park, Picnic Lunch and Night Game drive
Wake up early and take you breakfast as you wait for the Guide/Driver to pick you up. This day is all about games drives.
Our Guide will pick up an experienced park Guide to move with you and take you to the best places for game drives.
You will go to different parts of the park while exploring the parks landscape including woodland forest, savanna plains, riverine forests and wetlands. During the morning game drive, watch out for hippos, Impala, warthogs, Topi, Zebras, spotted hyenas, giraffes, buffaloes, crocodiles, elephants and birds.
The park Guide will play an important role in helping locate the lions, Rhinos and other elusive creatures.
Lunch will be a picnic in the open Savannah plains to allow you experience the unique feeling of dinning out in the African wild.
After lunch, the driver will take you back to your hotel where you can relax and take a swim in the hotel swimming pool.
You can choose to go for another afternoon game drive before the night game drive if you wish or go out specifically to spot the birds. Akagera is one of the top birding destinations in Rwanda with over 500 species recorded including the Papyrus Gonolek and Shoebill storks.
The best place to spot the birds is at the vast wetlands found in the park.
The night game drive is designed to allow you spot the nocturnal animals like leopards, hyenas and mongooses, owls and primates
Accommodation options:
Budget: Akagera Campsites (MUYUMBU, SHAKANI, MUTUMBA, MIHINDI CAMPSITES)
Mid-range: Karenge Bush camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp
Luxury: Mantis Akagera Game Lodge
Day 3: Morning Game drive in Akagera national park and Return to Kigali
Wake up at your r leisure, take breakfast and prepare for one last game drive in the park just in case you didn’t see any of the animals.
Our Guide/Driver will meet with the park guide and take you to another section of the park for yet more wildlife encounters.
After you are done with this game drive, it’s time to start the journey back to Kigali. Lunch is taken while on the way back to Kigali.
In case you missed the Kigali city tour or the cow dung paintings at the Nyakarambi village for some reason on the first day, this is the time to do it. Please note that a safari in Rwanda and the Akagera national park in particular can be combined with chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest, hiking volcanoes, golden monkey trekking, biking along the Congo Nile Trail and gorilla trekking in the volcanoes national park.
Activities to do on a 3 days Rwanda BIG 5 safari to Akagera national park
Visit the Gisozi genocide memorial museum in Kigali
visit the Kigali convention centre
Visit the Nyamirambo women’s centre
Visit Kemironko market
Visit the former presidential palace
Visit Nyandundu Eco park for birding, biking and a nature walk
Boat cruise on Lake Ihema
Night game drive in Akagera national park
Day Game drive in Akagera national park