Canopy Walk Nyungwe Forest National Park

Experience the largest and oldest Afro-Montane forest in East Africa by taking a Canopy Walk tour of Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park from 50 metres above the ground. Lying in the southwest region of the country, Nyungwe Forest National Park is located 255 kilometres to the west of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital.

There are thirteen species of primates, over three hundred bird species, eighty-five animal species, over a thousand plant species, thirty-two amphibian species, and thirty-eight reptile species in the park. The forest is located in the Albertine Rift region, home to many rare species. Cyangugu, the closest town, is 54 km distant, on the shore of the stunning Lake Kivu. Not only is Nyungwe Forest a well-known place for chimpanzee trekking, but it is also the location of the only canopy walkway in East Africa.

The renowned ‘Canopy Walk’ is accessible from the entrance, which is 30 minutes beyond the first gate and outside the town. Explore the pristine rainforest canopy from a different angle, strolling among the animals and ancient treetops that date back millennia. What a rush it is, too! Together with the exhilarating 60-meter canopy walkway, this is an adventure not to be forgotten!

The 200-meter boardwalk dangles over a deep, steep valley that is covered in dense vegetation. The Canopy Walk provides eye-level views of many rare species living in the canopies as well as stunning views over the misty forest. The Canopy Walk activity lasts for almost two hours, and it begins and ends at the Uwinka visitor receiving centre, which is the headquarters of Nyungwe National Park.

Before navigating the canopy bridge to reach the uppermost level of the forest, one can spend the first 200 metres or so strolling along a forest trail beneath dense canopies, where one can watch the natural world below ground. Numerous birds and various monkeys, including L’Hoest’s, Blue, Black-and-White Colobus, and Red-tailed monkeys, have been sighted.