2-day Chimpanzee Tracking and Canopy Walk Nyungwe

Track chimpanzees through Nyungwe forest, then step onto the canopy walkway

A 2-day trip to Nyungwe National Park from Kigali where you trek into the forest to find wild chimpanzees and walk an elevated platform through the canopy. The itinerary includes an English-speaking guide, one night's accommodation, meals, the chimpanzee tracking permit and canopy walk experience. Minimum age is 15.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe and canopy walk

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Pick up from hotel in Kigali
• Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park
• Check in and have lunch
• Afternoon canopy forest walk

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and return to Kigali

• Breakfast at 6:00am
• Transfer to park headquarters
• Briefing about chimpanzee trekking
• Start chimpanzee trekking
• View and photograph chimpanzees for one hour
• Return to start point and meet driver
• Drive back to lodge for lunch and checkout
• Drive back to Kigali and drop off

The experience

Nyungwe National Park sits about two hours from Kigali. On day one, your driver picks you up from your hotel after breakfast and takes you straight to the park. After lunch at your accommodation, you head out for the canopy walk: a platform built into the forest that lets you see the entire canopy from different angles and heights, a perspective you can't get from the ground.

Day two starts early. At 6 a.m. you eat breakfast, then transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the trek ahead. Your guide takes you into the forest to search for chimpanzees among the 13 other primate species that live there. When you find them, you get up to an hour to watch and photograph them before returning to the lodge. After lunch and checkout, your driver takes you back to Kigali and drops you at your hotel.

The trek itself is a walk through dense jungle, not a guided tour where you sit and watch. You're moving through the forest with your guide, looking for the chimpanzees, so fitness and comfort with hiking matter. Bottled water comes with you on the drive, and your guide speaks English throughout.

What’s included

• English-speaking driver and guide throughout.
• one night accommodation at EAR Ken Barham Guest House.
• breakfast, dinner and packed lunch.
• bottled drinking water on board.
• chimpanzee tracking permit.
• canopy walk experience in Nyungwe.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (15 to 70 years) · Under 15: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Simba African Expeditions

Is this one for you?Book this as a private trip if you want to move at your own pace through the forest with a dedicated guide, rather than joining a group trek where timing is set by other travelers.

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Top questions

What is the canopy walk like in Nyungwe?

The canopy walk is an elevated platform that runs through the forest at height, giving you views of the entire canopy from different angles. It's a way to see the forest structure and wildlife from above instead of from the ground level.

How long do you spend with the chimpanzees once you find them?

Once your guide locates the chimpanzees, you have up to one hour to watch and photograph them before returning to the starting point to meet your driver.

What time does the chimpanzee trek start on day two?

You eat breakfast at 6 a.m., then transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing before heading into the forest to begin the trek.

What's included in the two days?

The package includes an English-speaking driver and guide; one night's accommodation; breakfast, dinner and packed lunch; bottled water during travel; the chimpanzee tracking permit; and the canopy walk experience.

Is this trek physically demanding?

The trek involves walking through dense forest to search for chimpanzees, so it requires a reasonable level of fitness and comfort with hiking. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.