Experience
Night Safari
The park after the gates would normally close
01What it is
A guided spotlight drive in Akagera National Park after sunset, looking for nocturnal species.
Most African parks close at dusk. Akagera is one of the few in the region to run guided night drives, and they show you a completely different set of animals.
A spotter works a red-filtered lamp across the grass and the eyes come back at you — hyena on the move, bushbabies in the acacias, a civet crossing the track, sometimes a leopard.
It is also simply a good hour to be out. The savannah sounds entirely different after dark.
- Where
- Akagera National Park
- Duration
- About 2 hours
- Departs
- Around sunset
- Look for
- Hyena, bushbaby, civet, genet, leopard
02What to expect
- 01
A spotter and a lamp
A dedicated spotter works the light while the guide drives, which is why sightings happen at all.
- 02
Different animals entirely
Hyena, bushbaby, civet, genet, nightjars, and the chance of leopard.
- 03
Departure at dusk
Drives leave around sunset and run into the evening.
- 04
It gets cold
Open vehicles at night on the savannah are colder than people expect.
03Best time
Year-round, though dry-season nights are clearer and the tracks more reliable.
- JanJan: best
- FebFeb: best
- MarMar: shoulder season
- AprApr: shoulder season
- MayMay: shoulder season
- JunJun: best
- JulJul: best
- AugAug: best
- SepSep: best
- OctOct: shoulder season
- NovNov: shoulder season
- DecDec: best
04What to bring
- A warm jacket
- Insect repellent
- A camera that copes with low light, or none at all
05Requirements
- Night drives are guided and must be booked in advance.
- Departures are limited, so they are best reserved with your accommodation.
- Current night drive fees are confirmed at the time of booking.
Permit costs, age limits and park regulations are set by the Rwanda Development Board and its partners and change from time to time. We confirm the current position with you in writing before anything is booked.
07Journeys that include it
Tours
5 days · 4 nights
5-Day Rwanda Wildlife Adventure
Big Five savannah and mountain gorillas in one week
Akagera's plains and lakes for the Big Five, then north to the Virungas for a gorilla trek — the two headline experiences, without rushing either.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
10 days · 9 nights
10-Day Rwanda Complete Experience
The whole country, at a pace that lets you enjoy it
Kigali, Akagera's savannah, the Virunga gorillas, Lake Kivu and Nyungwe's rainforest — every landscape Rwanda has, without a forced march.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
Yes — it is the only way to see the nocturnal half of the park, and it is a genuinely different experience rather than more of the same.
Add it to your trip
Plan night safari
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and what you want to see. We will come back with an itinerary built around it, not a package pulled off a shelf.