Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest: Rwanda’s Hidden Safari Gem
I heard them before I saw them.
It started as a distant rustling, the kind you might dismiss as wind through the canopy. Then came the screaming. A high, urgent chorus that erupted from somewhere deep in the forest and sent birds scattering in every direction. My guide grabbed my arm, grinned, and said two words: “They’re close.”
We ran. Through tangled roots and wet undergrowth, following the sound upward through the ancient trees of southwestern Rwanda. And then we stopped, gasping, looking up, and there they were. A whole troop of chimpanzees moving through the canopy twenty metres above us, screaming and crashing and absolutely alive with energy.
Nothing in twenty years of travel had prepared me for that moment.Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest is one of East Africa’s most thrilling and least talked-about wildlife experiences. And if Rwanda’s mountain gorillas are what most visitors come for, Nyungwe Forest is the extraordinary secret they carry home.
What Is Nyungwe Forest National Park?
Nyungwe Forest National Park sits in the far southwestern corner of Rwanda, close to the borders with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It covers over 1,000 square kilometres of montane rainforest — making it one of the largest and most ancient rainforests in all of Africa.
The trees here are old. Some have been standing for over 200 years, their roots gripping the steep hillsides of the Albertine Rift like ancient fingers. The forest was first protected as a forest reserve during the colonial era and was finally gazetted as a national park in 2004, recognition of its extraordinary ecological significance that was, frankly, long overdue.
Nyungwe sits at the heart of the Albertine Rift biodiversity hotspot, one of the most species-rich ecosystems on the African continent. The numbers alone are staggering: 13 primate species, over 300 bird species including 29 found nowhere else on earth, ancient trees, cascading waterfalls, and a forest floor so layered and alive that every step reveals something new.
Most visitors to Rwanda fly to Kigali, spend a few days trekking gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, and fly home. The ones who make the five-hour drive southwest to Nyungwe discover a completely different Rwanda, wilder, quieter, and in many ways more astonishing.
Why Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest Is Unlike Anything Else in Rwanda
Here is what nobody tells you about chimpanzees before your first trek: they do not wait for you.
Gorillas are relatively calm. They sit, they eat, they occasionally glance at you with those deep, philosophical eyes. Chimpanzees are something else entirely. They are loud, fast, unpredictable, and absolutely riveting. A chimpanzee troop in full, screaming, drumming on tree trunks, chasing each other through the canopy, is one of the most viscerally exciting wildlife experiences in Africa.
Nyungwe is home to over 500 chimpanzees, one of the largest populations in East Africa, spread across several communities throughout the forest. Two of these communities have been habituated to human presence and are open to tourism:
- Cyamudongo: a smaller, isolated forest patch that tends to produce more reliable and close-range chimpanzee encounters
- Uwinka: located in the main forest block, offering a longer and more immersive trek through the heart of Nyungwe
Unlike gorilla trekking, where you know roughly what to expect, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest has an element of genuine unpredictability that experienced safari travellers absolutely love. The chimps move. They travel. Some mornings they’re thirty minutes away; other mornings you’ll hike for three hours before you find them, and when you do, the payoff is extraordinary. The forest itself adds another layer entirely. This is not savannah or open woodland. Nyungwe is dense, ancient, and layered, full of sound and shadow, mist and birdsong, the creak of old trees and the drip of water from a thousand leaves. Walking through it, even before you find the chimpanzees, feels like an adventure,
How to Book Chimpanzee Trekking Permits in Nyungwe Forest
Permits for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest are issued by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and cost USD $90 per person, a fraction of the $1,500 gorilla trekking permit, and exceptional value for what is genuinely a world-class wildlife experience.
Booking Options
Option 1 — Book directly through RDB: Visit rdb.rw to check availability and purchase permits online. You’ll need your passport details and full payment upfront.Option 2 — Book through a licensed tour operator: Working with a specialist operator like Africa Safari Tours is the most seamless approach, particularly if you’re combining Nyungwe with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, a Lake Kivu stopover, or a broader East Africa safari including Uganda
Operators handle availability, logistics, and itinerary coordination so you can focus entirely on the experience.
How Far in Advance Should You Book?
- Peak season (June to September and December to February): Book at least 2 to 3 months ahead, permit numbers are limited and the most popular trek dates fill quickly
- Green season (March to May and October to November): Availability is generally better, though advance booking is always recommended
Requirements
- Minimum age: 15 years
- Participants must be in good health, anyone with a respiratory illness, fever, or infectious condition will not be permitted to enter the forest (to protect the chimpanzees from human disease transmission)
- Group sizes are small and strictly controlled
What to Expect on a Chimpanzee Trek in Nyungwe Forest
The Morning Briefing
Every chimpanzee trek begins with a briefing at the park headquarters, typically around 7:00 AM. Your ranger guide covers the rules (no flash photography, stay calm if chimps charge, maintain respectful distance), divides the group, and outlines what the trackers have found that morning.
Then you enter the forest.
