Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest

Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest, There is a beautiful montane jungle in Nyungwe National Park, and the Nyungwe canopy walk goes over a valley. The canopy path is the highest suspension bridge and has the best views of the forest’s old trees and different kinds of plants and animals. With its canopy walk and chimps, Nyungwe Forest National Park is a must-see for people on safaris in Rwanda from all over the world. Green Heart is a non-governmental group that was set up in 2008, and building began in 2010. The canopy bridge opened in 2017 and has become a more popular place for tourists to visit in Rwanda since then.

One of the many hiking trails in Nyungwe Forest goes to the canopy walkway. This trail is called Igishigishigi. As a result, the canopy walk tour includes hiking along the 2.1 km Igishigishigi route. The canopy walkway acts as a bridge or short cut along this curved path. The canopy path is 160 meters long and 70 meters above the ground. It goes across a steep valley that is full of trees. You can also get to the Canopy Walk in Nyungwe National Park from the Imbaraga and Umuyove trails in Nyungwe Forest.

The canopy walk in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest is an exciting adventure that nature lovers and people who need a rush of energy should not miss if they go to Rwanda and Nyungwe Forest for any tour, whether it’s to see birds, go chimpanzee trekking, or do any of the other natural things that the park has to offer.The canopy walk is now a famous thing to do in Nyungwe National Park that you should not miss on your trip there. The hike offers amazing views of East Africa’s biggest and oldest Afro-montane forest. It also gives you the chance to see animals like monkeys and birds that live in the trees but are hard to see from the ground.

The Uwinka Visitor Center is where the two-hour guided hike to the forest top starts. The trip starts every day at 8 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m., with evening trips starting at 3 p.m. The Canopy walk & trek is an exciting and fun trip that goes along the 200-meter Canopy walk path. Most people who aren’t afraid of heights will find this part of the hike really hard.

The paths that lead to the Canopy can be dangerous and difficult, so you need to be in good shape, patient, and determined. Before you start the tree canopy trek, make sure you have the right hiking shoes. In Nyungwe National Park, the Canopy Walkway is a bridge that goes through the trees and sits 60 meters above the ground. Besides different kinds of birds and butterflies, you might also see monkeys like blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. These monkeys are cheeky and curious.

The canopy walk lets people enjoy the natural beauty of the forest. The upper half of the forest is made up of hardwood trees, and the bottom half is filled with lush, green plants and a wide range of purple orchids.

How much it costs to go to Nyungwe Forest National Park’s Canopy Walkway

The new prices for 2023–2024 say that the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park will cost $40 per person. But people who want to do the canopy walk at Nyungwe National Park have to pay $100 per day to get into the park, $150 per person for two nights, or $200 per person for three nights.

How old do you have to be to do the Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park?

The Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park is only open to people who are at least 6 years old. The rules say that kids ages 6 to 10 must be with an adult.

When is the best time to go to Nyungwe Forest National Park’s Canopy Walk?

People can visit Nyungwe Forest National Park’s Canopy Walk at any time of the year, but the dry season is the best time. You should bring a raincoat with you on the day you go hiking to the canopy because it might rain while you’re there. The canopy walk is a unique and amazing experience for tourists who aren’t afraid of heights, but it could be described as a never-ending trip to hell for those people. Nyungwe Forest is the only place in East Africa where you can do such a beautiful forest walk. You can hike, watch birds, chimpanzees, and do other things at the park.

How fit do you need to be to do the Nyungwe National Park Canopy Walk?

Tourists who want to do the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park should not have any health problems that could make it hard for them to climb. People who have heart problems or lung problems that could make them short of breath shouldn’t do the exercise. People who are scared of heights or have acrophobia should not go on a canopy walk. People who want to do the exercise must, however, follow the rules set by the park guides.

Ways to Get to Nyungwe Forest National Park.

People who want to go on canopy walks can drive or fly to Kigali International Airport, which is in the main city of Rwanda, to get to the park. The highway is about 190 kilometers long, and it takes about 6 hours to drive that distance.

People who want to fly can book private flights from Kigali International Airport to Kamembe, which is close to the national park, with RwandAir, the largest airline in the country. The park can be reached by road after a 10-minute drive from Kamembe town. Akorera Aviation also rents out private planes that can land at One and Only Nyungwe House, so people can also book those.

