3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe forest National Park is one of the most popular tour packages for Rwanda. Nyungwe forest is found in the south-eastern part of Rwanda. It is the largest montane forest in central Africa covering an area of about 950 square kilometers. Considering that much of Africa’s montane forest long disappeared due to logging and other forms of degradation. Nyungwe national park is an important biodiversity site. It has over 200 species of trees, butterflies, 300 species of birds and 13 of primates. The key attractions to tourists are the canopy walk to marvel at the forests, the three groups of habituated chimpanzees, smaller primates like Colobus monkeys, nature walks and bird watching. A network of well-maintained trails takes visitors to key parts of the forest including amazing waterfalls.
Our 3 Days Nyungwe National Park safari takes you for an amazing time in the forest. The tour includes chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest, a canopy walk, visiting one of the tea estates and stops to some interesting historical sites. By the end of the trip, we know you will be impressed with the natural beauty of the country and what it offers. The 3 days safari in Nyungwe forest starts and ends in Kigali.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking – Canopy Walk
Day 3: Visit Gisakura Tea Factory – Return to Kigali – Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pickup from Kigali and transfer to Nyungwe National Park
Depending on your location in Kigali, the driver guide will pick you up, brief you about the safari, take a brief tour of the Kigali city visiting the genocide memorial center and the former presidential palace and artisan shop. Thereafter, embark on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park with en-route in Butare with amazing views of the countless hills of Rwanda. There will be stops at the Kamegeri’s rock, the National Ethnographic Museum in Huye, Murambi Genocide Memorial and the former King’s palace. The Museum is houses a collection of artifacts and ethnographic objects from Belgium, Rwanda and other parts of the world. Much of the museum displays all the cultural aspects of the country and the people.
After en-route lunch, proceed on your journey to Nyungwe forest and connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at One & Only Nyungwe House (Ultra Luxury), Nyungwe Forest Lodge (Luxury) Nyungwe Top Hills Hotel (Mid-range) and Gisakura Guest House (Budget), Gorilla Nest (budget).
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking – Canopy Walk
Wake up early for breakfast at the lodge and prepare for a long day of activities. The driver will take you for the briefing, which starts at Uwinka by 5:30 am. Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda starts earlier because the chimpanzees are more mobile. There are two trails for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest – The Uwinka and Cyamudongo trail. After the briefing, park officials will assign you one of the trails depending on the number of participants. Each group will be driven to the starting point of the trek. During chimpanzee tracking, expect to spot 12 smaller species of primate including Hamlyn’s Monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Angola Colobus, Silver monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red-tailed Monkeys, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, vervet monkeys and l’hoest’s monkeys. Apart from small primates, expect to spot birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, great blue Turaco, paradise flycatcher and forest hornbills among others. Throughout the activity, the park guides will share information about each of the species encountered – their behavior, feeding and reproductive habits. It is important to note that there is no guarantee that you will see chimps in Nyungwe forest.
During your time with them expect to observe individuals grooming, breast feeding, mating and playing. Chimpanzees spend a lot of time on top of trees which can be very inconveniencing if you want to take good photos. They are also very mobile and rarely stay in one place for a long. The good thing is that they are very noisy and easy to detect even in very thick forest.
After spotting the chimps, you will go for lunch at the hotel. Later afternoon, connect for the amazing canopy walk takes you across a hanging platform which crosses over the tall and majestic trees of Nyungwe. The hanging platform is built 50 meters above the ground and is 200 meters long. You will have an aerial view of the forest enabling you to spot birds and more of the primates feeding on top of the trees or jumping from one tree to another. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Visit Gisakura Tea factory – Return to Kigali – Departure
Wake up early for breakfast as you wait for the Guide/ Driver. The driver will take you to Gisakura Tea Estate for a tour of the farm and factory. While at the tea estate, you will learn how tea is grown, processed and packed at the factory. You will then continue the long journey to Kigali. The driver will make stops to any of the places you didn’t check out on the first day. The final destination is either the airport, your hotel or accommodation in Kigali. End of 3 Days Nyungwe Forest Chimpanzee Tour.
3 Days Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park Includes;
- Pick up and drop off Kigali
- Park entry fees
- Chimpanzee permits and Canopy walk fees
- Park entrance fees and Vehicle entrance fees
- All accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- 4X4 safari vehicle & Fuel
- Full-time English/ English speaking driver/ guide
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
3 Days Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park Excludes
- Tips
- Rwanda Visa fees and all Flight Air tickets
- All items of personal nature like laundry, porterage, phone calls, beverages trave insurance e.t.c
- Optional/ any activity not included in the itinerary
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