Chimpanzee Tracking In Rwanda

Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda is another exciting activity you can do while on your Rwanda safaris road trip. This is done in Nyungwe Forest National Park which is situated in the south west of Rwanda and the newly introduced Gishwati Mukura National Park.

Chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest National Park are the most celebrated with a record of over 400 individuals some of which are habituated and open for tracking by visitors. It is a very memorable experience getting to see man’s closest relative – chimpanzees as they play on tree branches and also feed their young ones.

On your chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda experience, you will be able to spot over 13 primate species that live within the boundaries of the park and these do include; Colobus monkey tracking the next famous to Chimpanzee tracking, blue monkeys, mona monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, silver monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, baboons and much more.

Other rewarding activities you can do while within Nyungwe Forest National Park include; canopy walk on a suspension bridge that presents you incredible beautiful views of the forest canopy, walking trails like Ngabwe trail, Congo Nile Divide Trail, Source of the Nile walk, Muzimu trail, Bigugu trail, Rangiro trail, Kamiranzovu marsh trail, Karamba & Isuma water fall trail, all that offer exceptional experiences.

All our Rwanda chimpanzee tracking safaris are tailor made to match with the expectations of the our guest mainly their interests, time ad budget, we blend these safaris with culture, wildlife experience, gorilla tracking for a memorable safari experience.

Unlike gorilla trekking in Rwanda, Chimpanzee tracking costs less and is less tenous. However, you will be required to be physically fit to proceed into the dense to follow the chimps as these tend to move for longer distances in search of food.

Chimpanzees are playful unlike gorillas that sit in one place for quite long time. These are lighter compared to gorillas and spend much of their time on tree branches.

Tracking of these endangered wildlife species starts early in the morning with briefing about the guidelines and rules you need to follow while close and during chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda. This starts as early as 6:00am at the park headquarters.

Briefing does take place at Gisakura, Kitabi and Uwinka, and after this, you will be accompanied by an armed ranger and a guide to a specific chimpanzee troop that you are supposed to track. Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park does take between 2hrs – 9hrs depending on the location of chimpanzees and once you spot them, you will be allowed to spend time of up to 1hr while observing and taking as many photos as possible of these species as they roam freely in their habitat.

How much does a chimpanzee tracking permit to Nyungwe Forest National Park cost?

Chimpanzee tracking permits to Nyungwe Forest National Park cost $90 per person for foreign non-residents and with a permit, you will be allowed to observe chimps for an hour.

Best time to go chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda

Chimpanzee tracking in Nyungwe forest National Park can be done throughout the year but to get the best memorable experience, you will need to visit during the months of June to September which is the dry season. During this time, the park receives little or no rainfall thus allowing you to go chimpanzee tracking and do other activities throughout the day.

The trails during this time are dry and less slippery allowing you to go the dense forest with ease. You can as well go chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda during the wet season of the year that does take place during the months of March to May and October to December.

During this time the park receives a lot of rainfall but the beauty about it is that there amazing discounts for you to enjoy that are offered by various accommodation facilities.

How to get to Nyungwe National Park

Planning for a chimpanzee tracking safari in Nyungwe forest National Park and wondering how to get to the park? This can be accessed by both air and road.

By road, you can take the Kigali route through Huye town and this will take approximately 5hrs – 6hrs on tarred and well tarmacked roads.

By air, you will need to have hired a chartered plane from Kigali international airport to Kamembe airport which is an hour drive to the park headquarters.

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