Chimpanzee Trekking Costs in Rwanda

Chimpanzee trekking costs in Rwanda go for 150 USD for foreign non-residents. Meanwhile, 75 USD for foreign residents and 25 USD for East African nationals. Participants in chimpanzee trekking activities will also be required to pay another fee for park entrance. This is 100 USD for foreign non residents 60 USD for foreign residents and African citizens. Notice that the cost of chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is less compared to gorilla trekking. Primates are still Rwanda’s top attraction, with gorilla trekking being the most popular activity despite the high cost of gorilla permits, which is currently at $1500 per person. Tourists still flock to the country to witness other primates such as chimpanzees and golden monkeys and as a result, some visitors opt for other alternatives like chimpanzee trekking.

Where to do chimpanzee trekking?

Chimpanzee trekking in Rwanda is an exciting activity organized in Nyungwe Forest. This is the largest Afro montane forest in Africa. The forest is a conservation site, attracting researchers and scientists who are interested in primate research. Nyungwe forest is part of Nyungwe National Park, which now includes Cyamudongo forest occupying about 19 sq km of Nyungwe. The forest is also a vital water catchment area in the country, producing rains that feed rivers like the Nile in Uganda and others in Congo. It is also a bird sanctuary, home to over 310 species. If you’re a bird enthusiast, you’ll be able to spot paradise flycatchers, Chapin’s flycatcher, purple-breasted sunbirds, Rockefellers’ sunbird, red-collared mountain babblers, and Ruwenzori turacos, among many others

Besides Nyungwe forest, you are to find chimpanzees in Cyamudongo forest and Gishwati-Makura forest. Nyungwe has three habituated communities of chimpanzees hence available for chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzees are also man’s closest relatives beside gorillas, hence have some similar traits with humans such as using hand signals and showing emotions like joy and sorrow. There are over 1000 chimpanzees in Rwanda and approximately 500 of these are found in Nyungwe forest.Chimpanzee are different from gorillas such as they are lighter and therefore spend a lot of their time on top of the trees in low altitude areas unlike mountain gorillas which are much heavier hence living on the ground though in very high altitude areas.

How is chimpanzee trekking done?

The chimpanzee trekking adventure begins with a briefing at 5:00 am, which is held at either Uwinka, Gisakura or Kitabi. To ensure you have enough time to prepare, it’s recommended that you wake up at 4:30 am to have breakfast and get ready for the activity. Why so early? Well, once the day starts, the chimps spread throughout the vast forest in search of food. The best way to locate them is by finding them before their busy day begins. A team of skilled trackers goes ahead of the group to locate the chimps, then communicate their location to the lead guide. These trackers and rangers are highly experienced and knowledgeable about chimp communities and where to find them. Inside the Nyungwe forest, prepare for a chimp trekking journey that could last anywhere between 2 to 6 hours. It may take even much longer than that.

Once you finally catch up with these elusive primates, you can spend some time observing them. Photographs are almost a must as you get up close and personal with these incredibly intelligent creatures. One needs to be physically fit to track chimpanzees in such a lush forest. This is due to the fact that they move quickly both on the ground and in trees before settling. But their numbers are relatively more than in a gorilla family. This is perfect to see as many chimpanzees as possible. You can also learn a lot about their behavior by observing so many of them.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!

G L

Everything was great Amanya and Ian the drivers are amazing they take good care of us i highly recommended this tour

Jennifer Johns

Denis is such a fun ball of energy. He was always on time and nothing was too much work or a hassle for him. He takes everything as a learning opportunity and has an eternal optimism that is infectious. Organising our different tours etc through Coleb was also seamless. He responds so quickly and always has great advice on how to best travel in Uganda

Niklas Freese

We booked a very last minute gorilla trekking tour from Kigali with Standard Safaris, and everything was perfectly organized from start to finish. The booking process via WhatsApp was incredibly easy, fast, and uncomplicated. Our guide, Ian, picked us up right on time at our hotel in Kigali. The entire tour was an amazing experience, but Ian truly made it unforgettable. From the beginning, he told us to let him know anytime we wanted to stop for photos, which made the drive much more enjoyable. He also introduced us to traditional Ugandan food along the way and shared interesting information about the country and its culture. Ian is genuinely one of the kindest and warmest people we have met. His friendliness, enthusiasm, and care made us feel welcome throughout the whole trip. Thank you, Ian, for making this experience so special:)

Vanessa Paola Varsallona

I had a fantastic experience on this tour and would highly recommend it. Everything was very well organised, and the highlight was, of course, the unforgettable gorilla trekking experience. Ian was my driver and Frank was my guide. They were both incredibly helpful, professional, and friendly throughout the trip. Ian was always punctual and reliable, making every transfer smooth and stress-free, while Frank was an excellent guide who made sure everything went perfectly. They went above and beyond to accommodate all my requests and helped me secure a gorilla family with babies, which made the experience even more special. Their kindness, flexibility, and dedication truly made a difference, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. I highly recommend both Ian and Frank!