Book 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari and get a chance to discover the untold wealth of wildlife within the vast rain-forest of Nyungwe National Park. This package takes you through distinct safari experiences but particularly a trek to see chimpanzees that share about 98% of their DNA with humans, a canopy walk-which is currently the first of its kind in East Africa as well as a hike/a walk around Gisakura Tea Estates, cultural experience at Kibati cultural village or Banda Community village and Kigali city tour.
Nyungwe National Park is in southwestern Rwanda about 225kms that is approximately 5-hour drive from Kigali but this may depend on the driver’s speed. This park expands up to 1000sq.kms and consists of a vast rain-forest where over 13 species of primates thrive including over 500 chimpanzees; red colobus monkeys, the rare L’Hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, silver monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys; over 310 bird species (including the Rwenzori Turacos, white-headed wood hoopoe, Great Blue Turaco, red collared babbler, archer’s robin chat, Doherty’s bush shrike, chestnut throated, white-tailed blue flycatcher, Chapin’s flycatcher), unique floral species to mention but a few. Your 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari will start and end in Kigali.
Things to expect on your 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari
• A magical encounter with chimpanzees.
• Exploring diverse primates, birds, flora while on the canopy walk.
• Authentic cultural experience.
• Ground transportation in a 4×4 drive safari car.
• Service of a professional driver-guide.
• Bottled mineral water.
Safari highlights of the 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park
Day 3: Day hike and cultural walk
Day 4: Kigali city tour
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park
Get a warm welcome from our driver-guide upon arrival at Kigali International Airport in the morning. Before heading to southwestern Rwanda, you will have a quick briefing on what your 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari covers. En-route, you will have a stopover at Nyanza where you will pay a visit to King’s palace or explore the cultural museum in Butare and then have lunch before proceeding to the park while enjoying the beautiful views of tea plantations.
Travel time: 4-5 hours
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation options at Nyungwe Forest National Park
Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park
After your early morning breakfast, you will transfer to Uwinka area for a briefing on the set safety measures to be observed while on chimpanzee trek. After the briefing, you will be allocated to one experienced and knowledgeable park ranger guide who will take you through a trek to see chimpanzees although you will also come across other primates, bird species and floral species. This will take you about 2-4 hours which also covers the one hour of face to face encounter with chimpanzees, photography and exploring their behaviors. Later, you will get back to your safari lodge and enjoy lunch then in the afternoon, you have a canopy walk. A canopy walk in this park takes you about 2 hours via Igishigishigi trail and it is suspended above 60 meters from the forest floor. It comes with a chance for you to spot out a variety of primates, birds and stunning canopy of Nyungwe Forest. After your rewarding canopy walk, you will return to have rest, dinner and spend a night in your safari lodge of choice.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation options in Nyungwe National Park
Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
Day 3: Day hike and cultural walk
Wake up early in the morning to enjoy your breakfast and later, you will take a walk via Gisakura Tea Estates towards Lake Kivu. Along the way, you will make a stopover to have thrilling traditional and cultural dances, cultural exploration in Kitabi cultural village or Banda Community village. After, you will get back to have lunch at the lodge and rest.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation options in Nyungwe National Park
Luxury: Nyungwe Forest Lodge
Midrange: Nyungwe Top View Lodge
Budget: Gisakura Guesthouse
Day 4: Kigali city tour
After breakfast early in the morning, you will embark on a return journey to Kigali where you will take part in a city tour in Kigali. You will visit Kigali/Gisozi genocide sites to learn what occurred during the 1994 Rwanda genocide; craft markets and some shopping then connect to Kigali airport for your flight back home or hotel in case your flight is not scheduled today.
End of the 4 days Nyungwe Forest safari
4 days Nyungwe Forest safari includes
• Chimpanzee tracking permit.
• Accommodation and meals.
• Ground transportation in a 4×4 drive safari car.
• Service of an English speaking driver guide.
• Air transfers.
• All activities in the travel plan except the optional ones.
• Relevant government taxes.
4 days Nyungwe Forest safari excludes
• Rwanda visa fees.
• Alcoholic drinks.
• Cigarettes.
• Tips-for driver guides, waiters, waitresses.
• Airfares.
• Souvenirs.
• Personal insurance.
Guidelines for chimpanzee tracking
• Do not eat, smoke or drink near or while with chimpanzees.
• Always maintain a distance of 7 meters away from chimpanzees at all times.
• Keep your voices low at all times but feel free to ask your guide as many questions as you can.
• No flashlight camera should be used to take pictures of chimpanzees.
• Only personal above 15 years are allowed to trek chimpanzees.
• In case of the flue, please cover your nose when sneezing and mouth when coughing.
What to pack for chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park
• You need good and waterproof hiking boots.
• Camera with no flashlight.
• Insect repellent.
• Rain jacket or poncho.
• Sunscreen.
• Hat.
Best time to visit Nyungwe National Park
A visit to Nyungwe National Park for a safari has no specific time. You can pay a visit to this beautiful protected area either during wet/rainy or dry season. However, the dry season is more preferable because it is when low rainfall amount is received and the habitat is kept relatively drier making it ideal for visitors on chimpanzee tracking tour. The dry season normally occurs in the month of June, July, August, September and December, January, February. The wet season is experienced in March, April, May, and October, November.
How to get to Nyungwe National Park
Nyungwe National Park is set in southwestern Rwanda about 225kms from Kigali capital city. You can get to this park by road or take a flight. By road, you need a good 4×4 drive safari car which you can get at a pocket-friendly rate. By bus, you board a bus that goes to Ruzizi from Nyabugogo Bus Park in Kigali and then you get out from Uwinka Center. If you are using a bus, you are most likely to spend more hours compared to car rental. However, you can save time by taking a flight from Kigali airport to Kamembe airport where you can connect up to Nyungwe Forest Lodge which is 32kms.