2 Days Nyungwe Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk

Overview

Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking is Rwanda’s best primate experience after the gorillas. Nyungwe Forest National Park in the southwest is one of the oldest montane rainforests in Africa, and it is home to 13 primate species, including habituated chimpanzee communities.

On this two-day trip you walk the canopy walkway on day one, track chimpanzees at dawn on day two and visit the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza on the way back to Kigali.

Why choose Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking?

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, and watching them in the wild is loud, fast and thrilling. You hear their pant-hoots echo through the valley long before you see them.

Nyungwe adds more than chimps. The forest has waterfalls, tea-covered hills, colourful birds such as the great blue turaco, and other primates like L’Hoest’s monkeys and Angola colobus.

• Primate lovers: chimps plus several monkey species.
• Adventurers: the canopy walk hangs high above a forested valley.
• Culture: a stop at the royal palace of Rwanda’s former kings.

What to expect on your Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking tour

Day one is a scenic drive from Kigali through tea estates and terraced hills, about 5 to 6 hours with a lunch stop. In the afternoon you walk to the Uwinka area for the canopy walk, a suspended walkway of roughly 160 metres that gives a bird’s-eye view of the forest.

Day two starts very early with a packed breakfast. Chimps are most active at dawn, so you set out with a ranger guide before sunrise. Once you find the community, you spend one hour with them as they feed, call and swing through the trees.

After the trek, you drive back towards Kigali and stop at the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza to see a traditional royal hut and the long-horned Inyambo cattle.

How fit do you need to be?

Chimps move quickly, so treks can be steep and fast, lasting from one to several hours. Average fitness is enough, but good boots and a steady pace help.

Best time for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe

The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, usually bring the best sightings because chimps feed lower and closer to the trails. Nyungwe is a rainforest, so pack a rain jacket in any month.

Want a longer stay? See our 3 Days Nyungwe chimpanzee, canopy walk and colobus safari or the Nyungwe and Lake Kivu tour. You can also read about the park on Visit Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park page.

How much does the Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking cost?