Trekking chimpanzees in Rwanda in the rainy season

Trekking chimpanzees in Rwanda during the rainy season is among the most captivating tour experiences in East Africa. Nyungwe National Park at 1,019 square kilometers and Gishwati-Mukura National Park at 34 square kilometers are the only places in Rwanda where you can trek a habituated chimpanzee group in their natural habitat. The chimp trek involves being led by experienced trackers into the dense forest to locate a group of chimps. The trek starts at around 7:30 am and can take 1-4 hours or even more depending on the location of the chimps. Unlike gorillas, chimpanzees are noisy and their presence can be hundreds of meters away. Once you meet the chimpanzee group, you have only an hour to observe or take photos of the playful primates.

Being nestled in the tropics, Rwanda, the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’ experiences a bimodal rainy season. The first rainy season occurs from March to May and the second in October and November. During the rainy season, the average temperatures are cooler than the dry season, but the average precipitation is relatively higher. This makes accessing the chimpanzee destinations more challenging than in the dry season due to muddy and slippery roads. The forest vegetation is also relatively dense with heavy undergrowth compared to the dry season. In addition, the cloudy skies affect the visibility, making the trekking adventure more intense and mysterious.

Why trek chimpanzees in Rwanda in the rainy season?

During the rainy season, tourism in Rwanda is at the low season, hence acquiring or booking a chimpanzee permit is less competitive compared to the high season. There are also fewer visitors on chimpanzee trekking tours in Nyungwe or Gishwati-Mukura National Parks during the rainy season compared to the dry season, hence the best time for solo travelers. Also, the heavy rains during the rainy season cause dense undergrowth in the forest thus a perfect backdrop for photography. You can have beautiful pictures of the lovely chimpanzees for either sale or your memories. Additionally, there is a huge chance of getting discounts on services such as accommodation, car hire, driver guides, and transportation to mention but a few.

Cost of Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda

A permit for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park costs USD 150 and an additional USD 100 for entrance. This is for a single trek per person and caters to conservation fees and ranger guides to mention but a few. You can book or acquire the permit through a reputable tour operator like Standard Safaris if you want a seamless booking or acquisition process. We have the added advantage of designing a tailored itinerary with you to encompass transportation, accommodation, tour activities, driver guide, and much more.

Additional activities to do in Nyungwe and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks

Besides chimpanzee trekking, the rainy season is another time to participate in several tour activities in the Rwanda chimpanzee destinations, which include,

Canopy Walk

This canopy walk offers aerial views of the Nyungwe National Park scenery and the birds and wildlife found within it. With a high concentration of at least 13 primate species, you can observe the olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, L’hoest’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and others.

Guided nature walks

These walks offer opportunities for visitors to follow particular trails within the forests to observe a variety of flora and fauna, including birds, plants, wild animals, and waterfalls and streams among others.

Birdwatching

Nyungwe and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks are each endowed with over 200 bird species including several Albertine endemics. These offer birders and ornithologists a captivating experience of spotting the colorful avians in the wild. The adventure will bring you much closer to the regal bird, Ruwenzori turaco, Ruwenzori nightjar, Ruwenzori batis, Kivu ground thrush, and others.

Reaching Nyungwe and Gishwati-Mukura National Parks for Chimpanzee Trekking

Nyungwe National Park is about 180 kilometers by road southwest of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. A scenic road trip to the park headquarters will take you about 4-4½ hours on a safari vehicle. Gishwati-Mukura National Park is 175 kilometers west of Kigali and a scenic road journey takes 3½ -4 hours in a car. A reputable tour operator like Standard Safaris can offer this transfer service for you, in addition to a professional driver guide to spice up your travel experience with wildlife knowledge and humor.

Packing for Chimpanzee Trekking in Rwanda in Rainy Season

As you plan to visit Rwanda for a chimpanzee trekking tour in the dense but beautiful Nyungwe Forest National Park or Gishwati-Mukura National Park, be sure to pack the following items to ensure a successful adventure.

Waterproof hiking shoes and gaiters
Pair of socks, head socks, and a pair of gardening gloves
A basic first-aid kit and personal medication if necessary
Backpack
Binoculars, camera/smartphone, and extra batteries
Long pants or trousers and long-sleeved shirt
Warm sweater and raincoat to keep you warm and dry during the cold rainy day in the forest
Travel adapter and charger
Reusable water bottle to carry sufficient drinking water throughout the chimp trek
Energy snacks
Insect repellent
Chimpanzee permit

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.

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