By interest · 4 days
Big Five safari
Akagera at its own pace: two nights inside the park, dawn and dusk drives, the Ihema boat and a night drive with a ranger.
Length
4 days
Destinations
4 stops
From
$452 per person
Best for
Wildlife-first travellers and photographers.
01 — The route
Where this trip actually goes
- 1
Lake Muhazi
An easy first night out of Kigali.
- 2
Akagera southern plains
Lion, zebra, topi and the best open-country driving.
- 3
Lake Ihema
Boat safari, hippos, crocodiles, shoebill in the right season.
- 4
Northern Akagera
Rhino country, and where the day drives thin out.
The route on the map
Numbered pins follow the order of the route above.
Map of the Big Five safari route
The interactive Google Map loads on the live site.
02 — Highlights
What you will remember
Two nights inside the park, not at the gate
A ranger-guided night drive with a spotlight
Rhino tracking on the northern plains
Over 490 bird species, including the shoebill
03 — Day by day
4 days, priced honestly
Every figure below is per person and covers the room, the food, local transport, the intercity leg and any fixed fee that day. Switch the travel style to reprice the whole route.
Trip total, per person
$994
about $248 a day · mid-range
Comfortable en-suite room, a mix of local and tourist restaurants, occasional private transfer.
Day 1
Kigali to Lake Muhazi
Rwamagana · Eastern province
Short hop east, tilapia on the shore, early night.
Day cost
$110
- Room, food, local transport
- $109
- Intercity leg
- $1.4
- Kigali → Rwamagana · 1,200–2,000 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Rwamagana
Prices for Rwamagana: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 2
Into the park
Kayonza · Eastern province
Southern gate at opening, slow drive north, 16:00 Ihema boat, night drive after dinner.
Day cost
$362
- Room, food, local transport
- $210
- Intercity leg
- $1.8
- Rwamagana → Akagera · 1,700–2,600 RWF
- Permits and fees
- $150
- Park entry, boat and night drive
- Sleeping in
- Kayonza
Prices for Kayonza: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 3
Northern plains
Kayonza · Eastern province
Dawn drive for rhino and lion, midday rest, late-afternoon loop.
Day cost
$310
- Room, food, local transport
- $210
- Intercity leg
- —
- Permits and fees
- $100
- Park entry day two
- Sleeping in
- Kayonza
Prices for Kayonza: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Day 4
Last drive and out
Kayonza · Eastern province
Sunrise loop, midday exit through the southern gate, Kigali by mid-afternoon.
Day cost
$212
- Room, food, local transport
- $210
- Intercity leg
- $1.8
- Akagera → Kigali · 1,700–2,600 RWF
- Permits and fees
- —
- Sleeping in
- Kayonza
Prices for Kayonza: RURA intercity tariff, in force 6 April 2026 · checked September 2026
Per person, priced in USD. Using a recent fallback exchange rate. Coach fares follow the current RURA intercity tariff.
04 — The big line items
What the day totals leave out
Park permits and vehicle hire are the two costs that decide a Rwandan budget. They are listed separately so you can add only the ones you will actually buy.
05 — Practical desk
When to go, and how to move
Best time to travel
June to September for sightings, February to April and November for birding and green landscapes.
Getting around
4x4 required. A park guide in the vehicle is the single best value add-on in Akagera.
Know before you book
- ·Fees are charged per person per day plus a vehicle fee — budget three park days here.
- ·There is no fuel inside the park; fill up in Kayonza.
- ·Stay in the vehicle except at designated points.
06 — Quick answers
Before you commit
How does Akagera compare to the Mara or Serengeti?
Smaller and less crowded, with lower density but a genuine Big Five list and a lake system neither of those has.
Are lodges inside the park expensive?
They range from campsites and Karenge's seasonal tents to Magashi at the top end. All of them beat commuting from the gate.
Other Rwanda trips
Northern route · 4 days
Volcanoes and Twin Lakes
First-time visitors who want mountains without a long drive.
Western route · 6 days
The Kivu Belt
Travellers with a week and a taste for long, spectacular drives.
Southern route · 3 days
Southern heritage run
Students, researchers and anyone here for the history.
Get Big Five safari quoted properly
Send your dates and travel style and we’ll pass this route to licensed Rwandan operators for a real quote on permits, transfers and rooms.