Nyungwe Forest National Park
Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the oldest, most species-rich, and most biologically significant tropical rainforests in Africa — and one of the least visited. It is also, arguably, the most extraordinary.
Nyungwe covers 1,019 square kilometers of Afromontane rainforest, montane grassland, peat bogs, and wetland at altitudes ranging from 1,600 to 2,950 meters above sea level. The forest is estimated to be over 500,000 years old — a Pleistocene-era refuge that survived ice ages and climate shifts that devastated forests across the continent.
Chimpanzees, Colobus & Canopy Walk
One of Africa's oldest and most extraordinary rainforests
Nyungwe is home to 13 primate species — second only to Kibale in Uganda — including approximately 500 chimpanzees, Angola colobus monkeys in troops of up to 400 individuals, L'Hoest's monkey, owl-faced monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, and the olive baboon. Its bird life is exceptional, with over 300 species recorded, including 29 Albertine Rift endemics found nowhere else on Earth.
Nyungwe Forest is also the source of the Rukarara River — the southernmost and most distant source of the Nile — making this ancient forest, in the most poetic geographical sense, the birthplace of one of history's greatest rivers.
What to Do in Nyungwe
Chimpanzee Trekking
The habituated Cyamudongo community offers an extraordinarily intimate encounter, while trekking in the main park offers a wilder, more challenging experience.
Colobus Monkey Trekking
Angola colobus troops here are among the largest primate groups in Africa — watching a hundred or more black-and-white monkeys explode through the canopy is spectacular.
Canopy Walkway
A series of suspension bridges stretching 160 meters through the forest canopy at 50 meters above the forest floor — an experience available nowhere else in East Africa.
Guided Forest Walks
Well-maintained trails reveal giant tree ferns, carnivorous plants, rare orchids, and the elusive African golden cat.
Birdwatching
Over 300 species including 29 Albertine Rift endemics — the Ruwenzori turaco, Grauer's rush warbler, and the stunning African green broadbill.
Nile Source Hike
A cultural and geographical pilgrimage to the Rukarara River — the southernmost headwater of the Nile, deep in this ancient forest at the roof of Africa.
Safari Lodges & Camps in Nyungwe
From luxury tea estates to forest-edge eco-lodges — accommodation for every traveller
One&Only Nyungwe House
A former tea estate manor house transformed into a sublime highland retreat set within a working tea plantation on the park's northern edge.
Nyungwe Forest Lodge
A long-established eco-lodge on the park boundary. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls bring the forest interior into every room, with colobus monkeys visiting the gardens.
Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
A prominent ridge above the park with panoramic views across the forest and the mountains of the Congo border region. A popular mid-range option.
Gisakura Guesthouse
A long-established community guesthouse adjacent to the park headquarters. Simple, clean accommodation in a beautiful tea estate setting.