Nyungwe Chimpanzee Trekking 2-Day Canopy Walk & Tea Tour

Chimpanzees stay in the treetops longer than gorillas, so you track them by sound first.

A 2-day tour from Kigali to Nyungwe National Park combines chimpanzee trekking with a canopy walkway, a visit to the King's Palace in Ananza, and a tea plantation tour in Gisakura, with overnight accommodation, all meals and a professional English or French-speaking guide included. Day one covers the drive, palace visit and tea factory. Day two starts before dawn with a park briefing, then three to five hours of chimpanzee tracking followed by the canopy walk and return to Kigali.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Drive to Nyungwe, Palace and Tea Tour

• 7 am pick up from Kigali hotel
• Drive towards Nyungwe National Park
• 9:30 am visit King Palace Museum
• Lunch and coffee at STAFFORD Art Coffee Shop
• Continue driving to Nyungwe
• 3 pm check-in at hotel
• 4:30 pm tea plantation tour at Gisakura
• Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk

• Early breakfast at hotel
• 6 am briefing at Nyungwe Park headquarters
• Chimpanzee trekking in the forest
• One hour observation of chimpanzees
• Return to park offices and meet driver guide
• Lunch and rest at hotel
• Afternoon canopy walkway and birding at Uwinka Visitors Center
• 1 pm transfer back to Kigali

The experience

Nyungwe National Park sits roughly five to six hours' drive from Kigali, and the route itself is part of the experience. You leave at 7 am, stop at the King's Palace Museum by 9:30 to walk through the palace and hear the history of Rwanda, then break for lunch and coffee at Stafford Art Coffee Shop before the final push into the park. By mid-afternoon you check into your lodge (either Nyungwe Top View or Munazi Lodge) freshen up, and head out to the Gisakura tea factory for a tour of the plantation before dinner and an overnight stay overlooking the forest.

The second day begins with an early breakfast and a 6 am briefing at the park headquarters, where guides explain the rules of chimpanzee tracking and what to expect. The habituated group in Nyungwe numbers around sixty members, and they're vocal: you'll often hear their calls from a distance before you see them. Tracking usually takes three to five hours, and once you locate the group you get one hour to watch and photograph them in their natural habitat. The chimps spend more time in the trees than gorillas do, and their groups are more dramatic and vocal: a very different experience from other primate tracking.

After tracking, you return to the lodge for lunch and rest, then head to Uwinka Visitors Center in the afternoon for the canopy walkway, which takes forty-five minutes to an hour and passes through the forest canopy where you spot mountain monkeys, butterflies and birds. By 1 pm the tour ends and your driver takes you back to Kigali, dropping you at your hotel or the airport. You receive a chimpanzee trekking certificate from Afri Safaris as a record of the trek.

What’s included

• Professional driver guide fluent in English or French.
• hotel pickup from Kigali at 7 am and return drop-off to your hotel or airport.
• overnight accommodation at Nyungwe Top View Hotel or Munazi Lodge.
• all meals including lunch on day one, dinner, breakfast and lunch on day two.
• soft drinks and water throughout.
• entry fees to Nyungwe National Park, chimpanzee trekking permit and canopy walkway access.
• private 4x4 safari vehicle for the full two days.
• chimpanzee trekking certificate from Afri Safaris.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 07:30 and 08:00

Book up toStart time

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical level

Operated by Afri Safaris

Is this one for you?The tour starts before dawn on day two and involves three to five hours of forest trekking on uneven terrain, so it suits travelers with moderate fitness who are ready for an early morning and a full day of walking. The canopy walkway in the afternoon is less strenuous and offers a different forest perspective after the intensity of tracking.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

How physically demanding is the chimpanzee trekking on day two?

Chimpanzee tracking typically lasts three to five hours and requires moderate physical fitness. The park guides lead you into the forest on foot to locate the group, and terrain is uneven. Once you find the chimps, you observe them for one hour from your location.

What's included in the meals during the two days?

Lunch on day one at Stafford Art Coffee Shop, dinner and breakfast at your lodge, and lunch on day two at the hotel are all included. Soft drinks and water are provided throughout the tour.

Why does the tour start so early on day two?

The 6 am briefing and early start give you the best chance of finding the chimpanzees before they move deeper into the forest. Tracking begins right after the park guide orientation and typically takes several hours.

What is the canopy walkway at Uwinka Visitors Center?

The canopy walkway is a suspended pathway through the forest treetops that takes forty-five minutes to an hour to complete. It offers views of the forest from above and chances to spot small monkeys, butterflies and birds without the physical demands of ground-level trekking.

Do I need a visa to enter Rwanda, and is it arranged by the tour operator?

Visa requirements depend on your nationality. The tour operator does not arrange visas. You should check Rwanda's entry requirements for your country before booking and obtain any necessary documents in advance.

What happens if the chimpanzees are not found during tracking?

The habituated group in Nyungwe is well-established and regularly tracked, but wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. Your guide will do a full search during the allocated tracking time. If the group is not located, you still receive the full tracking experience and certificate.