Chimps and Big Five Adventures in Rwanda

When most people think of Rwanda, mountain gorillas are the first thing that comes to mind — and rightly so. But Rwanda’s wildlife story is far bigger, more diverse, and more extraordinary than gorillas alone. The small, landlocked “Land of a Thousand Hills” is home to three national parks that together offer one of the most complete and compact wildlife experiences in all of Africa. From tracking chimpanzees through the mist-drenched ancient rainforest of Nyungwe to watching lions, elephants, and rhinos roam the golden savannah of Akagera, Rwanda has quietly become one of East Africa’s most thrilling all-round safari destinations.

This blog is your guide to two of Rwanda’s most exciting wildlife adventures: chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park and a Big Five safari in Akagera National Park — two experiences that, when combined with gorilla trekking, make Rwanda a destination like no other.

Nyungwe Forest National Park — Africa’s Ancient Rainforest

Hidden in the southwestern corner of Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of the oldest and most biodiverse rainforests in Africa. Covering over 1,000 square kilometres of dense montane jungle, cloud-covered ridges, cascading waterfalls, and towering ancient trees, Nyungwe is a world unto itself. The forest is estimated to be over two million years old, making it one of the few places in Africa where the original ecosystem remains almost entirely intact.

What makes Nyungwe especially extraordinary is its primate diversity. The park is home to 13 primate species, including over 500 chimpanzees — the largest chimpanzee population in Rwanda. Other primates roaming the forest include the black and white colobus monkey (sometimes in troops of over 400 individuals — a sight unlike anything else in Africa), Angola colobus monkeys, owl-faced monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and olive baboons. For any primate lover, a day in Nyungwe feels like arriving in another world entirely.

Beyond primates, the forest protects over 300 bird species, including many Albertine Rift endemics, as well as forest elephants, bongos, bush pigs, and countless species of butterflies and orchids. Nyungwe is a birder’s paradise and a botanist’s dream, as much as it is a primate destination.

If you are planning to combine Rwanda with Uganda for a comprehensive primate safari, our 7 Days Ultimate Uganda Primate Safari pairs mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda perfectly with a Rwanda extension, and our 11 Days Uganda & Rwanda Cultural Safari offers a deeply immersive cross-border experience that includes Nyungwe’s rainforest wonders.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Nyungwe — What to Expect

Chimpanzee trekking is the headline activity at Nyungwe Forest National Park and is widely ranked as Rwanda’s second most popular wildlife experience after gorilla trekking. The experience is equally thrilling but distinctly different — chimps are faster, louder, more unpredictable, and arguably more entertaining to watch than their mountain gorilla cousins.

Two chimpanzee troops have been habituated for tourism within Nyungwe. One is located in the main Nyungwe forest sector, accessible from the Uwinka visitor centre — the park headquarters. The second, and more reliable for consistent sightings, is located in Cyamudongo, a smaller forest patch that forms part of the greater Nyungwe National Park ecosystem in the eastern sector. Expert trackers head into the forest before dawn each day to locate the chimpanzees’ nesting sites, dramatically improving the chances of a successful encounter.

Trekking begins early, with visitors assembling at the Uwinka, Gisakura, or Kitabi reception centres by around 4:30 a.m. for those heading to Cyamudongo, or shortly after for the main forest sector. A briefing from expert ranger guides covers the trek rules, chimp behaviour, and what to do during the encounter. Groups are kept small — a maximum of eight trekkers per habituated troop — to ensure a genuinely intimate experience and minimise disturbance to the animals.

The trek itself can take anywhere from one to six hours, depending on where the chimps have moved. Once found, visitors are allowed one full hour in the presence of the chimpanzee family. The experience is electric — you hear them long before you see them. Screams, hoots, the dramatic drumming of knuckles on tree roots, and crashing branches announce their presence. Then suddenly the canopy erupts as one of the world’s most intelligent and human-like creatures drops into view, feeding, playing, nursing young, and interacting with the kind of expressive energy that leaves every visitor breathless.

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Nyungwe costs USD 150 per person for foreign non-residents, with resident rates available for those living in Rwanda or the East African Community. Only 24 permits are issued per day in total, so advance booking is essential, particularly during peak season. Visitors must be at least 15 years of age to participate, and anyone with a cold or respiratory illness will not be permitted to trek, as chimpanzees share approximately 98.7 percent of human DNA and are highly susceptible to human diseases.

The best trekking conditions are during the dry seasons — June to September and December to February — when trails are firmer and visibility is better. However, the rainy seasons also offer excellent experiences, with chimps tending to remain lower in the canopy, making them easier to observe. The forest itself takes on a magical quality in the mist and rain, wreathed in cloud and alive with birdsong.

Beyond chimp trekking, Nyungwe also offers the famous Canopy Walkway — a 160-metre suspension bridge hanging 50 metres above the forest floor, offering a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the ancient rainforest. It is the only walkway of its kind in East Africa and is one of Nyungwe’s most photographed experiences. Colobus monkey trekking, guided nature walks to waterfalls, and night hikes round out an incredible menu of activities within the park.

