The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Nyungwe National Park

This ultimate guide to visiting Nyungwe National Park will give you a great insight of what to expect and how to get the best primates experience while on your incredible adventure in this magical Nyungwe National Park. Nyungwe National Park is well known as Rwanda’s second most visited safari destination, one of the oldest and last remaining tract of largely preserved montane rain forests in Africa, the park is breathtakingly alluring with unique and striking biodiversity  that give visitors the most thrilling experiences out of this world.

What are the tourist attractions in Nyungwe National Park?

Famously known as a primate’s world, Nyungwe National Park is abundantly blessed with diverse attractions which feature a considerable population of Chimpanzees, and 12 other unique primate species which include specialties endemic to the Albertine rift such as the L’hoest’s monkeys.

Nyungwe also inhabits spectacularly beautiful plant species, orchids, and stunning marshlands and is also popularly and internationally recognized as a birding paradise with more than 322 recorded bird species which include 29 endemic to the Albertine rift as well as stunning butterflies. Apart from being exceptional for primates, Nyungwe National park is also home to a number of other wildlife species that include a great number of mammal species such as cerval cat, mongoose, rarely seen leopards etc.

What are the different tourist activities in Nyungwe National Park?

There are greatly interesting tourist Activities in Nyungwe National Park that visitors usually engage in to discover the hidden treasures of this exciting destination, following our ultimate guide to visiting Nyungwe National Park will enable you understand how you can enjoy your adventure moments in Nyungwe’s pristine forests and connect your soul with nature for unforgettable experiences.

Chimpanzees feature as the top highlight of tourist attractions in Nyungwe National Park and thus Chimpanzee trekking is the most popular tourist activity, a must do experience for anyone visiting this National Park, you get to have a face to face encounter with the chimpanzees in the forests and usually tourists are allowed to spend a full hour with these primates observing them in the wild.

This exceptional chimpanzee tracking experiences is mostly complemented with a canopy walk experience another exciting tourist activity that allows visitors to explore the mist-covered spectacular rain forests of Nyungwe as they walk through the suspended metallic bridge hanging between giant canopies 60 meters above the forest ground, while enjoying the unsurpassed top views of Nyungwe forests which is matchlessly breathtaking.

A number of nature trails well maintained are marked within the tract forest which tourists use for nature walk experiences, hiking through the forests and while on their bird watching adventures, other tourist activities include the Isumo tropical waterfalls hiking experience, Colobus monkey tracking and other primates tracking among many more.

How long does chimpanzee trekking experience take?

Chimpanzee trekking experience is the most popular daily tourist activity in the park, it requires a chimpanzee permit of 90$ per person to be allowed to track, this experience usually takes 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimps in the jungle, including the one hour allowed to spend with the chimps after finding them. On a day of trekking tourists get a short briefing about the trekking exercise from park officials at the park headquarters early in the morning around 7:30am and they later get into the forests in search of the primates.

How do i book tourist activities in Nyungwe National Park?

All the tourist activities in Nyungwe National Park require a permit to be allowed to do them and we recommend booking your tourist activities with your trusted tour company that can arrange your trip and book all the activities of your interest on your behalf from the park management.

Do i need a Covid 19 PCR Test to visit Nyungwe National Park?

According to Rwanda’s Covid 19 preventive measures set in place for tourism industry, a negative PCR Covid test taken within 72 hours is required for every tourist visiting Nyungwe National Park.

What is the best time to visit Nyungwe National Park?

Although Nyungwe can be visited all year around, the best time to visit Nyungwe National Park usually depends on the different tourist activities of your interest that can be in the park, namely for the most popular chimpanzee trekking, this can be best done in the dry season when hiking there is little or no rains and the hiking trails are easy to trek through however even in the wet season because of plenty of fruits in the forests chimps are easier to trek and can be found very close in the park.

Where can I stay while visiting Nyungwe National Park?

Many visitors still wonder about where to stay on their visit to this primeval National park, however our ultimate guide to visiting Nyungwe National Park will still guide you with some of the best accommodation options to choose from for your stay in Nyungwe.

There is a great variety of sumptuous accommodation facilities in Nyungwe National Park of all categories ranging from super luxury to clean and comfortable budget properties that will make your experience in Nyungwe more rewarding. One and only Nyungwe House the most lavish and luxurious resort and located just comes first on the list, providing authentic and exclusive services of an escape that will make you feel sophisticated. Other properties on our list from our expert pick include Kivu Marina Bay hotel, Nyungwe Top View Hotel, Emeraude Kivu resort, Gisakura visitor’s center and many others offering excellent services.

How far is the distance from Kigali to Nyungwe National Park?

Nyungwe National Park is accessibly tucked away in the southern province of Rwanda and the distance from Kigali to the park is approximately 212 to 218kilometers which usually takes roughly 5 to 6 hours of driving time depending on stopovers however if you don’t wish to spend this whole period of time on the road, there are scheduled domestic and helicopter flights from Kigali international Airport to Nyungwe National Park at Kamembe airport or one and only Nyungwe helipad taking only 45 minutes.

Can i combine Gorilla Trekking with a visit to Nyungwe National Park?

It is very possible to do Gorilla trekking in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and then complement it with a few days in this pristine Nyungwe forest for chimpanzee trekking, canopy walk, Isumo waterfall hiking experience and other different activities.

Nyungwe National Park can as well be complemented with a wildlife viewing safari in Akagera National Park to get sightings of the globally threatened game species such as rhinoceros, lions, elephants among others, if you are interested in a trip to Nyungwe National Park, kindly get in touch with us for more ultimate guide on visiting Nyungwe National Park and let us help you tailor a perfectly arranged safari package for life time experiences in Rwanda.