Nyungwe forest national park is situated in the western part of Rwanda. Nyungwe National Park is characterized as one of the world’s most adorable and pristine tropical rain forests that are dominated by a series of mountains. Click here to see mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

Nyungwe forest national park offers panoramic views of Lake Kivu and the Virunga-chained mountain ranges on a clear day. Nyungwe National Park Forest has extensive, well-maintained walking or hiking trails to the viewing points and waterfalls. Nyungwe National Park's prime tourism activities include chimpanzee trekking, canopy walks, bird watching, and colobus monkey trekking. Click here to view our recommended mountain gorilla trekking safari

Nyungwe Forest National Park harbors over 75 different species of mammals. Chimpanzee tracking is the main tourist attraction in Nyungwe Forest National Park and happens daily. Nyungwe Forest National Park accommodates another troop of about 300 colobus monkeys.

Nyungwe forest national park offers about 300 bird species, 27 Albertine Rift endemics, 16 African endemics, and 121 forest species. Nyungwe forest national park bird species include the Chestnut Owlet, Great Blue and Ruwenzori Turacos, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, the remarkable Red-collared Babbler Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Stripe-breasted Tit, Archer’s Robin-Chat, and Doherty’s Bush-Shrike White-bellied Robin-Chat, Handsome Francolin Mountain Masked, Black-faced, Chapin’s Flycatcher, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher Chestnut-throated Purple-breasted and Regal Sunbirds, Collared Apalis, Rwenzori Batis, and Neumann’s Short-tailed Warbler, among others

Nyungwe forest national park offers two wild chimpanzee communities that are habituated for chimpanzee tracking. One of the chimpanzee groups is in the Cyamudongo sector of Nyungwe forest, and the other is in the Uwinka area of Nyungwe forest. Nyungwe Forest National Park harbors about 400 chimpanzees.

Nyungwe Forest National Park offers a memorable experience with an amazing set of tourist activities open to visitors in the park. Nyungwe Forest National Park is blessed with endless views of mountains, ever-green vegetation, and water bodies that boost great forest walks and wildlife viewing. While planning to visit Nyungwe Forest National Park, travelers can take part in any of the following activities:

 Chimpanzee tracking

Nyungwe Forest is among the best places to trek chimpanzees in Rwanda. Nyungwe Forest offers approximately 400 individual chimpanzees that are staying in different clans. Only two families are habituated. Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest can be done throughout the year. Every morning, groups of travelers set off early at 7:00 a.m. under the guidance of professional tour guides and park rangers as they search for the habituated chimpanzee troops found at the Uwinka and Cyamudongo sections of the park.

Monkey tracking

Nyungwe National Park is also considered one of the best places to see small primates in Africa. But Chimpanzee trekking is the dominant primate activity; other tourists come with an interest in seeing the other smaller primates residing in Nyungwe forest, like the Angola Colobus Monkeys, Hamlyn’s Monkeys, Dent’s Mona Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Olive Baboons, Red-tailed Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, Silver Monkeys, White and Black and Colobus monkeys. Groups of golden monkeys can also be spotted in Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Nyungwe Forest National Park has four trails for tracking small primates, such as the Kamiranzovu Trail, which involves passing through orchids and marshes to view some of the primates. The Bigugu Trail takes travelers to the peak of Mount Bigugu to spot more of the small monkeys already found on other trails and others only seen at higher altitudes.

For travelers who are interested in Colobus monkeys, the Nyungwe Forest Waterfall Trail, which starts from the Gisakura Guest House up to the Tea Estate, is the best for you. The Unwika Campsite Trail is Nyungwe’s last trail and is divided into two sections: red (10 km) and grey (1 km). This trail allows travelers to see several primate species, such as over 400 Colobus monkeys.

Canopy walks

Tourists interested in taking a canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest have two alternatives: a canopy walk or a low-ground forest walk. Nyungwe National Park is so special because it is the only national park in East Africa offering nature lovers true canopy walks on a suspended bridge. The Nyungwe forest canopy walk is the best in East Africa. This canopy walk begins from the Uwinka Visitors Center and goes through a hanging platform that is approximately 45 meters above the ground with spectacular views of the tropical rain forest, many wildlife species, and birds.

Birding walks

Nyungwe Forest National Park offers more than 300 bird species, which is arguably the best place to do bird watching in Rwanda. According to Birdlife International, Nyungwe Forest National Park has 27 bird species that are endemic to the Albertine region. Nyungwe forest top bird species to look out for while on your bird watching safari walk include the Archer’s Robin Chat, blue Turaco,Barred long-tailed Cuckoo, Chapin’s flycatcher, grey-chested kakamega, Doherty’s Bush Shrikes, Handsome Francolin, Lagden’s Bush Shrikes, Rwenzori Double Collared Warbler, Rockefeller’s sun bird, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Purple Throated Sunbird, Red collared mountain Babbler, White Bellied Robin Chat, Rwenzori Nightjar, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, White Tailed Flycatcher, and the Yellow Eyed Black Flycatcher.

Biking via the Congo-Nile Trail

The Congo Nile Trail passes through Nyungwe National Park, allowing tourists to bike through this particular section called the Congo Nile Trail.  Biking or cycling along the Congo Nile Trial gives travelers a perfect opportunity to discover other unique animals and birds in the park as a whole.

The best months to travel to Nyungwe Forest are in the long dry season, which starts from June to September, or in the short dry season, from December to February. Travelers should expect some showers in the short season since it falls in between the two rainy seasons.