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Volcanoes National Park Nyungwe National Park Akagera National Park Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Mgahinga Gorilla National ParkBeyond its chimpanzees, Nyungwe protects twelve further primate species, including L’Hoest’s monkey, olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, and Africa’s largest known troop of Ruwenzori colobus — sometimes numbering several hundred individuals moving together through the canopy.
Treks are capped at ten travellers per group and can be arranged as a standalone half-day or combined with a chimpanzee trek for a fuller primate-focused day.
GOOD TO KNOW
WHAT TO BRING
Nyungwe’s Ruwenzori colobus population includes Africa’s largest known troop of the species — sometimes numbering several hundred individuals moving together through the canopy, a genuinely rare spectacle even among Africa’s well-known primate destinations, since colobus troops elsewhere rarely reach anywhere near this scale. Beyond the colobus, Nyungwe’s remaining eleven non-chimpanzee primate species include L’Hoest’s monkey, a striking, ground-dwelling species distinctive even among East Africa’s varied monkey population, the more commonly seen olive baboon, and the red-tailed monkey, named for the distinctive rust-coloured tail that sets it apart at a glance.
Twelve species in a single park, alongside its chimpanzee population, gives Nyungwe a primate density and diversity that few other single destinations in Africa can match.
WHO IT’S FOR
This trek suits travellers with a specific interest in primate diversity beyond the headline chimpanzee experience, wildlife photographers drawn to the sheer scale and visual spectacle of the colobus super-troop, and any traveller who wants to round out a Nyungwe stay with a broader wildlife encounter than chimpanzee trekking alone provides. The smaller ten-person group cap also makes for a more intimate experience than some of the region’s larger group activities.
The trek works well either as a standalone half-day activity or combined with chimpanzee trekking for a fuller, primate-focused day at Nyungwe — guests choosing the combined option typically find the two encounters complement each other well, given how differently the various species move and behave compared to chimpanzees specifically. Given both activities share the same general park area, combining them doesn’t require significant additional transfer time beyond the trekking itself.
Is this as physically demanding as chimpanzee trekking?
Generally comparable, though the specific difficulty depends on which species’ territory your guide is
tracking on a given day — some encounters require less walking than others.
Are sightings guaranteed?
As with all wildlife trekking, sightings depend on the animals’ location on the day, though
Nyungwe’s overall primate density makes encountering at least some species highly likely on most
outings.
How does the colobus super-troop compare to
seeing colobus elsewhere in Africa?
Nyungwe’s troop is notably larger than colobus groups typically encountered elsewhere, offering a
visual scale and spectacle that smaller troops simply cannot match.
Should we do this before or after chimpanzee
trekking if combining both?
Either order works; many guests prefer chimpanzee trekking first while energy levels are highest, given it’s
generally the more physically demanding of the two.
Is a minimum age required?
There’s no fixed minimum age comparable to gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, though we advise based on
your children’s fitness and attention span given the trek’s length and pace.
WHY IT’S WORTH ADDING
Chimpanzee trekking understandably dominates most Nyungwe itineraries, but treating the park as a single-species destination undersells its genuine wildlife depth — twelve additional primate species, including one of the continent’s most remarkable colobus populations, available through a single, well-organised half-day trek. For travellers who want their Nyungwe visit to reflect the park’s full ecological richness rather than a narrow, single-encounter focus, this trek is one of the clearest ways to do that without significant added cost or logistical complexity.
Because this trek is booked as a standalone paid activity rather than through a capped permit system like chimpanzee trekking, it offers more scheduling flexibility and can typically be arranged with modest advance notice as part of your broader itinerary. Most guests build it into a two-to-three-night Nyungwe stay alongside chimpanzee trekking, birding, and the canopy walkway, sequencing activities to balance physical demand across the visit rather than front-loading everything into a single exhausting day.
The trek departs from trailheads a short drive from One&Only Nyungwe House and the main park road, requiring no significant separate transfer beyond what your other Nyungwe activities already involve. Nyungwe itself sits roughly five to six hours by road from Kigali, or reachable by a shorter flight to Kamembe airstrip followed by a road transfer — logistics we arrange as part of your overall Rwanda itinerary.
Of Nyungwe’s twelve non-chimpanzee primate species, L’Hoest’s monkey draws particular interest from visiting primatologists and serious wildlife photographers — a striking, largely ground-dwelling species with a distinctive white throat patch and reddish-brown coat, found only within a limited range across the Albertine Rift. Its ground-dwelling habits make it a genuinely different photographic subject from the canopy-dwelling colobus and red-tailed monkeys also present in the park, rewarding a trek that covers varied terrain rather than a single fixed habitat zone. Its comparative rarity and limited range make encountering it a genuine highlight for trekkers who specifically ask their guide to prioritise it on the day.
It’s worth being clear that this trek is a genuine complement to chimpanzee trekking rather than a substitute for it — chimpanzees remain Nyungwe’s headline wildlife draw, and travellers with limited time should prioritise that experience first. This trek earns its place for guests with an extra day or two at Nyungwe, or with a specific interest in the park’s broader primate diversity beyond its single most famous species. We can advise honestly on whether it’s worth including given your specific itinerary length and priorities, rather than presenting it as an automatic addition for every guest, and are always glad to talk through the trade-offs directly before you decide, particularly if you’re balancing this against other Nyungwe activities like birding or the canopy walkway within a limited number of nights.
GOOD TO KNOW
WHERE TO STAY
Tell us your dates and group size. We respond with a bespoke proposal within 48 hours.
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