Distance of the Akagera national park : The Akagera national park is one of the national parks of Rwanda and this park is the most visited by guests who are interested in the savannah Rwanda wildlife Safari. Akagera national park is located in the north eastern part of the country bordering Tanzania in the East. The eco system of this park is diverse and keeps guests entertained no matter the corner they are in.
The Akagera national park is sitted on an area of 1,122 square kilometers and is a home to the big 5 animals and other smaller game. The animals of the Akagera national park include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes like the water bucks, elands, impalas, hippos and crocodiles in the water bodies of the park, warthogs and other animals to mention but a few.
The Akagera national park is the only kind of its in the whole of Rwanda as it is in the savannah region of the country. Most tourists come to Rwanda looking for a mountain gorilla trekking experience however a visit to the Akagera national park will definitely top up this primate safari in Rwanda. The major activities of the Akagera national park are safari game drives for a chance to spot the wildlife in the park and the Lake Ihema boat cruise for a chance to spot the aquatic animals such as the hippos and the crocodiles.
The Akagera national park is also famous for birding as it is a home to about 490 bird species, both endemic and migratory birds. The type of birds seen in this park are mainly the savannah land species and some forest species in the forested areas of the park. Some of the birds you can look out to see on a birding experience include the red-faced Barbet, Ruhuahua cat, the brubru, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, black crowned Tchagra, Green Wood Hoopoe African Grey Hornbill, woodland Kingfisher to mention but a few.
Besides game drives, boat ride on the Lake Ihema, guests of the Akagera national park can look at nature walks, walk the line experience or do a community cultural experience. To get to enjoy all these activities in the Akagera national park, you will need to know how to get there and how far the Akagera national park is from your current location in Rwanda.
The Akagera national park is a very accessible national park as the routes are well tarmacked and marked and also an airstrip and a close by airport to ease connection to this park.
Best airport to land
The Akagera national park being in Rwanda, the best airport to land at when coming for a Rwanda safari here will be the Kigali International airport of Rwanda which serves many international flights from different parts of the world. The Kigali International airport is located in Kanombe east of Kigali the capital city of Rwanda. The airport is 5 kilometers away from the city’s center.
Distances
From Kigali:
By road;
The Akagera national park is the closest national park of Rwanda from Kigali and is only 98.1 kilometers away. This is approximately a 1 hour and 30-minute drive or 2-hour drive from Kigali to Akagera national park because of the speed limits in the country.
If you hire a private car, connecting to the park is easier however there is an option of public buses that move from Kigali city to kayonza town and kibungo town that are close by the park and connect further to the park.
By air
For the guests who prefer to spend less time on road, there is an option for a charter flight operated by the Akagera aviation. You take on a 30-minute flight from Kigali to the Bugesera airstrip.
From other national parks:
Volcanoes national park;
The Akagera national park is a 4 to 5 hour road transfer from the Volcanoes national park so if you are interested in visiting the Akagera national park after a mountain gorilla trekking, be sure to be able to connect between the two parks.
Nyungwe forest national park;
The Nyungwe forest national park is another of the primate parks of Rwanda and guests at the Nyungwe park can take on the chimpanzee trek. The distance between the Nyungwe forest and the Akagera national park is about a 5-to-6-hour drive. You can connect from Nyungwe to Akagera via Kigali city and make it for an evening boat or evening game drive.
