Car hire to Nyungwe National Park

Traveling to Nyungwe National Park in a private hired car from Standard Safaris is a convenient/reliable, and flexible experience. Situated to the southwest of Kigali, there is no better way of traveling there by road than in a private car. You can select from a long list available in our fleet of well-maintained vehicles. Cars to select from include the 7-seater Landcruisers, 5-seater Land Cruisers, 3-seater Landcruisers (TX, VX, GX, and TZ), and V8s.

SUVs and Sedans are also available in our fleet. Our experienced and knowledgeable driver guides will make the trip to Nyungwe National Park stress-free and enjoyable. They understand the terrain very well and are capable of informing you about everything you will need to know about the trip. They are also fluent in a variety of local languages, including English, French, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda.

Cost of hiring a car to Nyungwe National Park

The cost of car hire depends on the vehicle type you have chosen to take you to Nyungwe National Park. Kindly note that these prices exclude driver guide and fuel for the trip to and from Nyungwe National Park.

A V8: USD 200 per day
A 7-seater Land Cruiser: USD 150 per day
A 5-seater safari vehicle: USD 110 per day
A 3-seater Land Cruiser: USD 80 per day
A safari van: USD 70 per day
SUV: USD 60 per day
A Sedan: USD 45 per day

Driving to Nyungwe National Park

From Kigali city to the Nyungwe National Park reception, you will drive for 177 kilometers via Buhanga, Nyanza, and Butare. The time taken while driving to the destination ranges between 4 and 5 hours. Opportunities to make pauses during the scenic drive are numerous and unmissable. This is for you to get clear views of the beautiful Rwanda scenes of rolling hills and roadside bird species. The driver will ensure that you see all the key attractions enroute.

What to do in Nyungwe National Park?

Once you have reached the lush Nyungwe National Park, there are numerous guided activities to do there. Some of these activities are mentioned below.

Nature walk

This is among the highlights in a pristine forest ecosystem like Nyungwe National Park. The destination has no less than 10 nature trails, each offering unique experiences to visitors on nature walks. Trails like the Igishigishigi, Uwinka, Buhoro, Kamiranzovu, and Muzimu, etc., offer perfect sights of birds, primates, butterflies, and flora, etc.

Chimpanzee trek

Chimpanzee trekking is an unparalleled activity that almost every visitor to Nyungwe National Park desires to do. Tracking a habituated chimpanzee group with the guidance of a chimp tracker from the park is a uniquely special experience. View time once the chimps have been encountered is always 1 full hour. Capturing photos of the chimps is also a unique moment in the forest.

Birdwatching

Birding is generally for birders, but other visitors can enjoy this key activity in the beautiful forest. There are various birding trails in Nyungwe Forest, including those mentioned above. Plenty of key bird species are waiting to be seen in Nyungwe Forest, including Albertine Rift endemics. Birds to sight in the forest include strange weaver, Rwenzori batis, great blue turaco, regal sunbird, black collared apalis, and Neumann’s warbler, etc.

Canopy walk

A canopy walk is a walking experience on a breathtaking suspended bridge high up in the trees of Nyungwe Forest. The suspended walk is 160 meters long and 70 meters above the forest ground. Walking on this platform is one of the many ways to observe birds, primates, butterflies, and the forest’s flora. This also includes walking along the Igishigihigi trail to enhance the overall walk through the peaceful forest.

Colobus monkey trek

Colobus monkey trekking offers the perfect opportunity to see black and white colobus monkeys in their natural habitat. What this involves is tracking a habituated colobus monkey group with guidance from experienced trackers offered by the park. Once the colobus monkey troop has been located, viewing time is generously limited to an hour.

The best time to travel to Nyungwe National Park

Most travelers to Nyungwe National Park claim that the dry season is the best time to head there. There are 2 peak dry seasons experienced in Nyungwe National Park, from June to August and between December and January. During these periods, weather conditions make driving to Nyungwe National Park relatively comfortable. This is because rainfall frequency and quantity are relatively lower. This ensures that access roads to and inside Nyungwe National Park are less muddy, thus navigable.

