Nyungwe National Park: Chimps, Canopy Walk and Rainforest Trails

By Anna Axelson, Operations Manager, East Africa Safaris · Updated October 2026

Nyungwe National Park is 1,019 km² (about 393 square miles) of mountain rainforest in southwest Rwanda, home to 13 primate species, including chimpanzees, and 322 bird species. African Parks has managed it with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) since 2020, and it became Rwanda's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. From Kigali, it is roughly 215 to 235 km, or 5 to 6 hours by road (approximate), on the route south through Huye.

Every foreign adult pays a park entry fee of $100 for a day visit or one night, and each activity costs extra: chimpanzee trekking $150, the canopy walkway $40, colobus monkey trekking $40 and the zipline $100. Day hiking trails, waterfalls included, are covered by the entry fee, plus a community guide. Our private tours from Kigali spend two nights here and include the chimpanzee permit and park fees, from $4,378 per person for a group of six on our 7-day safari.

Checked: October 2026. Fees and rules come from the park's own 2025 to 2026 price list, the newest one on its official site, visitnyungwe.org, which African Parks runs. Park facts come from RDB, Visit Rwanda (RDB's tourism site) and the park. We checked these and our tour prices on October 27, 2026; our prices are per person and include the permits each tour lists.

Nyungwe National Park at a glance

Sources for every figure are listed at the end of this page.

Things to do in Nyungwe and what they cost

Websites quote very different Nyungwe prices, especially for the canopy walk. These are the park's own rates for international visitors, from its 2025 to 2026 price list. Everyone pays the entry fee, and each activity is priced on top.

Rwandan, East African and resident rates are lower. The park takes cards, mobile money and bank transfers, not cash. A foreign adult who treks chimps and walks the canopy on a day visit pays $100 + $150 + $40 = $290 in park fees. On our tours, the permits and park fees each tour lists are in the price.

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe

The park has three semi-habituated chimpanzee communities, Cyamudongo, Mayebe and Gisovu, and each takes up to eight visitors a day. The permit costs $150 plus entry, and the minimum age is 15. Visit Rwanda says chimp treks start early, at 5:30 AM, and last from an hour to several hours, depending on where the chimps are, with up to an hour once you find them. Our itineraries start the day at 5:00 AM. Chimps move fast through steep, muddy forest, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Our chimpanzee trekking guide compares Nyungwe with Uganda's Kalinzu and Kibale forests and covers fitness, the trek day, the $200 habituation experience and booking.

The Nyungwe canopy walk

The canopy walkway is a suspension bridge 160 m (525 ft) long and 70 m (230 ft) high over a forested ravine, Visit Rwanda says. You walk to it with a guide from Uwinka Visitor Centre, about an hour on the Igishigishigi Trail, which the park rates as easy, or as part of the longer Imbaraga or Umuyove trails.

• Cost. $40, plus park entry. With the zipline, the package is $125, $15 less than buying both.
• Group size. The park runs it for groups of 2 to 8. If you are traveling alone, ask us how it is priced.
• Conditions. Open all year, with more chance of rain in the afternoon. Paths are steep and muddy, and Visit Rwanda says you can rent boots and a raincoat, and borrow a walking stick, at the park office.

Our 3-day Nyungwe tour and 10-day Best of Rwanda safari include the canopy walk.

Colobus monkeys and Nyungwe's other primates

After the chimps, most visitors want to see the Angolan black-and-white colobus. The park says treks to a troop of more than 400, the largest group of any primate recorded in Africa, start from Uwinka, and treks to a group of about 50 from Gisakura. Colobus trekking costs $40 plus entry and is usually shorter and easier than the chimp trek.

On the trails, look for L'Hoest's and Hamlyn's (owl-faced) monkeys, both found only in the Albertine Rift region, and Dent's, blue and vervet monkeys. Night walks look for galagos, pottos and tree hyraxes.

Hiking trails and waterfalls

Ten trails start at Uwinka and three at Gisakura. A community guide leads every walk, and the park grades the trails:

• Easy: Igishigishigi and Buhoro.
• Moderate: Umuyove, Ndambarare, Irebero, Kamiranzovu and Umugote.
• Difficult: Imbaraga, Uwinka, Kamiranzovu Waterfall, Bigugu and Rukuzi.

