Worth knowing
Nyungwe's chimps move fast through steep, dense forest — tracking is energetic and sightings, while excellent, are more active and fleeting than the gorillas. The colobus, canopy walk and birding are reliably superb.
Getting there
~4–5 hr drive southwest from Kigali, or via Lake Kivu
Best for
Chimpanzee tracking, colobus monkeys, the canopy walk and Rift birding
The land
Ancient montane rainforest in Rwanda's southwest
Good to know
A UNESCO-calibre forest; chimp tracking is permit-limited and energetic
What it is
Nyungwe is Rwanda's great rainforest — chimps, colobus by the hundred, and a walkway through the canopy.
In Rwanda's southwest, Nyungwe is one of the oldest and largest montane rainforests in Africa — a vast, ancient sweep of forest with thirteen primate species, including chimpanzees and some of the largest troops of Angolan colobus anywhere, hundreds strong. A canopy walkway strung high above a forest ravine offers a rare treetop perspective, and the birding — rich in Albertine Rift endemics — is among the best in the region. It is the rainforest counterpoint to the volcanoes: chimps, colobus, canopy and birds, in deep, old forest.
The reason to come
Chimps, colobus and canopy
Nyungwe combines chimpanzee tracking with the spectacle of vast Angolan colobus troops and a walkway suspended over the canopy — three distinct forest experiences in one ancient rainforest. For primates and birds beyond the gorilla, it is Rwanda's richest forest by far.
The chimpanzees
Habituated communities tracked on foot — energetic, rewarding chimp encounters in deep forest.
The colobus troops
Among the largest Angolan colobus troops in Africa, hundreds strong, moving through the canopy.
The canopy walk
A suspension walkway high above a forest ravine — a rare treetop view and a thrill in itself.
Old, deep and rich
Why the forest itself matters.
Nyungwe is not a remnant but a vast, continuous, ancient forest — one of the few in Africa to survive the ice ages intact, which is why its biodiversity and endemism run so deep. The forest is the attraction as much as any one animal, layered with primates, birds and life found only in the Albertine Rift.
When to come — honestly
Drier trails, year-round forest.
June – September
Best
The long dry season — firmer trails and easier chimp tracking and walking, though it is rainforest and rain is possible.
December – February
Best
The short dry season, again the best conditions for tracking and the canopy walk, comparatively dry.
March – May & October – November
Good
The wet seasons — muddier and harder underfoot, but lush, quieter and excellent for the birding.
Nyungwe can be visited all year. The dry seasons make the steep forest trails and chimp tracking far easier; the wet seasons are greener and richer for birds. As true rainforest, it can rain in any season — come prepared.
An Albertine Rift treasure
Endemism in old forest
Nyungwe sits in the Albertine Rift, one of Africa's richest centres of endemism, and its great age and size are why so many species — birds especially — are found here and almost nowhere else. It is a forest of global conservation importance.
Protecting such a large forest against the pressures of a densely populated country is a continual effort, and the park's tourism — chimps, colobus, canopy, birds — gives the standing forest a value that helps secure it.
We base you for the early chimp start, build in the colobus, the canopy walk and the birding, and pair Nyungwe with Lake Kivu on the route from Kigali.
Beyond the obvious
Three ways to read Nyungwe.
Chimpanzee tracking
An energetic trek to a habituated chimp community in deep forest.
Colobus and the canopy walk
The vast colobus troops and the suspension walkway high over the forest.
Rift-endemic birding
The forest's Albertine Rift birds — among the best birding in the region.
Why Wild Voyager
We plan Rwanda around the permits.
Rwanda's gorilla permits are premium-priced and strictly limited, booked far ahead — the scarce thing that makes or breaks the trip. In Nyungwe Forest National Park that means basing you for the early chimp start and building in the colobus, the canopy walk and the Rift birding the forest is famous for.
We hold your permits, not a middleman
We secure the gorilla, chimp and park permits directly and early — the scarce, expensive thing everything hangs on — so your trek is locked in, not left to chance.
We base you in the right place
Nyungwe is vast and the chimp trailheads start early, so where you stay shapes the day. We base you for the dawn start and route the colobus, canopy walk and birding so the whole forest is covered, paired with Lake Kivu.
We guide for wildlife, not a checklist
Our guides and the park rangers work the forest and the savanna for real encounters — they would rather earn you one great sighting than rush a list.
Journeys
Trips through Nyungwe Forest National Park
Where to stay
Where you’ll stay in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Signature Collection
Luxury Collection
Classic Collection
Wildlife you may see
Track chimps and walk
the Nyungwe canopy.
Nyungwe is Rwanda's great rainforest — chimps, colobus, a canopy walk and Rift birding. We pair it with Lake Kivu and the volcanoes for a complete Rwanda trip.
Plan a Rwanda trip