Rwanda's gorillas get most of the attention, but Nyungwe's chimpanzees offer a different kind of trek: faster, wilder, and a tenth of the permit price.
Unlike gorillas, chimpanzees range widely and move fast through the canopy — a chimp trek is a brisker, less predictable walk than the more sedate gorilla treks in Volcanoes National Park.
Prices from Nyungwe National Park's 2025–2026 rate sheet, checked 5 October 2026. The park reviews its rates periodically, so confirm before you pay. Payment is by card, mobile money or bank transfer; the park does not accept cash.
Video via YouTube — a real chimpanzee-tracking experience in Nyungwe Forest
Chimp tracking runs on a different rhythm than the more familiar gorilla trek.
Trackers follow chimpanzee communities that have been slowly habituated to human visitors, including one in Cyamudongo, a separate patch of forest west of the main park. The park assigns your community when you book.
Chimpanzees range further and move faster than gorillas, so tracking often means a brisker, less predictable hike through the forest.
Once located, visitors get a single hour observing the chimpanzees before heading back — the same standard as Rwanda's gorilla permits.
Treks begin with an early-morning briefing at one of the park's ranger stations before heading into the forest.
Nyungwe is run by African Parks with the Rwanda Development Board. Book on visitnyungwe.org, by email, or through a licensed tour operator.
Drier months make trails easier to navigate and generally improve visibility, though chimps can be tracked year-round.
The terrain can be steep and slippery even in dry conditions — sturdier footwear and a reasonable fitness level are recommended.
The standard trek gives you one hour with the chimpanzees. The park also runs a full-day chimpanzee habituation experience with the Gisovu community in the north of the park. You join the trackers as the chimps leave their nests in the morning and stay until they build new ones in the evening, helping record their behaviour along the way.
It's limited to four adults a day and costs $200 for international visitors ($100 for residents, RWF 30,000 for Rwandan and EAC citizens), with the same minimum age of 15. The park's Gisovu Guest House is the nearest place to stay.
Many visitors to Rwanda do both. Here's how the two treks compare.
| Chimpanzees in Nyungwe | Gorillas in Volcanoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | $150 | $1,500 |
| Time with the group | One hour | One hour |
| The walk | Fast and unpredictable; chimps move quickly and often feed high in the trees | Usually slower; gorillas stay mostly on the ground and move less |
| Minimum age | 15 | 15 |
| Where | Southwest Rwanda, about 225 km from Kigali | Northwest Rwanda, about 2.5 to 3 hours' drive from Kigali |
Gorilla permits are issued by the Rwanda Development Board. Read more in our gorilla trekking guide and our Volcanoes National Park guide.
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Pairing a chimp trek with the canopy walk makes a full day out of the park — book the canopy walk for the afternoon after an early trek.
Back to Nyungwe Canopy Walk