Nyungwe Forest National Park Safari Guide
Nyungwe Forest National Park covers 1,019 square kilometres in southwestern Rwanda, forming one of the oldest and most biodiverse montane rainforests in Africa — estimated at several million years old. Straddling the continental divide between the Congo and Nile river basins, Nyungwe protects 13 primate species (including approximately 500 chimpanzees and Angola colobus troops of up to 400 individuals — the largest arboreal primate groups in Africa), 310 bird species (including 27 Albertine Rift endemics), and 1,068 plant species.
Wildlife & Ecosystems
13 primate species: chimpanzee (500), Angola colobus (troops up to 400), L'Hoest's monkey, owl-faced monkey, red-tailed monkey, and more. 310 bird species, 120 butterfly species, 1, 068 plant species including 140 orchid species. The Uwinka canopy walkway provides access to the forest mid-canopy.
Best Time to Visit
June to September dry season for the best trail conditions. December to February also good. Rain gear is essential year-round as the forest creates its own microclimate.
Getting to Nyungwe Forest National Park
5-hour drive from Kigali (225 km) through Rwanda's scenic southern highlands. Charter flight to Kamembe/Cyangugu airstrip (45 minutes), then 2-hour drive. Often combined with Lake Kivu for a 10-day Rwanda circuit.
Areas We Cover
Uwinka Canopy Walkway
The Uwinka Canopy Walkway is a 200-metre-long, 50-metre-high suspended metal bridge through the forest mid-canopy — the first of its kind in East Africa when it opened in 2010. It provides eye-level access to the forest's bird-rich canopy layer, where Rwenzori turaco, great blue turaco, and Albertine Rift endemics forage. The adjacent Igishigishigi Trail loops through mixed montane forest, particularly productive for birders at dawn.
Cyamudongo Forest
Cyamudongo is a small, isolated 4-square-kilometre forest fragment 30 kilometres south of Nyungwe's main block, sheltering a habituated chimpanzee community of around 25 individuals. Because the group is small and the forest compact, tracking success rates approach 98% and treks are shorter (typically 1-2 hours). The intimate experience with this isolated community, surrounded by tea plantations, feels remarkably different from tracking in the main forest.
Colobus Monkey Tracking
Nyungwe hosts the world's largest documented troop of Rwenzori Angola colobus monkeys — up to 400 individuals moving through the canopy in a single, enormous group. This is the largest known arboreal primate aggregation on Earth. Tracking departs from Gisakura or Uwinka visitor centres and follows the troop along forested ridgelines. The sight of hundreds of black-and-white colobus cascading through the trees is one of Africa's most underrated wildlife spectacles.
