Nyungwe Forest National Park Safari Guide
One of Africa's oldest and most biodiverse montane rainforests — chimpanzee tracking, a spectacular canopy walkway, and 13 primate species.
Top Highlights
Best Time to Visit Nyungwe Forest National Park
June to September for driest forest conditions. Chimpanzee tracking is available year-round but success rates are higher in the dry season when chimps are more predictable. The canopy walkway is best enjoyed on clear mornings.
Nyungwe Forest National Park Safari Budget Guide
Chimpanzee tracking $90/person. Canopy walkway $60/person. Colobus monkey tracking $60/person. Park entry $40/adult/day. One&Only Nyungwe House $1,000-3,000/night. Mid-range lodges $80-300/night. Budget guesthouses in Nyamagabe from $20-50/night.
Getting to Nyungwe Forest National Park
5 hours from Kigali by road (stunning scenic drive). Can be combined with a visit to Butare (Huye) cultural museums. The park straddles the Congo-Nile watershed along Rwanda's southwestern border with Burundi.
Nyungwe Forest National Park protects one of the oldest rainforests in Africa — a mountain forest that has survived since the last Ice Age and now shelters an extraordinary array of biodiversity. Spanning 1,020 square kilometres of steep-sided hills and deep valleys, Nyungwe is the largest remaining tract of montane forest in East or Central Africa.
The park is home to 13 primate species, with habituated chimpanzees providing the headline tracking experience. Unlike the relatively brief gorilla encounters, chimp tracking can involve covering significant distances as the groups move through the canopy, making for an active and exhilarating experience. Troops of Ruwenzori colobus monkeys — sometimes over 300 animals in a single group — are among the largest primate gatherings in Africa.
The Igishigishigi Canopy Walkway is a 200-metre suspension bridge strung 50 metres above the forest floor, offering a bird's-eye perspective on the canopy ecosystem. Walking through the mist-shrouded treetops as sunbirds flash past and hornbills call from the canopy is one of Rwanda's most memorable experiences.
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