Car hire to Akagera National Park

Hiring a car while traveling to Akagera National Park is a more convenient and flexible way to reach the stunning destination. Akagera is situated in the eastern region of Rwanda, and the travel distance is around 116 kilometers. Traveling there takes 2-3 hours. Standard Safaris offers the best car hire services, and you get to travel in a safari-ready vehicle equipped for game drives.

Cars needed to go to Akagera National Park

A variety of cars can be used to take you to Akagera National Park. At Standard Safaris, we select the very best. Our fleet offers 3-seater Land Cruisers (TX, VX, GX, TZ), 5-seater Land Cruisers, and 7-seater Land Cruisers. V8 luxury cars are also available if you prefer traveling in them. The cute safari vans are available for a group or family. We also have 28–35-seater buses if you are going to Akagera National Park as a group.

We also offer SUVs or sedans if you like. We also pick up and drop off at the Kigali International Airport or your accommodation. Experienced driver guides are offered to suit your preferences. These speak diverse languages, including Rwandese, English, Swahili, and French etc. They understand the rugged terrain of Rwanda and have insight regarding Akagera NP and other destinations in Rwanda and East Africa.

Cost of hiring a car

Hiring a 3-seater Land Cruiser goes for USD 80 per day, while 5-seaters cost USD 110 per day. 7-seater Land Cruisers cost USD 150 per day. The safari van costs USD 70 per day. All the prices do not cover both allowances of driver guides and fuel costs from Kigali to Akagera NP. Fuel alone from Kigali to Akagera costs USD 60, while driver allowance is USD 50 per day.

What to see in the park?

Flora and fauna

Akagera National Park is home to over 500 distinct bird species. Birds include brown finfoot, grey crowned crane, white collared oliveback, white winged swamp warbler, papyrus gonolek, and others. Numerous other mammal species, including the Big 5, live in Akagera National Park. The list includes lions, giraffes, elephants, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, impalas, olive baboons, and vervet monkeys, etc.

Open waters

Akagera National Park has diverse open waters, including lakes, swamps, rivers, and others. These are water resources for the wildlife living in the ecosystem. They are also beneficial in the hydrological cycle of Rwanda. Lakes include Hago, Ihema, Mihindi, and Rwanyakazinga, among others. The Kagera River is also part of the open waters, and it is where the park gets its beautiful name.

Other landscapes

Akagera National Park has lovely rolling hills that offer plenty of lovely views for photography. The flora and fauna reside on vast savannah grassland and woodland. These offer shelter to both large and small mammals, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and others. Acacia shrubs make up many woodland vegetation species. There are forests as well in some parts of Akagera National Park.

What to do in the park?

Game drives

Game drives provide exceptional opportunities to explore the wonderful wildlife and other natural wonders of Akagera National Park. While in a pop-up roof safari Land Cruiser, Akagera is home to the Big 5, comprising lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos. There are still plenty of exciting mammals to see, including zebras, giraffes, hippos, and plenty of antelope species.

Boat trip

A boat cruise or trip provides relaxing trips on Lake Ihema while on a motorboat. Visitors get to see plenty of wonderful scenes, including swamp vegetation, hills, and others. Wildlife to spot includes birds such as the shoebill stork, fish, butterflies, crocodiles, buffaloes, and hippos, among others. A chance to sunbathe and do a sundowner is offered during the boat trip on Lake Ihema. You also get to hear lots of interesting stories about the lake.

Birdwatching

This is a worthwhile activity enjoyed in the various habitats in Akagera National Park. Birdwatching can be done in the savannah grassland, Lake Ihema, and other habitats. Birds to see include African open-billed stork, long-crested eagle, grey crowned crane, shoebill stork, hadada ibis, and papyrus gonolek, etc. Birdwatching can be combined with either a game drive, a boat trip, or a nature walk.

Other interesting activities to enjoy in Akagera National Park include nature walks, camping, sport fishing, and others. In the surrounding settlements, you can enjoy a village tour. This is a great chance to interact with and appreciate the indigenous people and their culture. The knowledge gained from people helps us learn about their history, beliefs, and lifestyles. Enjoy entertainment, folklore, milking cattle, and traditional ways of preparing food.

Best time to travel

We recommend the dry season if you want to get great views of the game in the park. This is because rainfall patterns in Akagera National Park are much lower during this time of the year. This makes driving in the park much more comfortable since the tracks are less muddy. With low vegetation cover, animals are quite visible compared to during the wet season. The dry season is often from June to August and from October to November.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.