The Trek
Hike duration varies enormously depending on where the chimpanzees have moved overnight, anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours of hiking is possible. The terrain in Nyungwe is genuinely challenging in places: steep, rooted, and wet. Good footwear is not optional here.
But the forest rewards every step. Even before you find the chimps, Nyungwe is extraordinary, colobus monkeys leaping overhead, Albertine Rift endemic birds calling from the undergrowth, ancient trees filtering the light into something green and cathedral-like.
The Moment You Find Them
When the guide stops and points upward, your instinct is to look for something sitting still. Look instead for movement, for the treetops shaking, for black shapes swinging between branches with shocking speed and confidence.
The first time a chimpanzee looks directly at you from twenty metres up, you understand something about the word relative that no biology textbook ever quite conveyed.
You will have one hour with the habituated group, enough time to watch them feed, groom each other, play, chase, and occasionally remind you exactly how powerful they are with a charging run through the undergrowth that makes your heart stop.
Photography Tips in the Rainforest Canopy
- The forest canopy blocks most light, use a camera with strong low-light performance or a high ISO setting
- A zoom lens of 200–400mm gives you the best chance of clean canopy shots
- Shoot in burst mode — chimpanzees move constantly and single shots rarely catch the peak moment
- Put the camera down occasionally and simply watch. Some moments are too good for a screen.
The Nyungwe Canopy Walk — Africa’s Most Thrilling Forest Experience
No visit to Nyungwe Forest is complete without walking the canopy.
The Nyungwe Canopy Walk is a 160-metre suspended bridge strung 70 metres above the forest floor between the crowns of ancient trees. Walking across it, the whole structure swaying gently, the forest stretching away in every direction below you, is one of the most exhilarating experiences in Rwanda.
From up here, you see Nyungwe from a completely different perspective. The canopy reveals itself as a world of its own, full of birdsong, movement, and the extraordinary architecture of trees that have been growing undisturbed for centuries. On a clear morning, the hills of southwestern Rwanda roll away to the horizon in shades of green so deep they look almost unreal.
The canopy walk permit costs approximately USD $60 per person and can be combined with the chimpanzee trek for a full and deeply satisfying forest day. Many visitors call it the highlight of their entire Rwanda trip, which, given that most of them have also trekked gorillas, says everything.
Other Primates and Wildlife in Nyungwe Forest
Chimpanzees may be the headline act, but Nyungwe’s supporting cast is extraordinary.
Angola Colobus Monkeys
Nyungwe is home to one of the largest troops of Angola colobus monkeys in Africa, groups of up to 400 individuals moving through the forest in a spectacle of black and white that is genuinely hard to believe until you see it. A colobus troop in full flight through the canopy is one of the most visually dramatic wildlife moments in East Africa.
Other Primates
Nyungwe supports 13 primate species in total, including:
- Grey-cheeked mangabeys
- L’Hoest’s monkeys
- Olive baboons
- Red-tailed monkeys
- Vervet monkeys
Few forests anywhere in Africa offer this concentration and diversity of primates in a single location.
Birding in Nyungwe
For serious birders, Nyungwe Forest is a pilgrimage destination. Over 300 species have been recorded here, including 29 Albertine Rift endemics, birds found nowhere else on earth. The Rwenzori turaco, handsome francolin, and red-collared mountain babbler are among the prizes that draw dedicated birders from around the world.
Larger Wildlife
Forest elephants, buffaloes, and forest leopards are all present in Nyungwe, though sightings are rare given the density of the vegetation. Their presence adds a quiet wildness to the forest that you feel even when you can’t see them.
Best Time to Visit Nyungwe Forest for Chimpanzee Trekking
Nyungwe’s chimpanzees are resident year-round, the question is not whether you’ll find them, but what conditions you’ll trek through to get there.
Dry Season: June–September and December–February
- Trails are drier and more manageable underfoot
- Clearer skies allow better visibility and photography
- More comfortable trekking conditions overall
- Highest demand for permits, book further in advance
- Recommended for first-time visitors
Green Season: March–May and October–November
- The forest transforms into something extraordinarily lush and atmospheric
- Rainfall is frequent, often in heavy afternoon downpours
- Trails become slippery and physically demanding
- Birding reaches its peak as migrants arrive
- Fewer visitors, a quieter, more solitary experience
- Recommended for experienced trekkers and birding enthusiasts
Whichever season you choose, pack full waterproof gear. Nyungwe is a rainforest, and it earns that name.
How to Get to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest is located approximately 5 to 6 hours by road from Kigali, and the drive is one of the most scenic journeys in Rwanda.
The route southwest takes you through Rwanda’s famous terraced hillsides, past tea plantations that carpet the hillsides in brilliant green, through small roadside towns and village markets, and eventually along the magnificent Lake Kivu shoreline, one of Africa’s great Rift Valley lakes, calm and blue and bordered by the hills of eastern DRC.
Many travellers turn the drive into an overnight stop in Gisenyi or Kibuye on Lake Kivu, breaking the journey and adding a completely different dimension to their Rwanda itinerary.
