Booking Akagera National Park
Akagera National Park has limited capacity for most of its activities. Boats, night game drives and campsites sell out, particularly on weekends and during school holidays. Park entrance can always be booked on arrival, but booking in advance is the better option. All other activities and accommodation must be paid for in advance to confirm your booking.
The main number for all park bookings is 0786 17 28 71. You can also email akagera@africanparks.org or book online at bookings.akagera.rw
Book Park Entrance
To book your park entrance in advance you need to register online. You can also pay at the reception on arrival but registering in advance means you skip the payment queue and go straight to the warden briefing.
This matters most on weekends during Rwanda's school holidays, which fall in late December, early April, and July through August. A single student group bus taking advantage of the school discount can hold up the gate queue long enough to cut into your morning game drive. Registering in advance for park entrance is mandatory for all tour operators.
Akagera National Park Registration
The Akagera National Park online registration system is buggy and frustrating. It has frequent glitches and one wrong entry on a form may block your email address from a second attempt at registration. The workaround is simple: do not go straight to registering for park entrance. First create an account. Log in with your credentials. Then register. That route works reliably and is what tour operators use on a daily basis.
Here is how to do it.
Step 1: The booking platform homepage
Step 2: Why not
Step 3: Create an account instead
Step 4: Select Registration not Booking
Step 5: Review your registration
Step 6: Submit and pay later
Step 7: You are registered
If you click the bookings tab for activities, you will notice that boat trips and night game drives appear on the platform but are greyed out. This does not mean they are sold out. The park does not accept online bookings for these activities. Do not waste time trying. Call 0786 17 28 71 directly.
Book a Guide
Akagera National Park guides are best booked in advance but you can also request one at the reception. Park guides are recommended for both self drive visitors and tour operators alike and are mandatory for large groups and student groups visiting the park. Guides know the park better than anyone and are in constant communication about the latest sightings. For those picking one up on arrival, get to the gate by 09:00 at the latest or call ahead to reserve.
Book a Boat Trip
Boat trips on Lake Ihema cannot be booked online. The system sometimes shows availability but more often shows fully booked when spaces are still open. Call 0786 17 28 71 to check. If space is available they will ask you to send an email and you will receive an invoice with a payment link. MTN Mobile Money is also accepted. The trip is only confirmed once paid.
The park operates two boats, the larger taking a maximum of 16 people and the smaller 12.
Book a Night Game Drive
Night game drives cannot be booked online. Call 0786 17 28 71 to check availability. If space is open they will ask you to send an email. You will receive an invoice with a payment link. MTN Mobile Money is also accepted. The drive is only confirmed once paid.
The park runs two open safari vehicles for the southern night game drive, available to guests at Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Akagera Game Lodge. Each vehicle takes a maximum of 7 people.
Guests at Karenge Bush Camp in the north have a separate night game drive also using two park vehicles. Book through Ruzizi or directly with Karenge. [contact number]. With very few seats available, bookings for June to September and December 20 to January 3 should be made as early as possible.
Book a Hot Air Balloon Flight
Balloon flights are operated by Royal Balloon, not the park. Flights run from June to September and December to January only. They do not operate during the rainy season.
Flights can be cancelled on the morning of departure if the weather changes. You receive a full refund if this happens.
Flights depart early morning after a champagne breakfast and are only available to guests who have spent a night at Akagera Game Lodge or Ruzizi Tented Lodge.
Book a Campsite
Campsites in Akagera cannot be booked online. Camping grounds are always available but tents, sleeping bags and mattresses are limited and all booked separately. Call 0786 17 28 71 to check availability, then email akagera@africanparks.org to confirm. If you are booking well in advance go straight to email.
Tents are only confirmed once paid. Weekends from Friday book out fast, particularly during school holidays when Kigali residents and locals fill the sites.
The park does not provide sleeping bags or mattresses. You can bring your own or hire them through the community members Akagera National Park management works with. To book sleeping bags or mattresses call Barak at lake Mihindi Restaurant in the park +250 791 031 591. They will meet you at reception on your arrival with the camping gear. Payment is via MTN Mobile Money only.
Guests booked at Muyumbu campsite in the north have access to a second gate that gets you directly to the campsite without driving through the park. The gate operates between 06:00 and 17:00 on special request only. You must notify reception in advance. If you do not, there will be no guard there to open it for you.
Meals are available for campers on demand. Collect your meal at least one hour before the park closes at 18:00.
Book a Safari Game Drive
Booking a safari vehicle at Akagera National Park is possible but not advisable. The park has two safari vehicles in the south and two in the north. During the day these cars are available for half day or full day game drives and can be booked through reception.
Most visitors book half a day and regret it. Wildlife does not run on a schedule and half a day in most cases barely covers the south circuit. The full day gives you a real chance at the park, but even then you may not cover the whole park south to north. You will need to drive back to where you parked your vehicle in the south and exit by 17:00.
Booking a park vehicle at the gate on the day is possible but not recommended. It is the surest way to ruin your safari. Not only does it cost more than having the same safari car bring you from Kigali, it also limits your experience to mostly the south and this is if you are even lucky enough to get one.
The lodges and hotels inside the park do not provide safari vehicles. For a guided safari you book through an independent tour operator before you arrive.
For a list of registered Rwanda Safari tour operators visit http://rttarwanda.org/
Book a Lodge
Book Akagera Game Lodge online, by email or phone.
Book Ruzizi Tented Lodge online, by email ruzizi@africanparks.com or phone +250 787 113 300. Ruzizi has only 5 tents.
Book Karenge Bush Camp online, email ruzizi@africanparks.com or phone +250 787 113 300. Karenge has only 7 tents.
Calling first to confirm availability is always faster than sending an email cold. Early booking is strongly advised for both Ruzizi and Karenge.
