How much does visiting chimpanzees in Nyungwe forest, Rwanda, cost in 2024-25?

Chimpanzee trekking permits in Nyungwe National Park from 2023 are $250 for foreign nonresidents, $75 for foreign residents, and $25 for East Africans. Nyungwe National Park lies in the northeastern part of Rwanda and is the only home to chimpanzee trekking. The headquarters of Nyungwe National Park is in Uwinka, where all administrative work of this forest happens. 

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Before gaining access to the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park, you must secure a chimpanzee permit from the Rwanda Development Board. About 64 chimpanzee trekking permits are opened to the public each day for either the morning or afternoon sessions. Another chimpanzee community lives in Cyamudondo but is still semi-habituated. Cyamudondo covers a smaller forested area on the periphery of Nyungwe National Park.

Other than the mountain gorillas, Nyungwe National Park hosts other primate species, including blue, red-tailed, vervet, olive baboons, black and white colobus, etc.

The cost of the chimpanzee's safari in Nyungwe National Park also includes accommodation booking. There are few options for accommodation in Nyungwe National Park, but you, the ones present, are categorized into Luxury, mid-range, and basic facilities. The accommodation cost significantly affects the chimpanzee safari package you choose.

Transport to Nyungwe National Park also plays a big part in determining the cost of the chimpanzee safari package. Within the transport cost are vehicle hire, gas cost, driver guide fees, mechanical damages, and other related transport costs.

What is the cost of Visiting chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park?

The cost of visiting the chimpanzees of Nyungwe National Park starts with the chimpanzee permit cost.

Cost of chimpanzee permit for Nyungwe National Park Rwanda

In Rwanda, two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen in Nyungwe National Park in the morning and afternoon. From 2023, the cost of chimpanzee permits for Nyungwe National Park is 

$250 for foreign nonresidents

$75 for foreign residents

$25 for East African residents.

What is included and excluded in the cost of a chimpanzee permit for Nyungwe National Park?

The cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit for Nyungwe National Park includes the following:

• Ranger guide fees.
• Security during the chimpanzee safari.
• Chimpanzee conservation support.
• Local community support.
• One hour with the chimpanzees.
• Government tax.

Exclusions in the gorilla permit cost are Park entrance fees, snacks, transport, accommodation, and any other personal expenses.

Accommodation costs during the chimpanzee tour in Nyungwe National Park

Spending the night within or closer to the chimpanzee habitat makes the trip even more memorable because you may get to listen to them as they close off for nightfall. The sounds of the jungle are unforgettable.

It is best to book accommodation for your night before the chimpanzee safari in Nyungwe National Park in advance, especially if you hope to use the peak season for your chimpanzee safari. The peak Uganda tourism season usually is June, July, August, September, December, and January. Even amenities that support Rwanda's peak safari season are competing, creating scarcity.

Nyungwe accommodations: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel, Gisaku Guest House, Nyungwe Forest Lodge, Nyungwe House, Gisaku Family Hostel

Transport cost to Nyungwe National Park.

Road transport is the primary means to get to Nyungwe National Park from Kigali. The drive time is about 5 hours. You need to consider the cost of vehicle hire, fuel cost, driver guide fees, and other related transport costs.

Hiring a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition is an added advantage as the roads upcountry get messy, especially during the severe rainy season.

Charter flights are also available from Kigali International Airport to Nyungwe National Park, but advance booking is needed to make all necessary clearances.

Cost of additional Rwanda safari activities to combine with chimpanzee trekking

Besides chimpanzee trekking, you can walk over the Nyungwe forest in the canopy. This is the only one of its kind in East Africa. This 90-meter-long suspension bridge can only be attempted by those who are not faint-hearted. Enjoying the beauty of the Nyungwe forest from a more elevated surface is stunning. You get to see the forest canopy and its breathtaking surroundings, plus some forest inhabitants like several bird species.

What is the cost of the canopy walk in Nyungwe National Park?

The Nyungwe National Park canopy walk costs $40 for foreign nonresidents, $25 for foreign residents, and $20 for East Africans.

Birding in Nyungwe National Park is never a disappointment, as over 283 bird species are recorded as residents of this forest. Nyungwe National Park is Rwanda's birding hotspot, hosting about 27 species with a high concentration of Albertine Rift Endemics. The Karamba trail in Nyungwe National Park gives you better opportunities to spot a wide range of birds in this forest.

The birds you may spot during the walk in Nyungwe National Park include Red-throated Alethe, Dusky's Crimsonwing, Shelley Crimsonwing, Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush, Mountain Masked Apalis, Archer's Robin-Chat, Rwenzori Turaco and others.

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park, but you must book a gorilla permit in advance. Rwanda Development Board opens about 96 gorilla permits to the public each day from 15 gorilla families.

Game drives in Akagera National Park allow you to see Rwanda's wild animals, like lions, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, cape buffaloes, and elephants.

