Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe forest national park is a major tourist destination in Rwanda, and it is the second most visited national park after Volcanoes National Park. It is one of Africa’s largest and oldest national parks, located in Rwanda’s southwestern area. Although Nyungwe Forest National Park is best known for its chimp trekking experience, it is also home to a variety of wildlife animal species and birds, including golden cats, African civets, huge forest hogs, duikers, serval cats, amphibians, butterflies, reptiles, and other primates such as blue monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, golden monkeys, and silver monkeys.
Apart from gorilla trekking, which is a must-do activity for all visitors to Rwanda, chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is the second most popular adventure activity that visitors should not miss out on while in Rwanda.
Our Top Safaris
Chimpanzee trekking experience:
In Nyungwe Forest National Park, there are over 500 chimpanzees, with 90 habituated chimp families open for tourism all year. The habituated chimp groups are found in a variety of areas around the park, including Nyungwe forest, which has over 60 habituated chimp communities, and Cyamudongo woodland, which has approximately 30 habituated chimp communities. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park begins at 5:00 a.m. with a briefing at the park headquarters. Nyungwe Forest National Park is divided into three regions where chimp trekking begins; Kitabi, Gisakura, and Uwinka. These regions serve as the park headquarters. During the briefing, visitors are divided into groups of eight and assigned to different park ranger guides who will accompany them on chimp trekking in the forest.
Traveling to a chimp colony in Nyungwe forest national park would take tourists between 2-6 hours owing to the fact that chimps in Nyungwe forest national park are known to move from one location to another from tree to tree as they look for food. Visitors that undertake chimp trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park are only permitted to spend one hour with the chimp group after meeting it. During the one-hour experience, visitors are permitted to photograph chimps as they leave their nests, feed, and interact with each other.
The habituated chimps in Nyungwe Forest National Park are peaceful, playful, and acclimated to the presence of humans they come out of the trees when they notice people and will occasionally stroll towards them, allowing you to take clear images and videos of them. While trekking chimps in Nyungwe forest, visitors may come across other primates such as golden monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, silver monkeys, olive baboons, white and black colobus monkeys, and the grey-checked mangabeys, among others. Travelers will also appreciate bird species such as Rwenzori bats and purple-breasted sunbirds, among others, because Nyungwe forest national park is a birder’s heaven.
How much does chimp trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park cost?
The chimp trekking permit is a legal document that allows visitors to engage in the chimp trekking experience in Nyungwe Forest National Park. The Rwanda Development Board, a governmental entity in charge of tourism in Rwanda, issues permits for chimp trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking permits for Nyungwe Forest National Park are charged at 90 USD per person per day for all foreign nonresidents and 60 USD per person for foreign residents. A maximum of 8 people are allowed to interact with the chimp community and they are allowed to spend only one hour with the chimps.Â
The price of the chimp trekking ticket includes park admission fees, park ranger guides, and the trekking experience.
The chimp trekking permit can be obtained from a tour operator such as Iconic travels, which is a leading tour operator with experience in organizing safaris to various destinations such as chimp trekking safaris in Rwanda and Uganda, gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, Rwanda, and other types of safaris. When you book with us, we will assist you in obtaining a chimp trekking permit for Nyungwe Forest National Park.
At the same time, tourists can contact the Rwanda Development Board directly to book their chimp trekking permit; permits can also be acquired online for any guests who wish to participate in the activity. However, we recommend that travelers book with tour operators who will help them organize their chimp safaris in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
When is the best time to go chimp trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park?
Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park is available at any time of year. The trekking experience depends on when you would like to undertake your chimp adventure. However, the best time to enjoy a chimp trek in Nyungwe Forest National Park is during the dry season. There is little rain expected to disrupt the jungle trekking experience. The dry season lasts from December to February, June to mid-October, and is when most tourists come to enjoy their vacation safaris, making it Africa’s peak season.
However, because Nyungwe Forest National Park is primarily a tropical rainforest and receives rainfall all year, visitors are advised to bring a waterproof rain jacket in case it rains while trekking the chimps. During the rainy season, hiking paths become wet, muddy, and slippery, making hiking difficult. As a result, all tourists who travel during this season are recommended to bring thick gum boots and long socks that will allow them to walk freely on the ground while trekking.
The rainy season, also known as the low season, is the finest season for all budget visitors since lodges cut the price of their hotel rooms, encouraging passengers to book with them in order to survive the low season. This occurs in March, April, May, mid-October, and November.