Experience
Chimpanzee Trekking
Following the calls through Nyungwe at dawn
01What it is
A guided dawn trek in Nyungwe National Park to find and observe habituated wild chimpanzees.
Chimp tracking begins in the dark. Trackers go out ahead to find where the community nested, and you follow their radio reports into the forest as it gets light.
Chimps are nothing like gorillas. They move fast, high in the canopy, and they are loud — you often hear them long before you see them, a sudden eruption of pant-hoots somewhere above and ahead.
It is a harder, less certain encounter, and when it works it is electric.
- Where
- Nyungwe National Park
- Start time
- Around 5am
- Duration
- Half day
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Sightings
- Good, not guaranteed
02What to expect
- 01
A very early briefing
Typically around 5am at the park reception, because the chimps must be reached before they move off to feed.
- 02
Following sound
Much of the tracking is done by ear. The calls carry a long way through the forest and the guides read them precisely.
- 03
Fast, high, and brief
Chimps rarely stay put. Views can be fleeting and often steeply upward into the canopy.
- 04
Real forest walking
Steep, slippery, and off the formal trails at times. This is the most physically demanding of Nyungwe's activities.
03Best time
Possible year-round. Chimps range more widely when fruit is scarce, so success varies with the season.
- JanJan: best
- FebFeb: best
- MarMar: shoulder season
- AprApr: shoulder season
- MayMay: shoulder season
- JunJun: best
- JulJul: best
- AugAug: best
- SepSep: best
- OctOct: shoulder season
- NovNov: shoulder season
- DecDec: best
- Trails are markedly more slippery in the wet months.
04What to bring
- Waterproof jacket
- Boots with good grip
- Long sleeves and trousers
- Insect repellent
- A head torch for the pre-dawn start
- Binoculars for canopy views
05Requirements
- Permits are limited and should be arranged in advance.
- A minimum distance from the chimpanzees is enforced.
- Visitors who are unwell may be excluded, as chimpanzees share human disease susceptibility.
- Current permit costs and age limits are confirmed before booking.
Permit costs, age limits and park regulations are set by the Rwanda Development Board and its partners and change from time to time. We confirm the current position with you in writing before anything is booked.
07Journeys that include it
Tours
7 days · 6 nights
7-Day Rwanda Discovery
Gorillas, rainforest and the lake in between
Kigali, the Virungas for gorillas, down the shore of Lake Kivu, and into Nyungwe for chimpanzees and the canopy walk.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
10 days · 9 nights
10-Day Rwanda Complete Experience
The whole country, at a pace that lets you enjoy it
Kigali, Akagera's savannah, the Virunga gorillas, Lake Kivu and Nyungwe's rainforest — every landscape Rwanda has, without a forced march.
ClassicModeratePrice on request
Good but not guaranteed. The communities are habituated and trackers locate them at dawn, but chimps travel fast and a group can move out of reach. Treat it as a probable encounter rather than a certain one.
Add it to your trip
Plan chimpanzee trekking
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and what you want to see. We will come back with an itinerary built around it, not a package pulled off a shelf.