Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park 2025.
Chimpanzee hiking in Nyungwe Forest National Park 2025: After gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzee trekking is Rwanda’s most popular activity and an intriguing experience. Chimpanzee trekking entails visitors walking through the tropical jungle to look for habituated chimpanzees and then spending an hour with them in their natural habitat.
Only in Nyungwe Forest National Park, the biggest and oldest tropical rainforest in Africa, which is situated in the southwest of Rwanda, can chimpanzees be trekked. Chimpanzee trekking is also conducted in Uganda’s Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, and Budongo Forest in addition to Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Experience trekking with chimpanzees
In Nyungwe Forest National Park, chimpanzee trekking begins early in the morning with a training at park headquarters regarding expectations, laws, and regulations. Following the briefing, you will begin your forest trip, which might take anywhere from two to five hours, depending on where the chimpanzees spent the night before.
Once the chimpanzees have been located, you will be permitted to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat. This will allow you to observe how they feed, play, hunt, fight, rest, nurse, and groom their young, as well as take pictures and videos to show your family back home after the safari.
2025 is the ideal year to trek chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Although chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park is possible at any time of year, the best time to do it is during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. This is because the park receives less rainfall during this time, making the hiking trails dry and accessible, which facilitates chimpanzee trekking.
The price of hiking permits for chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park
The cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe Forest National Park is $150 USD for non-resident foreigners, $75 USD for residents, and $25 USD for East African nationals. The pricing does not, however, include the park entrance charge for Nyungwe Forest National Park, which is $100 for non-resident foreigners, $60 for residents, and $10 for East African nationals who stay overnight. The park entrance price for two nights in the park is $150 USD per person for foreigners, $90 USD per person for foreigners, and $15 USD per person for East Africans.
How to reserve trekking permits for chimpanzees in Nyungwe Forest National Park
You can reserve chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe Forest National Park directly from the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) by calling or emailing the park’s Kigali headquarters. You can also reserve chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe Forest National Park by contacting a reputable tour company, such as Experiya Tour Company, and providing the day, month, and year you would want to see the chimpanzees. After getting in touch with us, we will verify whether permits are available on the dates you have selected. If they are, you will be required to pay a deposit. We will be able to buy the permit on your behalf as soon as the payment is completed, and we will email you a scanned copy of the receipt as verification.
What to bring to Nyungwe Forest National Park for a chimpanzee trekking safari
Long-sleeved shirts and pants, a waterproof rain jacket, insect repellent, garden gloves, hiking shoes, long socks, a camera and extra batteries, drinking water and energy snacks, a walking stick, face masks, a hat and sunglasses, a pair of binoculars, and a backpack are some of the essentials you should bring before embarking on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Accommodations for your safari with chimpanzees
There are several lodging options in Nyungwe Forest National Park where you can spend your chimpanzee trekking safari. The lodgings include the Nyungwe Nziza Eco-lodge, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Kitabi Eco-Centre, One and Only Nyungwe House, Gisakura Guest House, Gisakura Visitor Center, Uwinka Campsite, E.R.A. Gisakura Visitor Guesthouse, and Rusizi Progress Hotel, among others. The accommodations range from affordable to luxurious.
The Nyungwe Forest National Park travel route
It takes roughly five to six hours to drive from Kigali to the park headquarters via road, passing through Muhanga, Nyanza, and Huye Town. Nyungwe Forest National Park is situated in the southwest region of Rwanda.
Booking a domestic flight with Rwanda Air from Kigali International Airport to Kamembe Airport and then connecting to the park headquarters via road is another way to reach Nyungwe Forest National Park.
When traveling by air, visitors can also reserve charter helicopter flights from Kigali airport to the One & Only Nyungwe residence through Akagera Aviation.
