3 Day Nyungwe Forest Canopy Trail Tour

Book this 3 Day Nyungwe Forest Canopy Trail Tour to see the chimpanzees in Rwanda and enjoy a beautiful nature experience in Nyungwe National Park. The Nyungwe Forest is one of the oldest mountain rainforests in Africa, having remained largely intact since the Ice Age, which explains its remarkable biodiversity. The forest is well known for harbouring many primates with 13 species recorded there, including our closest relatives, the chimps.

On this 3-day trip to Nyungwe, you will take the chimpanzee tour, which gives you a chance to spend up to one hour with our closest relatives – the chimps. You will also undertake another trek in the forest, which will bring you into contact with several species of monkeys, rivers, and waterfalls, as well as rare plants and trees and enjoy beautiful sights across the forest. And yet, a trip to Nyungwe Forest National Park is not complete without the iconic canopy walk adventure.

Itinerary for the 3-day trip to Nyungwe

Day 1 – pick up and drive to Nyungwe, afternoon canopy walk tour

The tour driver shall pick you up from your hotel in Kigali at 7:00 am and depart for Nyungwe Forest National Park in southwest Rwanda. The distance from Kigali to Nyungwe is approximately 225km, and the travel time is 5 – 6 hours, which includes a stopover midway for lunch.

Arrive at the Uwinka visitor’s centre in Nyungwe and set out to do the canopy walk tour at 3 pm. The canopy walk tour rewards with breathtaking views across the lush forest. The canopy walkway also gives you access to wildlife that live in the canopies of the forest, including monkeys and rare birds.

Optional tour activity:

Start the trip to Nyungwe earlier, by 6 am, you will have time to visit the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza for a cultural tour to learn about the cultural and political history of Rwanda and the traditions of the Rwandan people.

Accommodation: One&Only Nyungwe House – High end, Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel – Midrange, Gisakura Guesthouse – Budget (non-self-contained rooms), Emeraude Kivu Lodge – Midrange (located in Cyangugu town on Lake Kivu, 30 minutes drive from Nyungwe). Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2 – chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe National Park

Today you will have an early breakfast at 4:30 am, and report to the Nyungwe Park office at Gisakura by 5:00 am to meet the park guides for a briefing.

You will then drive to the starting point of your chimpanzee trekking adventure in Nyungwe Forest National Park (Cyamudongo Forest). After the chimpanzee adventure, you shall spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Optional tour activity: In the afternoon, you can go for a tea plantation tour and discover how tea is grown, harvested, and processed in Rwanda.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 – Forest hike or Colobus monkey trekking in Nyungwe forest

Today, you shall do a nature walk/hike in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Nyungwe has approximately 15 hiking trails that offer visitors a chance to experience the forest’s diverse ecosystem. You will take on the Isumo trail (also known as a waterfall trail) for a 3-hour hike.

Alternatively, you can do the colobus monkey tracking at Gisakura. The colobus monkey tracking is a light and shorter excursion, as this group of colobus monkeys lives near the forest edge.

After the hike/trek, you shall depart for Kigali, going via Kibuye and stopping over at Lake Kivu for lunch.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch

The tour includes

• Private tour car, petrol and tour driver
• Accommodation and all meals as per the itinerary
• Chimpanzee tracking permit
• All activities mentioned in the itinerary
• Drinking water

What to bring for the Nyungwe tour

• Hiking shoes with good traction
• Long pants, the hiking or outdoor type, to protect your legs from scratches and insect bites
• Long-sleeved shirts to protect your arms from scratches
• Raincoat/poncho
• Sunscreen
• A hat or cap to protect your hair from small particles falling off the trees, and also to offer shade
• Insect repellent to repel small insects and mosquitoes
• A small backpack to carry such items as a raincoat, camera batteries, toiletries, etc.