2-day Rwanda chimpanzee trekking tour

You shall be picked up from your hotel or residence in Kigali City at 8am by your tour driver and depart for Nyungwe Forest National Park in southern Rwanda. This is a 5 – 6 hours journey that includes a stopover in Butare town for an early lunch. Expect to arrive in Nyungwe Forest National Park on time for the 3pm canopy walk tour schedule. You will meet the park guides at the Uwinka visitors center and set off to trek along the Igishigishigi trail leading to the canopy walkway, and along the way you will observe numerous species of trees, have a chance to see birds and monkeys and enjoy wonderful views of the forest. After about thirty minutes trekking along the Igishigishigi trail you shall step onto the wobbly canopy walkway that is suspended over a deep valley, about 50 meters from the forest floor, and you will not help but feel the adrenaline rush as you walk across while taking in incredible views of the vast forested landscape, as you also gain insight into the seldom accessed forest canopy.

The canopy walk tour shall take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the pace and after which you shall continue to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation to choose from:

Budget: EAR Guesthouse

Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Hill Lodge, Emeraude Kivu Lodge

Luxury: One&Only Nyungwe House

Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner

Today you shall have breakfast as early as 4.30am and transfer to the ranger post at 5am to meet the park guides for the chimpanzee trekking briefing and after which you shall transfer by car to the start of the trek adventure in Nyungwe forest national park (Cyamudongo chimps group). The time taken to find the chimps cannot be predicated as they are moving from place to place, however when you locate them you shall spend a maximum of one hour of following them around as they go about their normal lives. Meeting the chimpanzees in the wild is an experience like no other. The chimps are very active primates always moving from tree to tree so sometimes you are trying to catch up with them. They communicate by way of loud pant hoots, deafening screams and thunderous hitting of the tree barks, causing the hairs on your body to rise as you feel a rush of adrenaline…or call it catching fear!

After the amazing chimpanzee trekking adventure in Nyungwe you shall set off back to Kigali, making a stopover in Kibuye town and have lunch by the beautiful Lake Kivu.

Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch