Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park; Chimpanzee trekking is an exceptional activity that involves visitors moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzee families and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Nyungwe forest national park is located in south western part of Rwanda and it’s the second visited national park in Rwanda after Volcanoes national park.

Nyungwe forest national park is a home of different wildlife species including primates like chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, Angolan colobus monkeys, owl faced monkeys, golden monkeys, silver monkeys and over 300 bird species. Apart from Nyungwe forest national park in Rwanda, chimpanzee trekking is also done in Uganda in different destinations like Kibale forest national park, Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park and Kalinzu forest.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park starts very early in the morning at around 5: 00am with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be sub-divided into groups and start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide who is well conversant with different gorilla trekking trails.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record the beautiful moments.

Best time to go for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the forest therefore access roads and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable compared to the wet/ rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make trekking easy.

Cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park is a legal card that is issued to any visitor above the age of 15 years allowing him or her to visit a habituated chimpanzee family and spend one hour with the chimpanzee family. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park costs 90 USD per person for foreign non residents and 60 USD per person for foreign residents.

How to book a chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park can either be booked directly through Rwanda Development Board (RDB) by contacting the head offices via telephone calls or email. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe forest national park can also be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the dates when you wish to visit the chimpanzees. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability on your desired dates and once there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the money, you will be asked to send a copy of passport details and we will purchase the chimpanzee trekking permit on your behalf.

Booking a chimpanzee trekking permit through Achieve Global Safaris is the best option to use in that we will not only book for you a chimpanzee trekking permit but also plan for your entire safari which includes accommodation, transportation and other activities to engage in after chimpanzee trekking.

Where to stay during your chimpanzee trekking safari in Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you can stay during your chimpanzee trekking safari including Nyungwe forest lodge, One and Only Nyungwe house, Nyungwe Nziza Ecolodge, Chimpanzee lodge, Kitabi eco-Centre, Nyungwe Top view hill hotel, Gisakura guest house, Uwinka campsite, La Petite Colline guest house, Keza lodge, Gisakura family hostel among others.

Other activities in Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park offers other interesting activities that visitors can engage in after chimpanzee trekking including Canopy walk, Nature walk/ hiking, cultural tours, monkey trekking, Bird watching, visiting the Gisakura tea plantation among others.

How to get to Nyungwe forest national park

Nyungwe forest national park is located in southwestern part of Rwanda and can be accessed by road transport means where by you will drive for Kigali to the park headquarters which takes about 4 to 5 hours’ drive.

Nyungwe forest national park can also be accessed air transport means whereby you will book a flight with Rwanda air transport from Kigali international airport to Kamembe international airport and then connect to Nyungwe forest national park by road.

What to pack/carry for your chimpanzee trekking safari.

There are items that you should pack when going for your chimpanzee trekking safari in Nyungwe forest national park including Insect repellent, garden gloves, long sleeved shirt and trouser, hiking boots, camera and extra batteries, energy snacks and drinking water, a hat, waterproof rain jacket, a pair of binoculars, back pack among others.