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3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda

Private Journey • Rwanda

3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda

View Itinerary

Overview

About this journey

Experience one of Rwanda's most exciting primate adventures on this 3-Day Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park. Explore one of Africa's oldest and most biodiverse tropical rainforests, home to habituated chimpanzees, 12 other primate species, over 300 bird species, and breathtaking natural scenery. This safari offers an unforgettable combination of wildlife encounters, scenic landscapes, and immersive rainforest experiences, making it perfect for nature lovers, photographers, birdwatchers, and adventure seekers.


Safari Highlights

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Scenic drive through Rwanda's "Land of a Thousand Hills"

Opportunity to spot 13 species of primates

Optional Canopy Walk adventure

Birdwatching and guided nature walks

Professional English-speaking safari guide

Comfortable accommodation near Nyungwe Forest National Park

Highlights

What you'll experience

  • Nyungwe holds one of Africa's largest populations of eastern chimpanzees. Your tracker radios ahead at first light, pinpointing the Cyamudongo or Uwinka community, and you follow their calls until you're standing beneath the fig tree where they're feeding — close enough to hear a juvenile's knuckles on bark.

  • A 200-metre suspension bridge strings between the tallest emergent trees at Uwinka, placing you level with black-and-white colobus monkeys and the iridescent wings of a bar-tailed trogon. The bridge sways gently; the forest floor is 70 metres below.

  • The Karamba waterfall trail traces a ridge where L'Hoest's monkeys move in tight family troops through the undergrowth. Your guide Samuel Nzamwita calls them 'the quiet ones' — they watch you as carefully as you watch them.

  • With more than 300 forest-specialist birds recorded, Nyungwe rewards anyone who walks slowly. Grauer's warbler moves through the bamboo edge at dawn, and the red-collared mountain babbler is almost always heard before it's seen — a thin, insistent whistle above the stream.

  • The road into Nyungwe runs through a sea of geometric tea estates, the air sharp and green. Pickers move between the rows in the late-afternoon light, and the forest wall rises abruptly where the plantations end — the visual line between agriculture and something far older.

Why choose us

Why choose a Private Journey?

Nyungwe is not a safari park with open plains — it asks more of you and gives back accordingly. Here's why this itinerary works.

Guides Who Know These Trees

Samuel Nzamwita and our Nyungwe ranger partners track the chimp communities daily. They know the shortcuts, the fruiting trees the chimps favour in May, and when to stand still and when to move.

Genuinely Small Groups

Park regulations limit chimpanzee trekking groups to eight. We cap our departures at six, which means more time with the trackers, quieter trails, and photographs without elbows in the frame.

Forest Conservation Built In

A portion of each permit fee funds the community ranger programme at Nyungwe's edge — the same communities that once relied on forest clearing for farmland. Walking here is, in a small way, an argument for keeping the forest standing.

Itinerary

your day-by-day journey

Day 1Day 1: Arrival in Kigali – Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Upon your arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your professional guide from Arrive Africa Safaris. After a short briefing, begin your scenic journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park, located in southwestern Rwanda. The drive takes you through Rwanda's beautiful countryside, where rolling green hills, tea plantations, terraced farms, and traditional villages showcase why the country is famously known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills." Along the way, you'll enjoy spectacular views and have opportunities to appreciate Rwanda's peaceful rural landscapes.

Upon arrival at the park, check in at Nyungwe Forest Lodge, beautifully situated on the edge of the rainforest. Spend the evening relaxing while enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the forest as your guide briefs you on the exciting chimpanzee trekking experience awaiting you the following morning.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Meal Plan: Dinner

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Wake up early for breakfast before heading to the park headquarters for a briefing by experienced park rangers. After learning about trekking procedures and safety guidelines, venture into the dense rainforest with professional guides and trackers in search of one of Nyungwe's habituated chimpanzee communities.

The trek takes you through lush vegetation, towering trees, and scenic forest trails as you listen carefully for the loud calls of chimpanzees echoing through the forest. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing these intelligent primates as they feed, groom, communicate, and play in their natural habitat.nYour guide will share fascinating information about chimpanzee behavior, family structure, ecology, and the conservation efforts helping to protect these endangered animals.

After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you may choose to explore more of Nyungwe Forest National Park through optional activities such as a guided nature walk, birdwatching excursion, or the famous Canopy Walkway. Suspended high above the forest floor, the canopy walkway offers spectacular panoramic views of the rainforest and provides excellent opportunities to spot birds, monkeys, and butterflies from above.

Nyungwe is also home to several other primates, including black-and-white colobus monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, blue monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys, making every walk through the forest a rewarding wildlife experience. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay surrounded by the peaceful sounds of the rainforest.

Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3Return to Kigali – Departure

After breakfast, check out of the lodge and begin your scenic drive back to Kigali. Depending on your departure schedule, you may enjoy a short Kigali city tour. Visit some of the city's popular attractions, including local craft markets or the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where you can learn about Rwanda's history and remarkable journey of reconciliation and recovery.

You may also stop at local souvenir shops to purchase handcrafted gifts and traditional Rwandan artwork before your guide transfers you to Kigali International Airport for your onward flight. Your memorable 3-Day Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park comes to an end, leaving you with unforgettable memories of Rwanda's incredible rainforest, fascinating primates, and warm hospitality.

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Safari Includes

Airport transfers

Transportation in a comfortable 4x4 safari vehicle

Professional English-speaking driver/guide

Chimpanzee trekking permit

Park entrance fees

Two nights' accommodation

Meals as indicated in the itinerary

Bottled drinking water during the safari

Safari Excludes

International flights

Rwanda visa (where applicable)

Travel insurance

Optional Canopy Walk fee (if not included)

Alcoholic and soft drinks

Tips and gratuities

Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, and telephone calls

Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary

End of Your 3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda

Breakfast, Lunch

Extensions

+1 Days

One Day with the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda

Add a single gorilla trekking permit in Volcanoes National Park to the end of this itinerary — a different primate, a different forest, and a completely different kind of silence.

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+3 Days

Three Days Walking Rwanda's Forest Edge

Extend south from Nyungwe into the Albertine Rift borderlands, with guided community walks, swamp birding for the papyrus canary, and nights at a small tented camp above Lake Kivu.

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+3 Days

Three Days in Rwanda's Gorilla Country

Continue north to Volcanoes National Park for two gorilla treks and a golden monkey walk on the lower slopes of the Virungas — a natural next chapter after the chimps of Nyungwe.

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Dates & Prices

Prices in USD, including internal air, per person, double occupancy.

  • May 4 – May 6
    $1,850Available
  • Jun 8 – Jun 10
    $1,850Available
  • Jul 13 – Jul 15
    $1,950Available
  • Aug 10 – Aug 12
    $1,950Available
  • Sep 14 – Sep 16
    $1,850Available
  • Oct 5 – Oct 7
    $1,850Call for Availability

Minimum Age

15 years for chimpanzee trekking (park regulation)

Safari Duffel

A soft-sided bag of 15 kg or less is recommended for lodge storage; a small day pack for trekking

First Group Event

Dinner on Day 1 at Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge, 19:00

Last Group Event

Lunch on Day 3 before return drive to Kigali

Guaranteed Departures

All listed departures operate with a minimum of 2 guests

Alternate Sightseeing

If chimpanzees cannot be located on the morning of Day 2, the park may offer an alternate afternoon trek at no extra cost, subject to ranger availability

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