Starting from Kigali capital city, the 2 days chimpanzee trekking Rwanda safari to Nyungwe forest national park offers chimpanzee tracking. Other activities and stops are added depending on your preferences including Nyungwe canopy walk, tea plantation and ethnographic museum tour. Nyungwe national park is part of the eastern Afro-montane rift valley forest with rich biodiversity. The protected area is home to 12 primate species including chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, Hamlyn’s monkeys, olive baboons, L’hoest monkeys just to mention but a few. There are over 300 species of birds of which 16 are Albertine rift endemics such as red throated alethe, purple breasted sunbirds among other common species like great blue turaco.
Trip summary for 2 days chimpanzee trekking Nyungwe Forest
- Day 1: Kigali to Nyungwe forest
- Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and return to Kigali
Detailed 2 days chimpanzee trekking Safari itinerary
Day 1: Kigali to Nyungwe forest national park and canopy walk
Your tour guide will pick you up at the hotel and embark on the 5-hour drive to Nyungwe stopping along the way in Butare for a short ethnographic museum tour and refreshments. Continue via Kitabi eastern entrance gate to Uwinka park headquarters in the central part of the park. After the long drive from Kigali, the canopy walk will be the perfect time to stretch your legs as it begins with a nature walk along the Igishigishi trail before reaching the first canopy bridge.
Hanging between 30 to 75 meters above the ground, the Nyungwe forest canopy walk ways offer an awesome panoramic sight of the forest, making for a must-visit gem in East Africa. With the help of Rwanda Development Board guides, you may spot some Albertine rift endemic bird species such as strange weaver, purple breasted sun bird, as well as primates like black and white colobus monkeys and plant orchids. From there, you will drive to the lodge on western edge of the park adjacent to Gisakura tea plantations. Check in for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking Nyungwe and return to Kigali
You will be at the park visitor center by 7:00am in the morning to begin your exciting chimpanzee tracking adventure. Make sure that you have your packed lunch, snacks and drinking water to maintain energy. Given that searching for chimps in the Cyamudongo forest may take 1-5 hours depending on their movements and can be challenging due to the nature of terrain. However, chimpanzee trekking is a rewarding wildlife encounter as you get to spend 1 hour observing the social behavior of man’s closest relative, the chimpanzees.
After that, you will return to the center for final remarks and then depart Nyungwe for a journey back to Kigali via the same route. Upon reaching, you can visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial before being transferred to your place of choice or to the airport for departure. End of 2 days chimpanzee tracking Nyungwe Forest National Park.