Opening time in Akagera national park

Akagera National Park Fees

Opening time in Akagera national park

Opening time in Akagera national park : Akagera national park is the ideal national park in Rwanda for visitors seeking to have the ultimate safari experience in the country. The national park, which is located in the north eastern part of Rwanda, is the only haven for savannah wildlife animals in the country. It is also the only national park in Rwanda where a visitor can get to see the highly sought after Big Five animals.

The gates of Akagera national park are open from 6am in the morning to 6pm in the evening for day visitors. Day visitors are basically visitors staying outside Akagera national park, and such visitors are required to pay entry fees for each day that they enter the national park.

The national park which is located in the district of Kayonza, was founded in 1934 by the Belgian government. The national park originally covered 2,500 square kilometers, until 1994 when a large portion of the national park was destroyed following the return of Rwandan refugees who had fled the Genocide civil war that year. Much was lost in the national park to widespread poaching of wildlife animals in the national park. In addition to this, a large portion of the park’s forest was lost to large scale deforestation and encroachment of the park’s land for agricultural activities and animal grazing.

However, thanks to the creation of the Akagera Management Company in 2010, a lot of improvements have been made in Akagera National Park. Some of the improvements made in the park include;

  • The acquisition of a helicopter for aerial surveillance in the park.
  • The translocation of 18 black eastern rhinoceros in Akagera national park in 2017, and an additional five black rhinos from Europe in 2019. The transfer of these black rhinos in Akagera national park has seen the reintroduction of the species after their 10 year absence in the national park.
  • The national park also received seven lions in 2015, including two male lions and three females. This move was a great achievement for the park, and it marked the first sightings of lions in Akagera since 2007, when the species had gone extinct in the national park.
  • In 2015, Akagera Management Company hired, trained and deployed an anti-poaching canine unit to aid in securing the park and protecting wildlife from poachers.
  • The park management also erected a 120 kilometer solar powered predator-proof fence in the national park. This will help keep intruders out of the national park and prevent human-wildlife conflicts by keeping wildlife animals within the park’s boundaries.

Akagera National Park offers its visitors a wide range of activities such as;

  • Game Drives: The national park offers visitors both day and night game drives. Visitors who wish to explore the national park on a game drive are advised to hire the services of a park guide, in order to locate the wildlife animals easily and quickly. The night guided game drives in Akagera are a great way for visitors to sight nocturnal wildlife such as lions, leopards, civets, and serval cats among others. There are lots of animals that tourists on a day game drive can see like; hyenas, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, antelope, buffaloes and so many more. Visitors can enjoy game drives in Akagera at a fee of USD 25 dollars for day game drives, and USD 40 dollars for night game drives. Visitors hiring a park guide will have to pay an additional fee of USD 25 dollars.
  • Boat Trip: Get to enjoy amazing boat rides on the famous Lake Ihema, which is the biggest lake in Akagera national park. Scheduled boat trips in the national park are offered starting at 7:30am, 9am, 3pm and 4:30pm respectively. The boat trips in Akagera last for only one hour. However, visitors can also choose to go on a private boat trip on the lake. Boat trips in Akagera national park cost USD 35 dollars for the morning boat trips and USD 45 dollars per person for the Evening boat cruise.
  • Community Cultural Tours: Visitors in Akagera national park cannot miss out on the amazing cultural tours that are offered by the national park. These cultural tours entail tourists visiting the communities that live near the national park, and are a great way for visitors to interact with the local people and learn more about the Rwandan culture. Community cultural experiences in Akagera national park cost USD 30 dollars for adults and USD 20 dollars per person for children.

Other activities offered by the park include; camping, fishing, behind the scenes tour, and walk the line experience. Visitors who wish to take part in fishing activities or tournaments in Akagera national park are advised to bring along their own fishing equipment.

There are plenty of accommodation facilities available in Akagera for visitors who wish to spend more than one day in the park. These accommodation facilities range from lodges to camps, and they cater for all kinds of visitors from Luxury travelers, to mid-range and lastly budget travelers. Some of these accommodation options include; Akagera Game Lodge, Magashi Safari Camp, Ruzizi Tented Lodge, and Karenge Bush Camp.

Visitors can visit Akagera national park at any time of the year; although the best time to visit the park is in the months of January, February, June, July, August, and September. This is also the best time to view wildlife in the national park, since the grass in the park is short and wildlife animals are always gathered near water pools in the park.

Book now your wildlife safari to Akagera National Park and get a chance to enjoy the best of wildlife viewing on a game drive in the park.