Waterfalls. The park points hikers staying at Gisakura to the Ndambarare and Kamiranzovu waterfalls. Visit Rwanda describes the Isumo Trail, through tea fields and a steep ravine to the park's biggest waterfall, and the Imbaraga Trail, which passes four waterfalls in a little under 10 km.

Several days. The Cyinzobe trail takes three days from Uwinka to Gisakura, past the Kamiranzovu swamp, with nights in wooden cabins.

The park says its trails, at 1,600 to 2,950 m, need a certain level of fitness.

Zipline, birding, tea and village visits

• Zipline. One of the longest in Africa, the park says, and part of our 3-day, 7-day gorilla and primate, and 10-day tours.
• Birding. The park counts 322 species, 30 of them Albertine Rift endemics.
• Tea. Visit Rwanda names the Gisakura estate, on the park's western edge, and the Gisovu estate, at its far northern edge, as the main tea tours. Plantations do not deal with visitors directly, so we arrange the visit.
• Village visits. Crafts, blacksmithing, pottery, dancing and traditional brewing in the villages of Banda and Gisakura.

Kigali to Nyungwe: road, time and flights

The park puts the drive at 5 to 6 hours: about 213 km to Uwinka or 234 km to Gisakura. Our drivers head south through Nyanza and Huye (formerly Butare), then west on the main road, which crosses the forest past the visitor centers. Our tours stop on the way at the King's Palace Museum in Nyanza or the Ethnographic Museum in Huye.

Most tours use 4×4 safari vehicles (Land Cruisers, Prados or safari vans). Tours that continue to the gorillas head north along Lake Kivu, with a boat trip to Napoleon Island, to Volcanoes National Park.

By air. RwandAir sells flights from Kigali to Kamembe, near Rusizi on Lake Kivu. The park puts the flight at 40 minutes, then about an hour by road to Gisakura or 1.5 hours to Uwinka. Our tours travel by road.

Check current travel advisories before you book; our FAQ has our latest note.

Where to stay in Nyungwe

The park runs its own places to stay:

• Munazi Lodge. Nine A-frame cottages in the forest near Pindura, 1.2 km off the main Kigali to Rusizi road. The park's 2025 to 2026 rates start at $185 per person sharing in low season, with all meals; park fees are extra.
• Uwinka. A self-catering guesthouse for four and two campsites on raised platforms, where the canopy walk starts.
• Gisakura Campsite. Six platforms for up to 24 campers among tea plantations, near the waterfall hikes and the Cyamudongo chimps.
• Gisovu Guesthouse. Two self-catering cottages in the north, for the chimpanzee habituation experience.

Camping costs $15 per person a night. Outside the park, there are guesthouses near the Gisakura tea estate, and Rusizi, on Lake Kivu, is about an hour's drive away; our 7-day wildlife and primates safari stays at the Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel there. The park counts guests staying outside it as day visitors, who pay the entry fee on the day they enter. Tell us your preferred lodge level when you ask for a quote.

When is the best time to visit Nyungwe?

Any month works, and our tours run all year, 7 days a week. The park describes the weather as wet and cool all year, at about 20°C (68°F) by day and 10°C (50°F) at night. Visit Rwanda gives the rainy seasons as mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December, and says paths tend to be easier in the June to mid-September dry season, but expect rain in any month. The park's high-season lodge rates run from June 1 to September 30 and December 15 to February 28, and July and August are the busiest months, so book early for those.

What to pack for Nyungwe

• A waterproof jacket and rain pants
• A warm layer for 5:00 AM starts and 10°C (50°F) nights
• Long sleeves and long pants in neutral colors
• Broken-in hiking shoes and gaiters for mud and nettles
• Gloves, a hat, insect repellent and binoculars
• A light face mask for the chimp trek
• A card or mobile money, since the park takes no cash

Porters can carry your bag for $5 a half day or $10 a full day, the park says; porter fees are not included in our prices.

Our Nyungwe tours from Kigali

Every tour below is private, spends two nights at Nyungwe and includes the chimpanzee permit and park fees for non-residents. All but the 3-day tour also include the $1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit. Everyone must be at least 15.

