3 daysPrivate tourMid-range

3-Day Akagera Boat & Bush

4.8(61 reviews)·Kigali → Akagera·Offered by Akagera Plains Safaris

Akagera without the clock: three days that pair classic game drives with the two things day-trippers always miss — the sunset boat safari on Lake Ihema, drifting through pods of hippos and shorelines crowded with waterbirds, and a behind-the-scenes morning with the park's conservation team to see how a park that lost all its lions became one of Africa's great comeback stories.

The pace suits photographers and birders especially (the park list tops 480 species), but really anyone who would rather watch one waterhole for an hour than race a checklist. Nights are at the park's lodge above Lake Ihema.

Sunset boat safari among hippos and fish eagles on Lake Ihema
Behind-the-scenes visit with Akagera's conservation team
Full-day game drive to the northern plains — lion and rhino country
480+ bird species — a birder's park by any measure

Duration3 days

Tour stylePrivate tour

ComfortMid-range · Lodge

Park permitsNo trekking permits needed

Minimum ageNo minimum — families welcome

Solo travelersWelcome

CustomizableYes — request changes with a quote

RouteKigali → Akagera

Day by day

1
Day 1Akagera National Park
Into the park & lakes game drive
Away from Kigali by 7:30am, through the park gate before eleven. The afternoon is a slow game drive through the lake country — hippo, buffalo, elephant and extraordinary birdlife — arriving at the lodge in time for a sundowner over Lake Ihema.
Akagera Game LodgeRidge-top lodge overlooking Lake IhemaLunch & dinner included
2
Day 2Akagera National Park
Northern plains & sunset boat safari
A full day with a packed lunch, driving the length of the park to the northern savannah where lions den and black rhino browse the thickets. You loop back south through the afternoon, and at 4:30pm swap wheels for water: the sunset boat safari on Lake Ihema, gliding past hippo pods, crocodiles and one of Africa's densest fish-eagle populations.
Akagera Game LodgeSecond nightAll meals included
3
Day 3Akagera National Park
Conservation morning & return
After breakfast, a sit-down with the park management team and a visit to the operations room — collar tracking, canine anti-poaching unit, the full machinery behind the park's revival. One last short drive out through the gate, lunch on the road, Kigali by late afternoon.
No overnight — tour ends or day tripBreakfast & lunch included

Rates per person

Group size	Price per person (USD)
Solo	$1,325
2 people	$980
3 people	$940
4 people	$910
5 people	$890
6+ people	$860

Rates are per person in USD and vary with group size — everyone in the vehicle shares the guide and transport costs.
A 50% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 30 days before the trip starts.
Cancellation follows the operator's platform-standard policy shown at checkout.

What's included

Included

Akagera park entrance fees (3 days)
Sunset boat safari on Lake Ihema
Conservation behind-the-scenes experience
Full-day game drive with packed lunch
Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
Airport pick-up and drop-off
Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
Meals as listed in the itinerary
Bottled water throughout the trip
All taxes and VAT

Excluded

International flights
Rwanda visa (US$50 on arrival for most nationalities)
Travel insurance
Tips and gratuities (guide, trackers, porters)
Drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary
Personal items and souvenirs

Getting there

Fly into Kigali International Airport (KGL) — it is served by direct flights from Brussels, Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
This tour starts and ends in Kigali. Airport pick-up and drop-off are included — your guide meets you in arrivals.
Most nationalities receive a Rwanda visa on arrival (US$50). The East African Tourist Visa also covers Rwanda if you are combining countries.
Arriving early or leaving late? Extra nights in Kigali before or after the tour can be arranged with your quote.

Traveler reviews

4.8

Based on 61 traveler reviews

Reviews are verified — only travelers who completed this tour can leave one.

“The boat is the secret”

Game drives were excellent — lions on day two — but the boat safari at sunset is what we still talk about. Hippos surfacing beside the boat, a sky full of fish eagles. The conservation visit made us donate to the park afterwards.

Birgit & Hans · Netherlands · Traveled June 2026

“Unhurried, exactly as advertised”

Our guide Placide read the park like a book and never rushed a sighting. As a birder I logged 140+ species in three days. Lodge is comfortable rather than luxurious — the view does the heavy lifting.

Kwame A. · Ghana · Traveled March 2026

Showing recent reviews. The full review history arrives with verified post-trip reviews (Milestone 4).