But this does not mean that you should avoid traveling to Nyungwe National Park in the wet seasons. With our 4X4 safari Land Cruisers, navigating the muddy access roads to and inside Nyungwe National Park is much easier. Our driver guides have the experience and skill to drive on these challenging roads. This makes your transfer to Nyungwe National Park both thrilling and fun. Besides, this is also a very unique opportunity to travel to a less crowded Nyungwe National Park. You will then enjoy intimate wildlife encounters.

Sándor Jakubinyi

14:31 22 Feb 24

2019 megigazulás

12:45 21 Feb 24

We went on a two-week trip with my family, organised by Coleb from Standard Safaris.

I had my concerns about organised trips, but this one didn’t justify any of those. Everything went very smoothly, even when some problems arose with one of the cars it got fixed by next morning, the accomodations were clean and comfortable, the programs were exciting and well-balanced - everything was done to a truly high standard.

If you plan to visit Uganda and are looking for a guide, I warmly recommend Coleb and his team. In case you have a choice of drivers, go for Godwin, his presence made this trip even more enjoyable - cheerful, helpful, good sense of humour, generally a great person. Just look for the guy with a big smile and big heart:)

Bert Simoens

09:38 08 Jan 24

We recently embarked on a safari adventure with Standard Safaris in Uganda, which was truly exceptional. Our guide, Yonah, was outstanding - his kindness, knowledge, and discretion significantly enhanced our experience. He was the heart of our trip.

The local company's planning was offering a tailor-made journey that matched our interests. We saw an array of wildlife in Murchison, enjoyed rafting at Jinja, and experienced mountain biking at Sipi. A visit to Kidepo National Park was a highlight and comes highly recommended.

The vehicle provided was comfortable and reliable. We highly recommend Standard Safaris for anyone seeking an unforgettable safari in Uganda. Their professionalism and the exceptional guidance of staff like Yonah make them an great choice.

Michał Kostrzewa

00:41 15 Nov 23

We are all extremely grateful Standard Safaris for an incredible East Africa experience. I recently booked a custom trip for group of 8 people, including an 8-year-old boy, from Kampala through Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Coleb delivered on everything that was discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

The car provided was in great condition and our driver Meddy went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable, informed, and had the best possible time. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. All local services were inlcuded in (reasonable) price that we agreed, so there was no need to worry about payments during the 6 day trip. Also Standard Safaris agreed took care about safety and security by helping us organize armed ranger while in the park.

The whole trip was hassle-free and smooth. We saw amazing wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP, took in the sights of Rwanda and Burundi, and made lifelong memories.

I would happily book with Standard Safaris again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone looking for the best East Africa trip. They provide top-notch service while ensuring you have an incredible, customized experience. If you want a hassle-free, flawlessly organized African adventure, Standard Safaris is the tour operator to book with.

Ivan Nammanda

18:31 27 Oct 23

Very organized travel operator who chose awesome guide to make our trip wonderful.

We booked a nine days trip with Standard Safaris and all was perfect from start to finish. Coleb was very prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Coleb helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.  On the trip we had a private vehicle for the whole tour which was exactly what we wanted. Bryan was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.

Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda with Standard Safaris. We are definitely coming back soon!

MUGAIGA KENNETH

18:01 27 Oct 23

The company has very courteous tour guides with wide knowledge of fauna and frola in the whole of East Africa.
The choice of safari Lodges is good with first class treatment.
Game drive security is assured.
Almost The whole of September I was traversing through DRC, Uganda,and Rwanda on a gorilla tour and wildlife expedition.
Everything was arranged and booked perfectly by Standard Safaris.
The owner, Coleb was always helpful whenever we needed to ask questions about this gorilla safari in Uganda and beyond.
It was a complex expedition but Standard safaris and Coleb made it look amazingly easy.
I’ll recommend Standard safaris 200%, for all gorilla safaris in Uganda, Rwanda and wildlife tours in east africa.

travel uganda

16:35 27 Oct 23

This is so far the best gorilla trekking company in Uganda, and africa, by far. I had a wonderful time with Standard Safaris as a solo traveler.
My guide was excellent and our safari planner, Coleb was quick with responses and the prices were very friendly.
I’ll definitely book with Standard safaris on my next gorilla tour in Rwanda and Uganda.