Canopy Walk in Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda
The Nyungwe Forest Canopy walk is one of the top attractions in Rwanda and a great way to spend time in one of Africa’s oldest rain forests – Nyungwe Forest. Rwanda has so much to offer from chimpanzee tracking to colobus monkey tracking to gorilla tracking to birding to amazing hiking trails and so much more! Visitors to Rwanda are always interested in the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest Rwanda because its a unique activity and a great alternative to spend an afternoon in Nyungwe Forest especially after doing the chimp trek. This makes the canopy walk one of the popular attractions in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Nyungwe Forest National Park is one of Rwanda’s finest national parks, rich in bio-diversity and an amazing habitat for wildlife. The park is situated in South-west Rwanda between Lake Kivu and the border with Burundi, about 1,050 plant species have been recorded in the park. Nyungwe Forest is home to 85 mammal species, 13 primate species, 120 butterfly species, 322 species of birds and 38 reptile species. The beauty of Nyungwe Forest is definitely in its bio-diversity.
Canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest
Uwinka Headquaters
The Rwanda canopy walk experience starts at Uwinka visitor’s center in Nyungwe National Park, the center is the park’s headquarters that features the park offices, washrooms, brochures and boards with relevant park information about hiking trails, chimpanzees and the nature of Nyungwe Forest. The visitor’s center also features a coffee shop so one can grab a cup of coffee just before they start their activities.
At the Uwinka visitor’s centre just before starting our canopy walk
Before embarking on the canopy walk you meet your site guide at Uwinka who takes you through a briefing to prepare you for the experience. The site guides at Nyungwe Forest National Park are knowledgeable and have experience about the forest trails. The briefing can take about 10 – 15 minutes where the guide gives you an overview briefing about the park and what to expect and the rest of the information is given as you hike to the Nyungwe Forest canopy walkway. Wooden walking sticks are available and provided at the visitor’s center because being a rain forest, the Forest pathways are slippery and sometimes muddy so a walking stick helps with balance. The canopy walk takes about 1.5 to 2 hours long depending your speed and the stopovers along the trail.
The briefing session with the site guide ends and then you begin the hike, the canopy walkway is accessed from the Igishigishigi trail which is one of the hiking trails in the park. The Igishigishigi is a beautiful trail that takes you through the thick and dense Nyungwe Forest. On a cold day you experience a misty environment surrounded by the forest sounds while on a sunny day you experience sunny weather with light peeking through the dense vegetation, either way you get a magical experience in Nyungwe. At the start of the trail you mainly walk through the forest looking out for wildlife as your guide also tells you about the different tree species, as you get to the middle of the hike you enjoy stunning views of the forest hills, one can stop and even capture some great landscape photos.
Picture of Nyungwe Forest taken while on the Igishigishigi trail.
On arrival at the starting point of the canopy walkway your guide gives you instructions on how to navigate the walkway after which you embark on the canopy walkway. The views of the forest from the walkway are stunning so you can stop and carefully capture some photos. You also get a chance to view the vegetation underneath that comprises of wild flowers, plant species and thick forest. The canopy walkway is suspended 74 meters from the ground and is 160 meters long.
The Nyungwe Forest canopy walkway gives one of the best view of the Nyungwe Forest’s thick vegetation, being at the top gives you sort of a 360 expansive view of the rain forest.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Canopy Walk Tour in Nyungwe
What is the level of difficulty of the canopy walk?
The hike along the Igishigishigi forest trail is relatively easy and not strenuous at all. The trail has muddy slopes and steep climbs but with proper hiking shoes one can easily navigate the terrain. The level of difficulty for the canopy walk is therefore easy and manageable.
How long is the Nyungwe Canopy walk?
The walk takes between 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on your speed and physical ability.
What time can I do the canopy walk in Nyungwe forest?
Being a 1.5 to 2 hours hike, the canopy walk day tour has a number of starting times. You can start the tour at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm. This means that you can either choose to do the canopy walk in the morning or afternoon.
What do I need to carry/pack for the Canopy walk?
Just like any other hike we have a list of things that we recommend one carries in order to have a comfortable experience. These include hiking shoes/boots, camera and charged batteries, a rain poncho, a small back pack for your belongings and drinking water.
Nyungwe Forest Tours (that include the canopy walk)
2 Days Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk Tour
3 Days Rwanda Nyungwe Nyungwe National Park Tour
The canopy walk tour is a prime activity in Rwanda and has gathered popularity over the years, you can watch a detailed video on the Nyungwe canopy walk below;
