Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest is Rwanda’s premier primate experience and one of the most rewarding wildlife encounters in Central Africa. Nyungwe National Park protects one of the largest remaining montane rainforests on the continent, and its chimpanzee population of around 500 individuals has been habituated for visitor tracking since the 1990s. A trek here combines dramatic highland forest scenery, extraordinary biodiversity, and genuine chimp encounters in a park that receives far fewer visitors than Uganda’s Kibale.
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Chimpanzee Trekking Permits in Nyungwe
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe cost USD 90 per person for foreign nationals. Treks depart daily at 5am and 2pm from Uwinka and Gisakura Visitor Centres. Group sizes are limited to eight visitors per habituated community. Permits are booked through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) or a licensed Rwanda safari operator. The morning trek is the more popular option as the chimps are most active in early light.
The Trekking Experience
Nyungwe’s chimps occupy the steep ridges and stream valleys of the highland forest at altitudes between 1,600 and 2,950 metres. Tracking time varies from 30 minutes to four hours. Once located, you spend one hour with the group — watching them forage for figs and other montane forest fruits, engage in social grooming, and call to neighbouring communities across the ridges. The forest itself is spectacular, with ancient hardwoods draped in mosses and ferns, and frequent encounters with colobus monkeys along the trail.
Combining Chimps with Other Nyungwe Activities
Nyungwe rewards visitors who stay at least two nights. The canopy walk at Igishigishigi is one of the longest suspended walkways in Africa and is an unmissable addition to any chimp trek day. Waterfall hikes and multi-day hiking trails explore the park’s remote interior. Nyungwe also supports Ruwenzori colobus monkey in troops of up to 400 individuals — the largest primate groups in Africa — alongside 13 other primate species and over 300 bird species including 29 Albertine Rift endemics.
Getting to Nyungwe Forest
Nyungwe Forest sits in southwestern Rwanda along the Huye–Cyangugu road, approximately 220 kilometres from Kigali. The drive takes four to five hours via Butare. Many travellers combine Nyungwe with gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park (northwest Rwanda) and Akagera National Park (east) on a full Rwanda circuit. If you’re comparing chimp trekking destinations, see our guide on Kibale Forest versus Nyungwe Forest.
Best Time for Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe
The dry seasons — June to September and December to February — offer the most comfortable trekking conditions in Nyungwe. The forest is at its most accessible and chimp tracking success is highest. The wet seasons bring misty forest and lush greenery but can make steep trails slippery. Unlike Uganda’s Kibale, Nyungwe sits at very high altitude and morning temperatures can be cold — bring a warm layer regardless of season.