Flights, tips, porter fees, visas and insurance are extra. To compare our gorilla tours, see Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda: How It Works and Tours from Kigali, and for the rest of the country, our Rwanda page.

Ready to plan your Nyungwe trip?

We plan trips from Musanze, next to Volcanoes National Park, and from Cedar City, Utah. East Africa Safaris is the trading name of East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation, licensed by the Rwanda Development Board (license RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995).

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit Nyungwe National Park?

You pay a park entry fee plus a fee for each activity. A foreign adult pays $100 for a day visit or one night, or $150 in all for two nights and $200 for three. Chimpanzee trekking costs $150; the canopy walk, colobus trekking, birding and night walks cost $40 each; and the zipline costs $100. So a chimp trek and the canopy walk on a day visit come to $290. Our tours include the fees they list.

What are the best things to do in Nyungwe?

Trek chimpanzees and colobus monkeys, walk the canopy walkway and ride the 1,935 m zipline. The entry fee also covers the day trails to waterfalls, viewpoints and swamps, and birders can look for 322 species. Outside the park, you can tour the Gisakura or Gisovu tea estates and visit the villages of Banda and Gisakura.

How long is the Nyungwe canopy walk?

The bridge is 160 m (525 ft) long and 70 m (230 ft) high, according to Visit Rwanda. You reach it from Uwinka Visitor Centre on a guided walk of about an hour along the Igishigishigi Trail. The park runs it for groups of 2 to 8 and rates it as moderate. It costs $40 plus park entry, or $125 with the zipline.

How do you get from Kigali to Nyungwe?

By road, it takes 5 to 6 hours to cover about 213 km to Uwinka or 234 km to Gisakura (approximate). Our drivers go south through Nyanza and Huye, then west on the main road through the forest, with a museum stop on the way. RwandAir also sells flights from Kigali to Kamembe, about 40 minutes, then about an hour by road to Gisakura.

How many days do you need in Nyungwe?

Plan on two nights. That gives you a full day for the early chimp trek and an afternoon activity such as the canopy walk or colobus monkeys, and a second morning before you leave. All our Nyungwe tours spend two nights here: the 3-day tour from Kigali covers the park alone, and our 5-day to 10-day safaris add gorillas, Lake Kivu or Akagera.

Is Nyungwe Forest the same as Nyungwe National Park?

Yes. The forest became a reserve in 1933 and a national park in 2005, and both names are used. RDB calls it the largest block of natural forest in the region. It covers 1,019 km² in southwest Rwanda, and the park says it is the watershed between the Congo and Nile rivers.

When is the best time to visit Nyungwe?

Any month, because the forest is wet and cool all year, at about 20°C (68°F) by day and 10°C (50°F) at night. Visit Rwanda says paths tend to be easier in the June to mid-September dry season, and the rains run from mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December. Pack rain gear whenever you go, and book early for July and August.

Sources

Official sources and our tour pages were checked on October 27, 2026. Official sources come first, then the airline and news, then East Africa Safaris.