The Kigali city tour gives you a glimpse into the urban life of Rwandese. You can visit the Kandt house, taste the aromas of Rwanda coffee, and visit the genocide memorials like in Gisozi, St. Francis's church, and others.

When you choose the game drive in Akagera National Park, you must pay park entrance fees. 

During the low season, you receive a discount on the gorilla trekking permit if you spend at least two nights in Nyungwe National Park or Akagera National Park. The normal gorilla permit cost is $1500 per person, but it is discounted to $1050 per person in the low season. Terms and conditions apply. The low tourism season in Rwanda usually is March, April, May, and November.

When Is the Best time to visit chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park

Chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park is open all year, but the dry season is most preferred. The chimpanzees are full of life, plus other forest dwellers like the olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, several bird species, butterflies, and others.

During the dry season, which is the high Rwanda tourism season too, which is June to September and December to January, demand for chimpanzee permits in Rwanda is high, yet the number of permits open per day is restricted for conservation reasons.

Securing your chimpanzee permits for this season at least three months in advance is best because last-minute permit availability is hard to find. 

The low season, usually the wet season of March, April, May, and November, offers more chances for minute chimpanzee permit booking. Because fewer people are demanding to book chimpanzee permits, opportunities to take solo chimpanzee safaris are more open.

Suppose you have a limited chimpanzee safari budget for Nyungwe National Park. In that case, the low season may favor you getting discounts on safari amenities like accommodation, vehicle hire, driver guide fees, and others. If you want less interference while with the chimpanzees in the jungle, the low season offers you better timing.

Are Chimpanzees In Nyungwe National Park Aggressive?

No, the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park may be semi-habituated, but they are not aggressive. Chimpanzees are human's closest cousins in the animal kingdom with about 98% human genes, but they are first habituated till confirmed and ready for public visits. These chimpanzee communities are first taken through mocks.

Despite being habituated, tourists are requested not to provoke or mimic the chimpanzees because they may not know what they are communicating. When agitated, the chimpanzees hoot, pull grass around them, throw fruits at visitors, and so much more drama.

Do not panic when you observe such odd behavior about the chimpanzees, but wait for the ranger guides to establish the root cause of the matter. Sometimes, the chimpanzees have family feuds, so they get to cause some commotion in the forest. Try to calm down and follow the ranger guide's example to show these chimpanzees that your presence is not for a wrong cause.

How sure can I Be to see the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park?

Seeing the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park is a sure deal, with about a 98% chance. These chimpanzees are closely monitored by a team of ranger guides who wake up early to establish where these primates may have nested. The ranger also found a hang-out spot for the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park.

These clues are what ranger guides leading tourists on a chimpanzee trek used to locate the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park. Tourists are also advised to be very alert to the sounds in the wilderness, like hooting, giggling, tree beating, etc. Watch out for freshly fed foliage, fresh dung, and other signs that may show the presence of the chimpanzees.

When you fail to find the chimpanzees, the Rwanda Development Board may offer you a refund based on the circumstances that may have led to you not finding the chimpanzees. Terms and conditions apply.

How long is the chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park?

The Nyungwe National Park chimpanzee trek may take about 3 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees. After briefing, you are allocated a chimpanzee troop; the ranger guide follows the trail to where the chimpanzees were last seen the previous day. The ranger also follows the clues from the early riser team of rangers that locate the chimpanzees in the morning.

You need to have some patience before locating the chimpanzees, but look out for other exciting forest dwellers like a blue monkey, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus, and so many others.

Only one hour is allowed when you locate the chimpanzees in Nyungwe National Park. This is for conservation reasons because the longer you are in the forest, the more you will trample on foliage where chimpanzees feed.

What are the rules for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park?

• Do not provoke the chimpanzees because they may charge you when you agitate them. Chimpanzees have mood swings just like humans.
• No feeding the chimpanzees because wild animals must look for their meals. If you wish to eat, do it about 300 meters from the chimpanzee.
• Spitting on vegetation is prohibited because it is food for primates in the forest.
• Dumping wraps or any other waste damages the natural setting of the forest, so no dumping. Rwanda is also pro-ecotourism and very strict with throwing garbage anywhere, so keep the environment as clean as you find it.
• If you wish to ease yourself, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole about 30 meters deep and cover everything beyond recognition.
• Do not smoke or eat while in front of the chimpanzees. They may be tempted to grab it, yet wild animals must search for their own meal.
• Only one hour is allowed to be with the chimpanzees so they can be left free to eat.
• Try not to surround the chimpanzees because this makes them feel ambushed.
• If you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the chimpanzees to avoid spreading any infections to them. Volunteer to stay behind if you catch any infectious illness like flu or Covid-19 just before chimpanzee trekking.
• Never use flash photography when taking photographs during the chimpanzee safari because this may cause them to run into hiding. They are scared of unfamiliar occurrences in their environment.

Contact us for more information if you plan on visiting chimpanzees in Rwanda.