Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest
Nyungwe forest national park has the highest population of chimpanzees in Rwanda roughly 400 individuals, Chimpanzee trekking is a major activity done in Nyungwe forest national park. On the actual day of trekking, travelers transfer to Gisekura park headquarters where they attend a simple bring about the trekking rules before embarking on a drive to Cyamudongo park station which is a 2-hour drive from Gisekura park headquarters through the incredible tea farms that give you one of the best views of the forest.
Clients will meet the rangers at 4:30 am for a 5 am departure to the Cyamudongo trekking area, the main idea is to have clients in the forest as early as possible to give them the best chance of finding the chimpanzees as they wake up, usually, they are vocal and that makes finding them quite easy by the help of the ranger guides.
Price of Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking permits
Before traveling to Nyungwe forest clients must obtain permits from the Rwanda development board, however, our inclusive safari packages will come with chimpanzee trekking permits booked by our safari experts on behalf of the clients, currently, Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking permits cost USD 100 per person per trek however these prices are subjected to changes please contact our Rwanda experts before booking for updated prices.
How to obtain Nyungwe Chimpanzee trekking permits
We do not recommend clients booking Nyungwe chimpanzee permits directly, our safari experts will help you book the permits in these three easy steps, first, we will check the availability of permits for the specific dates of travel, after confirming permits are available then clients will be requested to transfer funds to pay for the permits along with side copy of their passports and after the process is finished we will then send copies of the permit to the client as a proof of payment.
How to get to Nyungwe forest national park
From Kigali via Muhanga-Huye Nyungwe Forest national park is located south of the country about 200km/124mi from Rwandan capital Kigali via Muhanga and kings palace in Nyanza then proceeding to Butare from Butale then you connect through the hilly roads to the park before arriving at the park headquarters in Gisekura. From Huye Nyungwe forest national park is located 87km/54mi from Huye (Butare) as many tourists tend to make an overnight in Huye in order to do activities on the way to the forest this is advisable as the direct trip can be stressful, From Rusizi/Kamembe airport Nyungwe forest is 55km/34mi from Rusizi. The drive takes about an hour for clients to fly into the park usually; Nyungwe Forest is visited as part of a 4×4 tour around the country with a driver-guide.
By Air
Akagera Aviation offers charter helicopter transfers to Nyungwe forest national park and this can land directly at the one &only Nyungwe house however those who use Rwanda Air will land at Kamembe airport in Rusizi which is an hour drive to the park headquarters.
Where to stay in Nyungwe during Chimpanzee trekking experience
Nyungwe forest has a variety of accommodation facilities near the area and clients can easily choose to either stay at the Luxury One&only Nyungwe house or they can alternatively stay at the mid-range Nyungwe hilltop view lodge.
Best time for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest
Nyungwe National Park has a pleasant climate that makes it perfect for your safari activities in the park during the dry season. Since its forests lie at heights of 1600 to 2000 meters above sea level, it has a cool, temperate climate that visitors generally find pleasant. Rwanda is located at higher altitudes, coupled with a latitude just two degrees south of the equator, which makes for particularly comfortable tropical conditions.