1. Nyungwe National Park, Nyungwe Pricing Scheme 2025 to 2026 (official PDF from the park, which is managed in partnership with RDB and African Parks; uploaded July 10, 2025): https://visitnyungwe.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/07/Nyungwe-Pricing-Scheme-Rates-2025_2026.pdf. Supports park entry for international guests of $100 for 1 night, $150 for 2 nights and $200 for 3 nights, with children 6 to 12 at half and nights 4 to 7 free; the entry fee covering all nature walk trails including waterfalls, except trails of more than one day, and payable by day and overnight visitors; visitors staying outside the park counting as day visitors unless staying with an approved hospitality partner; $40 for the canopy walk, guided birding, primate treks and night treks, for 2 to 8 guests, guide included; chimpanzee trekking at $150, up to 8 adults per community, no children under 15; the chimpanzee habituation experience at $200, up to 4 adults, no children under 15; community guides at $15 a half day and $25 a full day, and porters at $5 and $10; up to 8 visitors per guide; camping at $15; children 5 and under free; night walks from 5:30 PM to 8:00 or 9:00 PM; the Cyinzobe trail from Uwinka to Gisakura, 3 to 10 hikers, $300 per person sharing, food and guide included and park entry extra; the elevation of 1,600 to 2,950 m and the easy, moderate and difficult trail grades; no cash, with cards, mobile money, DPO and bank transfers accepted; the zipline at $100, the zipline and canopy walk package at $125, the rope course at $35 and the zipline, rope course and canopy walk package at $150; and Munazi Lodge from $185 per person sharing in low season, with all meals, soda and water and without park fees, and the high season of December 15 to February 28 and June 1 to September 30.
2. Nyungwe National Park, 2025 to 2026 Activity Prices and 2025 to 2026 Prices for Zipline and Rope Course (official PDFs, uploaded February 17, 2025, and linked as the current rates from the park's Book Now page): https://visitnyungwe.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/2025-2026-Activity-Prices-in-Nyungwe-National-Park.pdf and https://visitnyungwe.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025/02/2025_2026-Prices-for-Zipline-and-Rope-Course_Final.pdf. Support the same fees as the July 2025 price list.
3. Nyungwe National Park, Book Now (official; page updated June 17, 2026): https://visitnyungwe.org/book-now/. Supports that the 2025 to 2026 lists are the price lists the park links for booking.
4. Nyungwe National Park, home page (official): https://visitnyungwe.org/. Supports 13 primate species; three semi-habituated chimpanzee communities (Cyamudongo, Mayebe and Gisovu), each visited by up to eight people a day; the canopy walkway starting from Uwinka Visitor Centre; the 1,935 m zipline in three sections, one of the longest in Africa; the Gisakura rope course of hanging tires, nets and swinging logs; ten trails from Uwinka and three from Gisakura; the colobus troop of more than 400 from Uwinka and a group of 50 from Gisakura; 322 bird species, 30 endemic to the Albertine Rift; night walks for galagos, pottos and tree hyraxes; the three-day Cyinzobe hike with nights in wooden cottages, past the Kamiranzovu swamp; community experiences in Banda and Gisakura; community guides on all hikes; the location next to Burundi's Kibira National Park, with Lake Kivu and DRC to the west; the 5- to 6-hour drive from Kigali; weather between 20°C by day and 10°C at night; L'Hoest's and Hamlyn's monkeys as Albertine Rift endemics; the park's own lodge, campsites and guesthouses; and the Congo and Nile watershed, with Mount Bigugu as the highest point.
5. Nyungwe National Park, Frequently Asked Questions (official PDF, June 2024, linked from the Book Now page): https://visitnyungwe.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/06/Frequently-Asked-Questions.pdf. Supports 5 to 6 hours and 213 km from Kigali to Uwinka and 234 km to Gisakura; the 40-minute flight from Kigali to Kamembe, then 1 hour to Gisakura and 1.5 hours to Uwinka; all activities being guided; the cashless policy; and the age limit of 15 for chimpanzee trekking and habituation.
6. Nyungwe National Park, Day Visitors; Uwinka Campsites and Guesthouse; Gisakura Campsite; Gisovu Guesthouse; Munazi Lodge (official): https://visitnyungwe.org/day-visitors/, https://visitnyungwe.org/uwinka/, https://visitnyungwe.org/gisakura-campsite/, https://visitnyungwe.org/gisovu-guesthouse/ and https://visitnyungwe.org/munazi-lodge/. Support visitor centers open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM along the main road; the Uwinka campsites on raised platforms and the self-catering guesthouse for four; Gisakura Campsite's six platforms for 24 campers among tea plantations, as the base for the Ndambarare and Kamiranzovu waterfalls and the Cyamudongo chimps; Gisovu's two self-catering cottages in the north for the habituation experience; and Munazi Lodge's nine A-frame cottages, 1.2 km off the Kigali to Rusizi highway near Pindura.
