Nyungwe Forest National Park is Rwanda’s most important area of biodiversity and has been rated the highest priority for forest conservation in Africa.

Despite its huge biodiversity, Nyungwe is little known outside of East Africa. Nyungwe’s strongest drawcard is the chance to track chimpanzees, which have been habituated over the years to human visits. Another highlight is the simple pleasure of hiking along well-maintained trails over the lush, green valleys of the equatorial rainforest.

Nyungwe National Park

One of the oldest rainforests in
Africa, Nyungwe is rich in biodiversity and spectacularly beautiful. The
mountainous region is teaming with wildlife, including a small
population of chimpanzees as well as 12 other species of primate,
including the L’Hoest’s monkey endemic to the Albertine Rift

While chimps tend to garner most of the spotlight here, sightings of troops of other monkeys, including Angolan colobi, Dent’s monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys and diademed monkeys, are virtually guaranteed.

Nyungwe Forest National Park is sliced in two by the Huye–Cyangugu road. Visitors can access the park through either the Kitabi Booking Office or the Gisakura Booking Office, both of which lie along this road.

With 15 trails, some of which are detailed here, along with various other activities, visitors can choose to sample the delights of the forest or indulge themselves for a week or more in one of Africa’s most stunning forests.

Primate tracking tops most visitor’s list, but it’s worth lingering a little longer for those with time to relax and take in the primal atmosphere.