Akagera National Park

Background Information

Akagera National Park is located in the north east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. It is named after the Akagera River that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes of which the largest is Lake Ihema. The rolling hills of Acacia and Brachystegia Woodland coupled with scattered grassland and swamp-fringed lakes along the meandering Akagera watercourse combine to create a park of breathtaking scenic beauty.

By Road: The park is a two-hour drive from Rwanda’s capital, Kigali. You will have to drive 500m along the Kigali airport road and turn left heading east to Rwamagana. You will then continue through Rwamagana to the roundabout at Kayonza. Once you reach Kayonza round about you will turn right and continue for another 15 kms to Kabarondo. You will then Turn left onto dirt road after the fuel station.  Follow the sounds of birds and the whispers of the wilderness of Akagera national park for another 28km until when you reach Kayonza gate.  If you are headed straight to the information/ visitors centre or the reception of the park you will drive another 3km from Kayonza gate. Vehicles are available for hire for both self drive or with a drive and you can contact some of the tour operators on our tour operators page.

By Air: Akagera Aviation if the major aviation company that offers flights to all the different national parks in Rwanda. They use helicopters for small groups to fly to these destinations and therefore for those who do not wish to use helicopters, you can opt to charter the larger MIL MI 17 which seats 11 people. Or  you will have have to drive to the park as there is no other option. Of-course flying to Akagera will only take 22 minutes in this helicopter. Please find below the prices of using a helicopter.

Some of the most commonest activities to do in Akagera National Park include the following: Game Drives, Bird Watching, Boat Trips, Fishing, Cultural Tours, Walking the Line.

Best Time to Visit

Rwanda lies just degrees (2°) south of the Equator-line, however its generally high altitude implies that it experiences temperatures that are hardly ever extreme. During the day, the temperature ranges between 22°C and 27°C while at night they drop to between 16°C and 21°C. the really high areas also receive frost on some days

From July to September as well as in January the country experiences dry seasons. In the rainy months, the country receives heavy rains nearly every day. However, once the down pour is over, the remainder of the day is normally bright and sunny.

So the best time to visit is during the dry season, its best recommend you to avoid the wet months of March, April and December as most of the routes in the park are impassable.

Below we have summarized the overall weather and climate of Rwanda. Rwanda lies on a high altitude with nice tropical-highland climate and receives plenty of rainfall. Generally the temperatures across the country differ greatly from one area to another basing on their altitude. The temperatures within the capital city –Kigali on average are 21°C.