The closest base towns to Nyungwe are Nyamasheke and Rusizi (Cyangugu) at the DRC border. Your lodge will coordinate transfers from the nearest town.
Where to Stay Near Nyungwe Forest
Luxury
One&Only Nyungwe House is Rwanda’s most celebrated lodge outside Volcanoes National Park, an elegant, beautifully designed property set within a working tea plantation right at the edge of the forest. The rooms are exceptional, the food outstanding, and waking up to mist rolling across the tea fields with the forest rising behind it is an experience in itself. This is the benchmark property for a Nyungwe stay.
Mid-Range
Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel offers comfortable, well-run accommodation with excellent forest views and reliable guided activities. A solid, honest choice for travellers who want quality without the luxury price tag.
Budget
RDB Banda Guesthouses inside the park offer basic but atmospheric accommodation right at the forest gate, as close to sleeping in the forest as most visitors will get. Clean, functional, and entirely without frills.
Combining Nyungwe Forest with a Broader Rwanda and East Africa Safari
Nyungwe Forest sits naturally within several exceptional safari combinations that turn a good trip into an extraordinary one.
The Classic Rwanda Primate Safari
Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking → Lake Kivu → Volcanoes National Park gorilla trekking
This is Rwanda’s finest self-contained itinerary, chimpanzees in the ancient south, a rest day on the calm waters of Lake Kivu, and gorillas in the volcanic north. Allow 7 to 10 days for a relaxed pace that does justice to both parks.
Rwanda and Uganda — The Ultimate East Africa Primate Safari
For travellers with more time and ambition, combining Rwanda with Uganda creates one of the finest safari itineraries in Africa:
- Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest
- Lake Kivu stopover
- Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park
- Cross into Uganda via Katuna border
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
- Big game safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park, tree-climbing lions, elephants, and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Nile adventures at Murchison Falls National Park
- White-water rafting at the Source of the Nile in Jinja
This is the kind of itinerary that takes months to plan and years to forget.
At Africa Safari Tours, we build these multi-destination East Africa safari combinations every day, handling permits, logistics, lodge bookings, and border crossings so you arrive at every destination fully prepared and ready to experience it completely.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest: Plan Your Rwanda Safari Today
As we made our way back down through the forest that afternoon, tired, muddy, and grinning, my guide asked what I thought of Nyungwe.
I told him it was the best thing I’d done in Rwanda. He nodded, entirely unsurprised.
“Everyone says that,” he said. “After the gorillas.”
That is the quiet secret of chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest. It is not the famous thing. It is not the experience on every travel magazine cover. But for the travellers who make the journey southwest, who give themselves the time to sit with the mist and the ancient trees and the extraordinary chaos of a chimpanzee troop at full cry, it becomes, often unexpectedly, the moment they treasure most.
Rwanda deserves more than one park. Nyungwe deserves to be on your itinerary.
Contact Africa Safari Tours today to start planning your Nyungwe Forest chimpanzee trekking adventure, whether as a standalone Rwanda safari or as part of a broader East Africa journey that takes in gorillas, big game, and everything in between.
The forest is ancient. The chimps are waiting. And the canopy walk is even better than it looks in the photos.
FAQs — Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest
Q1: How much does chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest cost? A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe Forest costs USD $90 per person, issued by the Rwanda Development Board. This covers your park entry, a professional ranger guide, and one hour with a habituated chimpanzee community. Permits can be booked directly at rdb.rw or through a licensed tour operator like Africa Safari Tours.
Q2: How difficult is chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest? Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest is moderately to highly challenging depending on where the chimpanzees have moved. Trails are steep, rooted, and often wet or muddy. Trek duration ranges from 30 minutes to 4 hours. Sturdy waterproof hiking boots and a reasonable level of fitness are essential. Porter hire is available and strongly recommended.
Q3: When is the best time for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest? Chimpanzees are present in Nyungwe year-round. The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, offer easier trail conditions and are recommended for first-time visitors. The green season brings lush forest scenery and excellent birding but muddier, more demanding trails. Both seasons offer genuine, memorable chimpanzee encounters.
Q4: Can I combine chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe with gorilla trekking in Rwanda? Absolutely, and this combination makes for one of Africa’s finest primate safari itineraries. The classic Rwanda route combines Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking in the south with a Lake Kivu stopover and gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in the north. Allow 7 to 10 days for a comfortable pace. Africa Safari Tours specialises in designing these multi-park Rwanda itineraries.
Q5: How does chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe compare to Kibale Forest in Uganda? Both are world-class chimpanzee trekking destinations. Nyungwe offers a more immersive montane rainforest experience with greater primate diversity, 13 species in total. Kibale Forest in Uganda has a higher density of chimpanzees and is generally considered to offer more reliable and close-range encounters. Permit costs are similar ($90 in Rwanda vs approximately $150 to 200 in Uganda). Many East Africa safari travellers choose to experience both as part of a combined Rwanda and Uganda itinerary
