Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Akagera National Park.
Upon arrival, depart early from Kigali for the 2.5-hour drive to Akagera’s southern gate. Spend the afternoon birding around the quiet acacia woodlands, hillsides, and the shores of Lake Ihema and Lake Shakani, and spot Red-faced Barbet (highly localized endemic), Souuza’s Shrike, Bennett’s Woodpecker, White-headed Black Chat, and Greater Blue-eared Starling. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Full day in Akagera National Park.
After breakfast, meet your safari guide and go for a morning boat safari on Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second-largest lake, to explore the dense papyrus swamps and water fringe. Spend the afternoon tracking riverine forests and marsh borders in the central part of the park, to see Shoebill (rare but present in the papyrus), African Finfoot, Lesser Jacana, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, and Carruthers’s Cisticola. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Return to Kigali.
After breakfast, start on a long, slow birding drive heading south-to-north through the open savannas and Kilala plains to Tabora Cisticola, Crested Barbet, Long-cleft Pipit, Martial Eagle, Bateleur, and various migratory raptors. This area offers vast vistas and excellent raptor viewing. Exit through the northern gate in the afternoon and drive back to Kigali.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Akagera National Park.
Day 2: Full day in Akagera National Park.
Day 3: Return to Kigali.
Akagera is best experienced by entering through the Southern Gate (where the park headquarters and most accommodation options are located) and exiting through the Northern Gate. The northern sector consists of wide, open savannas that host totally different bird families than the swampy south. Doing a one-way traverse maximizes your species count on a short 3-day trip.
The elusive Shoebill Stork is one of Africa’s ultimate “lifer” birds. While they do live in Akagera’s vast papyrus swamps, sightings require immense luck and are never guaranteed on a short trip. To increase your chances, booking a private boat safari on Lake Ihema is highly recommended to get close to the swamp edges.
If you want to see the highest volume of species, plan your trip between November and April. This is when Palearctic migrants from Europe and Asia arrive, and local birds are often in their bright breeding plumage.
Akagera has localized pockets of tsetse flies, particularly in the thicker woodland areas. While generally harmless beyond a painful bite, they are highly attracted to dark blue and black clothing. Wear neutral, khaki, or olive-colored long-sleeve shirts and trousers to deter them.
