3 Days Akagera National Park Safari

3 Days Akagera National Park Safari with Kigali City Tour

Kigali begins your story with stillness in the polished streets of Kigali. Quiet corners. Murals that whisper memory. But Rwanda doesn’t leave you there. Just a few hours away, the land opens wide. The trees thin. And the sky stretches over golden grasslands where lion paws print the dust and elephants drift past like ancient thoughts.

This 3-day Akagera safari gives you the best of both worlds. One foot in Rwanda’s modern grace. The other in its wild heart.

With Friendly Gorillas Safaris, you move gently through it all—not as a tourist chasing sightings, but as a traveler being welcomed into the rhythm.

Itinerary Overview

Day 1 – Kigali city tour & scenic transfer to Akagera
Day 2 – Full day Big Five game drive + Lake Ihema boat safari
Day 3 – Morning wildlife encounter & return to Kigali

Safari Summary – Day by Day

Day 1: Kigali’s Story & the Road to the Wild

Upon your arrival in Kigali, your Friendly Gorillas Safaris guide greets you not just with a smile—but with stories. You begin with a tour of Kigali’s soul—visiting the Genocide Memorial, where silence speaks louder than words, then weaving through artisan markets, boutique shops, and hillside cafés.

After lunch, the journey east begins. The hills smooth out. Cattle amble along the roadside. And then, almost without warning, Akagera National Park appears—a place where nature has reclaimed her throne. You arrive at your lodge in time for sunset, with just enough quiet left in the day to listen to the wind move through the savannah but if you arrive early enough, you shall proceed for an exciting late evening game drive to sightsee some incredible Akagera sightings. Proceed to your lodge for dinner, relaxation and overnight.

Accommodation in Akagera:

• Budget: Akagera Rhino Lodge
• Standard: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
• Luxury: Magashi Camp
  Meals: Lunch & Dinner included

Day 2: Big Five & Boat Rides at the Edge of the World

Wake early, as the sun prepares to spill over the plains. Today, you’re tracking the Big Five—lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, and, if luck walks with you, leopards. But it’s more than a checklist. It’s the pause when a giraffe locks eyes with you. The thrill of fresh lion tracks. The hush that falls over the vehicle when something shifts in the grass.

By afternoon, you embark on a rewarding boat ride in the Lake Ihema. Hippos blink at you through water lilies. Crocodiles sun on the shore. Birds—herons, fish eagles, jacanas—write stories across the sky. There is no engine noise now. Just ripples, wings, and breath and proceed to your lodge for late relaxation and overnight.

Accommodation:

• Budget: Akagera Rhino Lodge
• Standard: Ruzizi Tented Lodge
• Luxury: Magashi Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included

Day 3: One Last Look Before Goodbye

Your final game drive begins before breakfast—because the animals write their mornings early. You may see elephants moving in loose procession, impalas leaping through morning mist, or perhaps a hyena padding home from a night of story.

Afterwards, you return to Kigali. The hills roll back into view. The traffic returns. But something about you has shifted. Your gaze is slower now. Your breath deeper. That’s what the wild does—it doesn’t just show itself. It gives you back to yourself.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch included

A Short Escape, A Long Memory

This may be a 3-day journey, but it stretches far beyond. Because Akagera doesn’t just give you animals. It gives you space—inside and out.

And with Friendly Gorillas Safaris, you’re not rushed. You’re received. Guided by those who know when to speak, when to listen, and when to just stop the vehicle and let the savannah do the talking.

So—will you trade the city for the call of birds and the quiet of lion grass?