About the National Park Nyungwe Forest

The name “Land of a Thousand Hills” comes from Rwanda. Many people are drawn to the country by its beautiful hills with well-kept lawns, sparkling lakes like Lake Kivu, clean streets, and nice people. There is a lot to see and do in this Central African country, from the busy capital city of Kigali to the national parks, such as Nyungwe Forest National Park. The national park is in the southwest area of Rwanda, in the province of Rusizi.

In the south, it shares a border with Burundi. In the west, Lake Kivu and the Democratic Republic of the Congo frame its edges. The famous Nyungwe forest is home to the national park. It is the largest tropical rain forest in East and Central Africa.

People think that this forest has been there for a very long time. It was planned that the park would be in a good spot between the basins of the Congo and the Nile rivers. It covers an area of 1,019 square kilometers in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park. In 2004, it was made a national park. The park is mostly made up of species like grasslands, bamboo, marshes, bogs, and rainforests.

Nyungwe Forest National Park’s tourist spots

It is home to 14 species of primates, 300 species of birds, 2,000 species of plants, 90 species of animals, and 38 species of reptiles. Many thanks to nature for making this national park possible. There is a lot to see and do in the park. It was made a forest reserve by the German colonial government in 1903. The total land area of this tropical African jungle shrunk by a lot between 1958 and 1973 because of forest fires, large-scale deforestation, and hunting. In 1974, poachers killed the last buffalo that lived in Nyungwe Forest.

Nyungwe Forest National Park was made a national park in 2004. This was after Lonely Planet named Rwanda one of the top ten tourist spots in the world. Still, the national park was made a protected place in 2005, and that year a lot more people went to the park. The chimpanzees are the main reason people visit the national park.

The park is home to more than 1068 plant species, 13 primate species, 322 bird species, 32 animal species, and 38 reptile species. The most famous place for tourists to go hiking is the Cyamudongo forest, which is in the middle of a tea plantation. The national park has many beautiful sights, such as the Canopy Bridge, the Isumo waterfalls, and the golden monkeys.

Other Things to Do in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Going on a trek with chimpanzees in Nyungwe or Cyamudongo Forest.
25% of Africa’s monkey species live in Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda. Most of the chimps there are used to people. One of the best things about visiting the park is tracking chimps. There are about 500 of them living in Nyungwe Forest National Park. People can go monkey climbing in Nyungwe Forest National Park for $40 USD per day, which can last for two to six hours.

Tracking starts at 8 a.m. from Uwinka, Kitabi, and Gisakura, which are the three main places. People who want to go chimpanzee hiking in Nyungwe or Cyamudongo forests in Nyungwe Forest National Park should get there by 5 a.m. to sign up and get an orientation from the park’s head ranger.

Seeing birds
There are about 300 different kinds of birds that live in the national park. Some of them are Archer’s Robin-Chat, Weird weaver, Chapin’s Flycatcher, and Rockefeller’s Sunbird. It costs USD 40 per person per day to go birdwatching in Nyungwe National Park, but not to enter the park.

Going on a hike to Isumo Waterfalls
When people go to Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda, they can go on an organized hike to the famous Isumo waterfalls. The falls are 17 meters high and give visitors great views of caves and even the Kamiranzovu swamp. People who go camping can see snakes, birds, butterflies, wildflowers, and rare tree and plant species along some trails.

There are climbing trails that start in car parks 1 and 2. These trails may be shorter than other main trails in the national park. When tourists go to Nyungwe Forest National Park, they can also go on a guided walk along the Congo Nile, go on a three-day hiking adventure, or camp in the forest.

Going on hikes and nature walks with a guide in Nyungwe Forest.
Nyungwe Forest National Park in Rwanda is a great place to go hiking. Overnight hikes in the forest cost USD 25 and last between 1 and 8 hours. Half-day hikes cost USD 15 and full-day hikes cost USD 25. It’s possible to hike on 13 different routes. In Nyungwe Forest National Park, you can also camp, hike along the Congo Nile Trail, and look for golden monkeys.