7. Nyungwe National Park, About Nyungwe National Park (official): https://visitnyungwe.org/our-story/. Supports the 20-year agreement signed in 2020; 13 primate species; and the colobus group of more than 400, the largest recorded of any primate on the continent.
8. RDB, "Rwanda, African Parks commit to long-term protection of Nyungwe National Park," October 7, 2020 (official): https://rdb.rw/rwanda-african-parks-commit-to-long-term-protection-of-nyungwe-national-park/. Supports the 20-year agreement; 1,019 km²; 13 primate species; and over 90 mammals.
9. RDB, "Nyungwe National Park inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List," September 19, 2023 (official): https://rdb.rw/nyungwe-national-park-inscribed-on-unesco-world-heritage-list/. Supports the inscription as Rwanda's first World Heritage Site; the natural reserve from 1933 and the national park from 2005; the largest block of natural forest in the region; and 322 bird species. This newer figure replaces the 300 bird species in RDB's 2020 release.
10. Visit Rwanda, Canopy Walkway (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/interests/canopy-walkway/. Supports the 160 m long, 70 m high suspension bridge; access on the Igishigishigi Trail or the Imbaraga and Umuyove trails; the hour's walk from Uwinka; muddy paths; the $40 fee for international visitors; year-round opening with more chance of rain in the afternoons; and boots, raincoats and walking sticks at the park office.
11. Visit Rwanda, Primate Tracking (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/interests/primate-tracking/. Supports chimp treks starting at 5:30 AM and lasting from an hour to several hours, with up to an hour with the chimps; and owl-faced, Dent's, blue, vervet and L'Hoest's monkeys in Nyungwe.
12. Visit Rwanda, Hiking (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/interests/hiking/. Supports the Isumo Trail through tea fields and a ravine to the park's biggest waterfall; and the Imbaraga Trail with four waterfalls in a little under 10 km.
13. Visit Rwanda, Tea (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/interests/tea/. Supports the Gisakura and Gisovu estates as the main tea tours around Nyungwe; visits arranged through a tour operator or Visit Rwanda; and guesthouses near the Gisakura estate.
14. Visit Rwanda, Weather (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/facts/weather/. Supports the rainy seasons, mid-February to May and mid-September to mid-December, and the June to mid-September dry season, when paths tend to be easier.
15. Visit Rwanda, Rusizi; Ethnographic Museum; King's Palace (official, RDB): https://visitrwanda.com/destinations/rusizi/, https://visitrwanda.com/interests/ethnographic-museum/ and https://visitrwanda.com/interests/kings-palace/. Support Rusizi as the closest town to Nyungwe, about an hour's drive away, and the Ethnographic Museum in Huye and the King's Palace in Nyanza.
16. RwandAir, Kamembe (official airline page, updated October 3, 2026): https://www.rwandair.com/destinations/kamembe/. Supports RwandAir selling flights to Kamembe Airport, in Rusizi District on Lake Kivu, the gateway to Nyungwe.
17. East Africa Safaris tour pages (checked October 27, 2026): https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/3-day-chimpanzee-trekking-in-nyungwe-national-park/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/5-day-rwanda-primates-safari-experience/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/7-day-rwanda-wildlife-and-primates-safari-adventure/, https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/7-day-rwanda-mountain-gorilla-adventure-and-primate-safari/ and https://eastafricasafaris.com/tour/10-day-best-of-rwanda-safari/. Support the prices (7-day wildlife and primates: $7,155 solo, $5,306 for two sharing, $4,378 for six sharing; 10-day: $9,250 solo, $6,630 for two sharing, $5,502 for six sharing; the other three on request); two nights at Nyungwe on each tour and the Nyungwe activities on each; the chimpanzee permit and park fees on all five and the gorilla permit on the four longer tours; the $1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit; the 5:00 AM chimp trek start; the colobus trek being usually shorter and easier; the Nyanza and Huye museum stops; the Lake Kivu and Napoleon Island boat trips on the way to Volcanoes; the Mantis Kivu Marina Bay Hotel in Rusizi on the 7-day wildlife and primates safari; the minimum age of 15; the packing lists; porter fees not being included; booking early for July and August; and year-round, 7-days-a-week availability.
18. East Africa Safaris, Mark Axelson's answers of September 29, 2026, and Mark Axelson's and Anna Axelson's answers of October 5 to 6, 2026: supports the vehicle wording, office locations and the legal name, East Africa Safari Tours, Inc., a Utah corporation.
19. East Africa Safaris, FAQ: https://eastafricasafaris.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Supports the RDB license number, RDB/TL/2026/02/TO/00995.