Activities in Nyungwe forests national park- Nyungwe forest national park is situated in South West of Rwanda on the border of Burundi, the oldest rain forest park in Africa, and its biodiversity cannot be found anywhere in Rwanda as well as the entire part of East Africa.

The park is famous for chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda, of which every tourist to Nyugwe forest national park does not want to miss out on a wonderful experience within the park.  Nyungwe forest is the second largest national park after Volcanoes national park, with a lot of various tourist attractions such as colobus monkeys, bird watching, nature walks as well as the Canopy walk experience which is an interesting activity that allows visitors to know more about the Nyungwe forests national park.

Activities in Nyungwe Forest National Park.

Nyungwe forests National Park is one of the parks in Rwanda with adventure activities which any visitor who visited Nyungwe forests will never forget in entire lifetime and these are some of the activities you should not miss out on your safari to Nyungwe forests as explained below;

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe forest national park is one of the popular tourist attractions in Nyungwe forest which attracts most of the safari tourists in Rwanda. This amazing experience in Nyungwe forests provides a great opportunity to the visitors, of exploring more details about these primates like eating habits, nesting, how the adults looking after their younger ones, and among others.

Bird watching

Nyungwe forest national park is also the best park in Rwanda for bird watching.  The common bird species that can be seen by bird lovers on birding safari in Rwanda include Ruwenzori Apalis, Rwenzori Turacos,  Caprimulgus Ruwenzori, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Ruwenzori Batis, Purple-breasted and Blue-headed, Dusky Crimson Wing, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Francolinus nobilis, Ruwenzori Nightjar, Apalis argentea,  Handsome Francolin, Kungwe Apalis, Regal Sunbird, Kupeornis rufocinctus, Red-collared Babbler, Cryptospiza shelleyi, Hemitesia neumanni,  and many more. Bird watching within the Nyungwe forest national park can be arranged as a short nature walk in the evening and Morning of a full day.

Butterfly watching

Nyungwe Forest National Park is a natural habitat of about 120 butterflies and these are the most common charismatic invertebrate species in Nyungwe forests, of which 21 species are Albertine Rift endemic and 40 species are endemic to Nyungwe forests. On a sunny day, the forest is full of bright colors.

Colobus monkey trekking

Colobus monkey trekking is one of the most amazing experiences within Nyungwe forest national park. Once you meet these black and white ornaments during the trek, you will be amazed at how large the group is.  Colobus monkeys in Nyungwe forest national park are usually found in a group of about 350-400 individuals including the largest group of the Angolan Colobus Monkeys in Africa. 

The Canopy walk experience.

Canopy walk in Nyungwe shouldn’t be left out. The Canopy walk starts at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 7:00 PM. Visitors who don’t fear height, you can try out the Canopy walk experience. The walk usually takes about 2 hours from Uwinka visitor center to Canopy. The canopy walk takes you through the giant trees and also feeling the fresh air of 60 meters above the forest floor.  You will also have a chance to see the fantastic birds which have got nice melodies and make the forest sound magical.

Bicycle riding

You will ride through a few hills with guides guided you through the dirt tracks so that you can have an amazing experience. You will spot a lot of primates and chimpanzees as you are amid a breathtaking forest. It is home to wildlife. You will have fun since you can be able to combine chimpanzee tours alongside bicycle riding. You will see chimpanzees moving around in the flora, clanging, and hooting. Chimpanzee trekking is just 90USD per person each day. It always begins at around 5. 00 am.

Nature walks

In Nyungwe forest national park there are 15 hiking trails which visitors can explore during nature walks in the park, and all hiking tours start from Uwinka the park headquarter. These are some of the common hiked trails in Nyungwe forests the Igishigishigi, imbaraga, kamiranzovu, Isumo waterfall, Umugote and Irebero. During hiking trails, you will get an opportunity to see almost all the park’s activities such as the famous chimpanzee and other 12 primate species, countless bird species. You can also visit tea plantations and get to know how African tea is grown and processed.

After visiting Nyungwe forests, You can also visit Rwanda for gorilla trekking which is found in Volcanoes national park, and explore more about these shy primates or visit Akagera national park for wildlife safari and get an opportunity to see various wildlife animals in the park these include the buffaloes, elephants, lions, rhinos, golden cats, and many more or take a boat ride along Lake Ihema where you will see aquatic hippos and a lot of bird species.