Akagera National Park and Volcanoes National Park Safaris

Are you looking for Akagera National Park and Volcanoes National Park Safaris? Akagera and Volcanoes national parks are the most popular national parks for wildlife tours that tourists shouldn’t miss when they visit Rwanda, known as the Thousand Hills. This safari will offer you the chance to see the big five animals and gorillas that are found within the Volcanoes National Park. Visitors to Akagera National Park can combine a wildlife tour of this park with a gorilla trekking safari in Volcanoes National Park.

Akagera National Park is located in the eastern part of Rwanda and covers a total area of 1,122 square kilometers. The south gate is located in the Kayonza district, and the north gate, which is the exit gate, is located in the Nyagatare district.

Established in 1934 by the Belgian colonial government, it is one of the oldest national parks on the African continent. The name of the national park comes from the Kagera River, which flows through the park and heads toward Uganda. Most of Akagera National Park is covered with swamps, wetlands, savanna grasslands, forests, lakes, and rivers. Ten lakes are scattered throughout the park, including Lake Ihema, Lake Shakani, and Lake Rwanyakazinga.

Rwanda’s Akagera National Park used to cover 2,500 square kilometers but was destroyed between 1990 and 1994. For example, the Akagera lion and rhino were reportedly last seen in 2007, when they became extinct.

However, in 2010, a new management team was brought in from the Akagera Management Company, and many improvements were made to Akagera National Park.

In 2015, lions were reintroduced to Akagera National Park. In 2017, 18 black-faced rhinos were reintroduced from a national park in South Africa; in 2019, five more black rhinos were relocated to Akagera National Park from a European zoo. In addition, a helicopter was purchased to enhance aerial surveillance of the national park.

A solar-powered electric fence was installed in the park to prevent wildlife from entering the park and to keep intruders out of the national park.

Thus, visitors can easily see that Akagera National Park has recovered from its tragic past. Another major attraction for visitors to the national park is the wonderful wildlife that can be seen here, including lion, elephant, hippo, baboon, buffalo, zebra, impala, hyena, giraffe, antelope, leopard, and sitatunga. The national park is also home to more than 480 bird species, including the African kestrel, the rare northern goshawk, the papyrus gonolek, the gray-crowned crane, and many others.

Day and night game drives; boat cruises on Lake Ihema; sport fishing on Lake Shakani; bird watching; behind-the-scenes tours of Akagera; walk-the-line tours; camping; and community visits are just some of the activities available to visitors to the park.

Accommodations include the Akagera Game Lodge, Magasi Safari Camp, Ruzizi Tented Camp, and Kalenge Bush Camp, where visitors can stay for one or two nights. Also within the national park are the Shakani Akagera Campground, Mutumba Campground, and Muyumbu Campground, designated for those who wish to enjoy camping. We will drive to Volcanoes National Park in northeastern Rwanda after seeing wildlife in Akagera National Park. This is the only area in Rwanda where you can go gorilla trekking.

Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda was founded in 1925 and is Africa’s oldest national park. The park is bordered to the west by Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the east by Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. We will go on a gorilla hike at Volcanoes National Park after arriving. The park headquarters, Kihihi, is the starting point for gorilla trekking. Every morning at 7:00 a.m., gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park begins. Signing the visitor’s registration at the park, followed by a briefing from the park’s head ranger, kicks off the gorilla trekking activities. The actual gorilla expedition will begin at 8:00 a.m. In Volcanoes National Park, gorilla trekking can take anything from 4 to 8 hours, depending on how quickly and readily the gorillas are spotted. The activity is restricted to tourists above the age of 15, and a permit for gorilla trekking costs US$1,500 for a person interested in participating.

Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park also provides bird watching, guided forest walks, golden monkey trekking, hiking on Mount Bisoke and Mount Karisimbi, hiking to Musanze Caves and Dian Fossey Cemetery, Karisoke Research Center, and Ibyiwaku Village visits, in addition to gorilla trekking. The National Park of Volcanoes has a lot to offer.

Visate Lodge, Virunga Lodge, Sabinho Silverback Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View, Le Bamboo Gorilla Lodge, Kinigi Guest House, and Gorilla Volcano Lodge are among the accommodations available. These lodges provide a range of services to their customers, ranging from budget to mid-range to luxury.

Traveling from Akagera National Park to Volcanoes National Park for safaris requires a 4WD safari vehicle. The 213-kilometer trip from Akagera to Volcanoes National Park takes roughly 4.5 to 5 hours. The journey from Akagera National Park to Volcanoes National Park is fascinating and full of adventure and fun. If you still have time left on your plan, you can pay a quick visit to Kigali. Please come and enjoy the best safari experience, which is extremely interesting. Please come and enjoy Akagera and Volcanoes national parks for the best safaris and travel experiences, which is extremely wonderful.