Get started with planning your trip to Nyungwe Forest National Park. Here is all the information you need to know to plan a visit to Nyungwe National Park
- More tour operators are beginning to organize tours of Rwanda and the region that include Nyungwe National Park. Visit the Rwanda Tours and Travel Association website to see the growing list of operators.clicking here.
- Accommodations and camping sites are expanding. The luxurious Nyungwe Forest Lodge is one of the latest additions. Click here for more information.
- Trails are expanding and improving throughout the park with more than 60kms of trails now available to walkers and hikers.See the Trail System here. Maps will soon be available.
- See also Activities in and around the Park, for more information about the Park’s attractions — East Africa’s Only Canopy Walk, World Class Bird Watching, Guided Hiking, and Primate Tracking.
Visitor Information Centre: With USAID support, an informative visitor center has opened in the Park called the Uwinka Visitor Centre. For more information, click here.
Security : The UWINKA tourist site and camping area is located in the Nyungwe forest at the 90km post from Butare. It is approximately 18 km east of the Gisakura Tea Factory (western side of the forest). There are 4 PCFN/ORTPN guards at the UWINKA site at all times.
Water : In the near future there will be water available at the UWINKA site, but for now we recommend that you bring your own. Estimate 10-15 litres per person per day for drinking, cooking, and washing. There is water available in the forest but it must be boiled first and is some distance from the camp. PCFN/ORTPN personnel can help direct you to the nearest source (accessible by car). Sodas (Fanta, Coke, etc) bottled water and beer is sold at the UWINKA tourist site.
Climate : The UWINKA tourist/camping site rests at 2500m (8300ft) above sea level. The daily temperature fluctuates between a high of about 23oC (75oF) to a low of 8oC (46oF) and can be quite chilly when it is windy. You can expect rain usually every few days between October and January and every day between February and May. We recommend sturdy boots, long pants, sun hat and a day pack containing a water bottle (1 litre minimum), raingear, camera & film (200 – 400 ASA). We also recommend binoculars and a lunch for hikes during the day, sweaters, long pants and sleeping bags (or several blankets) for the evening.
Lodging : There is a lodge located in GISAKURA (18km west of the UWINKA tourist center). The room costs Frw 3000 per bed. Meals are also available if ordered. There are some hotels in Cyangugu Prefecture Centre ( 40 minutes west of the forest) : Hotel du Lac, Hotel des Chutes, Home Saint Francois, Peace Guest House etc. Other hotels and guest-houses located on the way between Butare, Gikongoro and Nyungwe Forest are : Butare : Hotel Ibis, Hotel Faucon, Hotel Beaux Arts, Gikongoro : Guest House de Gikongoro, Centre Pastoral de Gikongoro.