Rwanda
Nyungwe Forest National Park
One of Africa's oldest rainforests, seen from the canopy
About Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe is one of Africa's oldest montane rainforests — a green ocean in Rwanda's south-west sheltering chimpanzees, colobus troops hundreds strong and over 300 bird species.
Walk East Africa's only canopy walkway, suspended 60 metres above the forest floor, track chimps at dawn, and follow waterfall trails through tree ferns and orchids. Nyungwe completes Rwanda's remarkable primate triangle with Volcanoes and Akagera.
Wildlife
What You'll See
- Chimpanzee
- Colobus (troops of hundreds)
- L'Hoest's Monkey
- 300+ bird species
Activities
What You Can Do
- Canopy walkway
- Chimpanzee tracking
- Waterfall trails
- Tea-estate visits
Ancient rainforest
Nyungwe: Canopy Walkway and Thirteen Primates
Nyungwe is one of the oldest and largest montane rainforests in Africa, covering the mountains of south-west Rwanda. It is old enough to have survived the last ice age intact, which is why its species list is so long and so full of things found nowhere else — over 1,000 plant species, 300 birds including two dozen Albertine Rift endemics, and thirteen primate species.
The headline attraction is the canopy walkway: a suspension bridge strung sixty metres above the forest floor and 160 metres long, giving a view directly into the treetops where most of the forest's life actually happens. It is the only structure of its kind in East Africa.
Chimpanzee tracking is the main primate activity, though Nyungwe's chimps are less habituated than Kibale's in Uganda and success rates are lower. The more reliable encounter is with the Angolan colobus, which live here in extraordinary super-troops of several hundred animals — among the largest arboreal primate groups anywhere in the world.
What you do
Nyungwe Highlights
The canopy walkway
A 160-metre suspension bridge sixty metres above the forest floor, the only one of its kind in East Africa and worth the trip on its own.
Colobus super-troops
Angolan colobus in groups of several hundred, among the largest arboreal primate troops recorded anywhere. Far more reliable than the chimps.
Chimpanzee tracking
Habituated communities in the Cyamudongo and Uwinka areas, with early starts and lower success rates than Uganda but a genuine wild encounter.
Albertine Rift birding
Around 300 species with roughly two dozen regional endemics, making Nyungwe one of the most important birding sites in Africa.
Planning
Nyungwe FAQs
Is chimpanzee tracking here reliable?
Less so than in Uganda's Kibale Forest. Nyungwe's communities are habituated but range over difficult terrain and success rates are noticeably lower — expect an early start, around four or five in the morning, and accept that you may not find them. If chimpanzees are the point of your trip, Kibale is the better choice. If you are already in Rwanda, Nyungwe is well worth a day.
How do I get to Nyungwe?
Four to five hours by road from Kigali, or around three from Volcanoes National Park via a scenic route along Lake Kivu. The roads are good. Most itineraries combine gorillas in the north, Lake Kivu in the middle and Nyungwe in the south-west, which works well and keeps driving days manageable.
Is the canopy walkway safe for anyone?
It is a solid, well-maintained steel-and-mesh structure with high sides and a guide accompanying every group, and children and older visitors complete it regularly. That said, it does sway, and it is sixty metres above the ground — anyone with a serious fear of heights should think carefully. There is a shorter ground-level trail alternative through the same area of forest.
Itineraries
Safaris Featuring Nyungwe Forest National Park
7 Day Rwanda Gorillas & Rain-forest Safari
Nyungwe → Volcanoes NP
- Mid-range
- 4×4 Land Cruiser
From $2,100 pp
View details
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