Cultural tours in Akagera national park are common most especially for travelers looking to get an experience and a taste of the rich cultural heritage in Rwanda. Cultural encounters in Akagera national park are done with in the local communities that live around the park.

Akagera national park located in Rwanda is the largest and oldest national park in the country. It was gazatted in 1934 and has a size of 1,122 sq.km. Akagera national park is located in north east of Rwanda and is cahractised mainly of swamps, marshland, savannah woodlands, river kagera and lakes.

Akagera national park is a habitat of over 500 bird species, 8000 large wildlife animals. The park is the only place in the country for savanna wildlife animals such as African elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, topi, zebras, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes among others. Akagera national park is the best place to be for any visitors who would love to see savannah wildlife species.

Cultural tours in Akagera national park take 1-3 hours and they will cost you 20 USD per person. These cultural tours in Akagera national park are good in that visitors get an insight into the interesting Rwandan culture, and they also get to fuse with ordinary Rwandan citizen.

Cultural tours in this park give visitors many memorable experiences. Visitors on a cultural tour in Akagera national park in Rwanda can choose one of the four cultural programs that take place in the park. The cultural programs below.

The heritage

The heritage cultural tour in Akagera National Park basically focuses on the culture of cattle. This cultural tour involves visiting local cattle farms around communities near the park and taking part in activities such as milking the cows, learning about cultural rituals involved around milk. Rwandans hold cattle very well ad these cows play a very important role in the cultural rituals and rites in the Rwandan culture.

According to Rwanda’s cultural history, cattle are a symbol of wealth and prosperity until today. A person with a lot of cattle is known as a wealthy person. Cows also are used in traditional marriage ceremonies called ‘Gusaba’. It’s during the traditional ceremonies that the groom’s family hands over an agreed number of cattle to the bride’s family.

Visitors who have a heritage cultural tour in Akagera national park in Rwanda learn about Rwanda’s rich culture and interact with local people. You will also get to see how milk is fermented and made into traditional ghee.

Local production

Local production tours in Akagera national park Rwanda gives visitors a best cultural tour experience during Rwanda safari. Local production tours in Akagera national park involves visitors sampling honey on combs and making local banana. The visitors get to visit honey cooperative where they get to learn about traditional methods of bee keeping and how harvesting honey is done. Visitors will also go to local beer brewing house and get to learn how ‘urwagwa’ traditional banana brew is made. Visitors can also drink and taste beer and honey made by the local people.

Arts and crafts

Visitors who love art and craft cultural tours in Akagera national park in Rwanda visit local arts and shops in the community. During the arts and crafts local tour, visitors learn how to make crafts such as necklaces made using traditional beads, the straw hats, imigongo paintings, traditional mats among others.

Visitors can also visit Imigongo art and craft center designed by prince Kakira. This house of arts and crafts was made using cow dung and it was made by women.  The cow ding was made was mixed with plant products and clay to create a wonderful white and red colors.

Foods and festivities.   

This is the best cultural tour part in Akagera National Park in Rwanda. The visitors get to visit Humure refugee village a local homestead in the community. The Humure refugee village is a 40 minutes’ drive away from Akagera national park. When visitors come to this refugee village they get a chance to learn how traditional Rwanda delicacies are made after learning the visitors can get to share the meals with the hosts. Also visitors can get to see mazing dance performances from the local people and take part in the dance.

Cultural tours in Akagera National Park can be merged with other tourism activities in the park such as game drives, boat cruise on Lake Ihema, birding, sport fishing, guided nature walks, biking and cycling among others.