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African Safaris and Tours
Akagera National Park Lodges
Where To Stay In Akagera, Rwanda's Big Five Savannah Park
Akagera is Rwanda's great savannah: rolling grassland, acacia woodland and a chain of shimmering lakes and papyrus swamps along the Akagera River, which marks the border with Tanzania. It is the country's only protected savannah and its only Big Five park. Lion returned in 2015, black rhino in 2017 and white rhino in 2021, with a further 70 white rhino arriving in 2025 – a remarkable recovery led by African Parks and the Rwanda Development Board, who have managed Akagera together since 2010.
Where you stay shapes your safari. In the south, Ruzizi Tented Lodge sits right on the shore of Lake Ihema, and Mantis Akagera Game Lodge looks out over the same lake from its hilltop. In the north-east, Wilderness Magashi overlooks Lake Rwanyakazinga, while Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites in Nyagatare, outside the park, makes a comfortable stop before or after your time in Akagera.
Days here are spent on game drives across open plains and woodland, and on boat trips that bring you close to hippo, crocodile and the lakes' wonderful waterbirds. Akagera is the perfect savannah counterpoint to gorilla trekking, and a tailor-made itinerary can pair a few nights here with our Volcanoes National Park lodges.
Akagera Lodges, Tented Camps And Hotels
Akagera Game Lodge
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Mantis Akagera Game Lodge is located on a hill overlooking Lake Ihema in the southern part of Akagera National Park. With a swimming pool, restaurant, bar and conference facilities, it is a comfortable choice for families and larger groups, with game drives and Lake Ihema boat trips available nearby.
Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Mantis-run hotel in Nyagatare, in Rwanda's Eastern Province, outside Akagera National Park. Contemporary rooms, restaurants, swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts and conference facilities make it a comfortable stop before or after a safari in the park.
Ruzizi Tented Camp
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Intimate, solar-powered tented lodge run by African Parks on the shore of Lake Ihema inside Akagera National Park. Tents with en-suite bathrooms link by raised walkways to a lakeside deck with a fireplace, and guest revenue goes towards protecting the park.
Wilderness Magashi
Rates form part of a safari itinerary
Wilderness tented camp in the north-east of Akagera National Park, overlooking Lake Rwanyakazinga. Guests explore its concession on guided day and night drives, boat trips and walks, in a park that holds lion, elephant, buffalo and both black and white rhino.
Akagera Lodges: Frequently Asked Questions
Which Akagera lodges are on a lake?
Ruzizi Tented Lodge, Mantis Akagera Game Lodge and Wilderness Magashi all look over water. Ruzizi sits on the shore of Lake Ihema in the south of the park, and Mantis Akagera Game Lodge looks over the same lake from a hilltop. Magashi overlooks Lake Rwanyakazinga in the north-east, while Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites is in Nyagatare town.
Where does Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites fit into an Akagera safari?
Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites is a full-service hotel in Nyagatare town, outside the park, best used for a night before or after your time in Akagera. Visitors enter the park through the southern gate, because the far-northern gate is an exit only, so we plan your route around that.
Who runs the lodges in Akagera?
Three operators run the properties on this page. African Parks, which manages Akagera with the Rwanda Development Board, runs Ruzizi Tented Lodge. The Mantis Collection runs Mantis Akagera Game Lodge and Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites in Nyagatare. Wilderness runs Magashi, its tented camp overlooking Lake Rwanyakazinga in the north-east of the park.
Which Akagera option suits a larger group?
Mantis Akagera Game Lodge and Mantis EPIC Hotel & Suites suit larger groups best. Both are hotel-style properties with swimming pools, restaurants and conference facilities. Ruzizi Tented Lodge and Wilderness Magashi are small tented camps, better for couples and small parties who want a quieter, more intimate stay beside the lake.
Does staying at Ruzizi Tented Lodge support the park?
Yes. Ruzizi is run by African Parks, and money from its guests goes towards protecting and conserving Akagera as a whole. The lodge was built by park management with local builders, runs on solar energy, and links its tents to the main area by raised walkways to keep its footprint light.
What can I do from Wilderness Magashi?
Magashi guests explore the camp's concession on guided day and night game drives, boat trips on Lake Rwanyakazinga and walks. The north-east of Akagera offers lion and leopard sightings alongside buffalo, hippo, zebra, giraffe, topi and eland, making it a superb savannah contrast to gorilla trekking.
Map of Lodges in and around Akagera National Park
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