How Much Does a Big Five Safari in Rwanda Cost?

A Big Five safari in Rwanda cost breaks down into the park fee, the game drives and boat trips, your lodge, the transport from Kigali and your guide. The park lists international adult entry at US$100 for one day or night, US$150 for two nights and US$200 for three nights, with half-day game drives at US$200 and full-day drives at US$350 in a park vehicle and boat trips at US$35 to US$45. Lodging is usually the largest cost, and it ranges widely from simple camps to high-end lodges. Because lodging, group size and season change the total, we cannot give one price for every traveller, but we can show you how to build it.

This guide explains each part of the cost, a way to budget for two to three nights, and how to save. Prices change, so confirm them with the park or your operator. We checked the details in October 2026. Before you budget, read can you see the Big Five in Rwanda.

The park website lists these rates for international visitors (adults). Confirm them before you pay, because tariffs can change.

The park drive prices apply when you use a park vehicle and guide. If you travel with an operator in a private vehicle, the cost of the game drive is part of your package instead.

Accommodation inside or beside Akagera runs from basic camps to luxury tented lodges. The price depends on the season, the room and whether meals, drinks and game drives are included. Because rates vary, ask your operator for exact figures. As a general rule, the price per night is lower than the gorilla-area high-end lodges, but the lodges in the park's north and on the lake rank among the more expensive stays. See our best luxury eco-lodges in Rwanda.

Akagera is about two and a half hours from Kigali by road, so a private vehicle with a driver-guide is the usual choice. If you combine the park with gorilla trekking, you drive from Volcanoes National Park to Kigali (about two to two and a half hours), then on to Akagera. A flight from Kigali to the park can save time in some luxury itineraries, as in the 5-day luxury Rwanda safari, but it costs more.

1. Add the park entry for your nights (US$150 for two nights, US$200 for three, per adult, as listed).
2. Add the cost of game drives and any boat trip, or check that they are included in the package.
3. Add your lodge for each night.
4. Add the road transfers and the driver-guide for each day.
5. Add meals, drinks and tips.
6. Add insurance and flights separately.

Once you have those figures, ask our team for a quote. Sharing a vehicle with a small group lowers the cost per person.

• 4-day Big Five safari in Akagera and Lake Muhazi, a short stay for those with limited time
• 6-day Akagera Big Five safari and Kigali city tour
• 5-day gorilla trekking and Akagera Big Five itinerary
• 6-day chimpanzee tracking and Akagera Big Five safari

The Akagera park fees are lower than the Serengeti or Kruger private reserves, and the travel distances are short. But Rwanda has fewer lodge options and the animals are fewer than in the larger parks. For most travellers the saving comes from combining Akagera with gorilla trekking in one trip, which avoids an extra international flight. Compare with the cost of a Big Five safari in Tanzania and see Big Five safari: Tanzania or South Africa.

Day one is the drive from Kigali and an afternoon game drive. Day two is a full day: a dawn drive, a rest at midday and an afternoon boat trip on Lake Ihema. Day three is a second dawn drive, perhaps toward the northern sector where lions are most often seen, then a drive back. Over those days you pay for park entry for each night, game drives or the vehicle that provides them, a boat trip, and the lodge. Because the park lists entry fees that rise with the number of nights, a three-night stay costs more per night than a one-night stay, but each extra night adds a game drive, so the cost of a sighting comes down.

Akagera offers guided drives in park vehicles, which are priced per half or full day, and visitors can also use their own or their operator's vehicle with a guide. A private vehicle gives you flexibility on timing and a seat at the window for every guest. A park vehicle means you share the cost and the guide with others. Ask what your package includes, because the price difference can be large, and make sure the guide is licensed for the park.

The dry months, June to September and December to February, have the highest lodge rates and the best game viewing. The wetter months bring lower rates and green scenery, with taller grass and more rain, so animals can be harder to see. Prices also follow the school holidays and the gorilla season, because many travellers combine the two. If you can travel in a shoulder month, ask for the rate; the saving can be significant, and Akagera is quiet at any time.

Between November and May, the RDB advertises a 30% discount on gorilla permits for visitors who spend two nights in Akagera or Nyungwe with proof of payment and one paid activity. That can cancel a large part of the Akagera cost. Read the terms on the RDB page, because they change, and ask your operator to apply them. Our 5-day gorilla trekking and Akagera Big Five itinerary is built for that combination, and the guide to how to book gorilla trekking in Rwanda shows the process.

• Travellers who want a quiet Big Five park alongside gorillas
• Families and small groups who prefer short drives

• Visitors expecting the large herds of the Serengeti
• Those on a very low budget, since lodges and drives add up

• Comparing a park fee with a full package. Add lodging and transport.
• Forgetting the cost of the extra night. Entry fees depend on the nights.
• Using old figures. Confirm the current tariff.
• Leaving out tips. Guides and drivers rely on them.

The park lists US$100 for one day or night for international adults, rising to US$200 for three nights.

Not in the park fee. They are charged separately or included in your package.

Two to three nights give a good chance of lions and elephants.

Yes, but a night inside gives you the dawn and dusk drives.

Yes. Park tariffs, game drive prices and discount rules change, so confirm them with the park, the RDB or your operator for your dates.

It can be, for a short trip. The park is smaller and quieter, and the transfers are short. For scale and the migration, Tanzania is the better choice.

Tell us your dates, group size and lodge preference, and we will send a quote. Talk to Our Tour Specialist.

Source: Akagera National Park.