Frena Adventures offers outstanding Rwanda safari holidays that can be tailored to include chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, and the Canopy Walkway as part of a seamless, expertly guided Rwanda adventure.

Akagera National Park — Rwanda’s Big Five Safari Destination

In the eastern corner of Rwanda, just two to three hours’ drive from Kigali along the border with Tanzania, lies Akagera National Park — one of the most remarkable conservation comeback stories in the entire world. Established in 1934, Akagera covers 1,122 square kilometres of rolling savannah, dense woodlands, wetland lakes, and papyrus swamps. It is Rwanda’s only savannah park and Central Africa’s largest protected wetland.

The story of Akagera’s rebirth is one of extraordinary resilience. In the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, as returning refugees settled within the park’s boundaries and poaching escalated dramatically, Akagera lost two-thirds of its land area and nearly all of its large predators. Lions were poisoned to extinction; the last was seen in 2001. Rhinos were completely poached out by 2007. The park that had once held hundreds of animals was reduced to a shadow of itself.

Then, in 2010, a transformative partnership between the Rwanda Development Board and the conservation non-profit African Parks began the work of rebuilding Akagera from the ground up. Seven lions were flown in from South Africa in 2015. Eighteen black rhinos followed in 2017. In June 2025, in the largest single rhino translocation ever recorded, 70 southern white rhinos were relocated to Akagera from South Africa. Today, the park holds over 13,000 animals, has 72 lions, 183 rhinos, and 176 elephants, and was named by National Geographic as one of the world’s top 25 must-visit destinations for 2026.

For travelers looking to combine Rwanda’s Big Five experience with Uganda’s iconic wildlife parks, our 8 Days Uganda Big Five Safari Adventure pairs beautifully with an Akagera extension, creating one of the most complete wildlife itineraries in East Africa.

The Big Five in Akagera — What You Will See

Akagera is now one of the few parks in Africa where you can realistically see all five of the iconic Big Five species — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo — in a single visit. The northern savannah sector is particularly productive for lion sightings, especially during the early morning hours when the prides are most active. Elephants move in impressive herds across the open plains and are regularly spotted drinking at the lake edges. Buffalo roam in large numbers across the grasslands throughout the day.

Rhino sightings — both the critically endangered eastern black rhino and the southern white rhino — represent one of the most exciting wildlife encounters Akagera has to offer, particularly given how recently they were reintroduced. Morning rhino treks with rangers are now offered as a dedicated activity, allowing visitors to go on foot into the bush to track and observe these extraordinary animals.

Leopards are Akagera’s most elusive Big Five member. The park is home to an estimated 15 to 20 leopards, which are primarily nocturnal. Night game drives — available from some of the park’s lodges — offer the best opportunity to spot them with spotlights alongside other nocturnal creatures such as bush babies, civets, and genets.

Beyond the Big Five, Akagera is home to zebras, giraffes, topi, waterbucks, impalas, warthogs, and one of the highest concentrations of hippos in East Africa, living in and around the park’s extensive lake system. The park’s flagship body of water, Lake Ihema — Rwanda’s second largest lake — is the highlight of boat safaris: a serene two-hour cruise where hippos grunt at close range, crocodiles bask on the banks, and African fish eagles call overhead from papyrus-lined shores.

Akagera is also a world-class birding destination, with over 520 recorded species including the supremely rare and coveted shoebill stork, which can sometimes be spotted during early morning boat safaris in the papyrus wetlands.

Our 4 Days Rwanda Gorilla & Golden Monkey Safari can be extended to include an Akagera game drive, giving you gorillas, golden monkeys, and the Big Five across a single Rwanda itinerary. Frena Adventures also offers excellent East Africa safari holidays that weave together Rwanda, Uganda, and beyond for travelers who want to experience the full breadth of this remarkable region.

Combining Chimps, Big Five, and Gorillas in One Rwanda Trip

What makes Rwanda truly special is that all three of these extraordinary wildlife experiences — gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, and a Big Five safari — can realistically be combined in a single well-planned trip of seven to ten days. Few countries on earth offer this kind of diversity in such a compact geography.

A typical combined Rwanda itinerary might begin in Kigali, travel north to Volcanoes National Park for mountain gorilla trekking and golden monkey encounters, then head southwest to Nyungwe for chimpanzee trekking and the Canopy Walkway, before finishing with a game drive and boat safari in Akagera in the east. The drives between these parks are scenic, manageable, and full of Rwanda’s iconic rolling hill landscapes and vibrant local communities.

For travelers who want to extend this into a broader regional adventure, our 15 Days Grand East Africa Safari takes you across Rwanda and Uganda for the ultimate East African wildlife experience, and Frena Adventures’ Uganda safari holidays provide expert-guided extensions for any itinerary.

Rwanda has quietly transformed itself into one of Africa’s great all-round safari destinations — a country where you can go from the misty silence of a gorilla encounter in the morning to the electric noise of a chimpanzee troop by afternoon, and then wake up the following day to watch lions on the open plains. There is nowhere else on earth quite like it.

Ready to start planning your Rwanda adventure? Browse all our safari packages or contact our team to design a tailor-made itinerary built around your travel dates, interests, and budget. Rwanda is waiting.