Canopy Walk in Rwanda

Suspended high above 70 meters in Nyungwe Forest, a canopy walk is an exhilarating activity you must include in your bucket list when planning a visit to Rwanda. A long walkway of 160 meters will have you in real excitement as you watch the beautiful breathtaking views across East Africa’s largest and oldest Afro-montane forest canopy on your guided walk.

The ancient Nyungwe forest is a hotbed of biodiversity, one of the oldest National Park that manifests the beauty of creation. Nyungwe Forest having escaped the last ice age habituates a remarkable number of wildlife, including the endangered chimpanzee and other 12 primate species that can be spotted on your canopy walk in the forest. Nyungwe is also known to host over 1000 unique tree species, 3000 bird species, several amphibians, and reptiles all of which add up the uniqueness and richness of the forest, which will make your canopy walk a memorable one.  Along the hour’s walk to the canopy walkway from the Uwinka Reception Centre, visitors will see countless butterflies, orchids, and colorful birds, including many endemic to the region.

A canopy walk is an alternative way of discovering the steep forested slopes which can become muddy, especially after rain. The walk on the canopy offers its walkers breathtaking views across East Africa’s largest and oldest Afro-montane forest,  great views of the great East African region, Lake Kivu, the different sections of Nyungwe forest as they spot the different animals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians that live in the forest.

The canopy walkway is accessed from the Igishigishigi trail, one of the many hiking trails in Nyungwe Forest National Park. The canopy walk tour, therefore, involves hiking along the Igishigishigi trail 2.1km long, with the canopy walkway creating a sort of bridge or shortcut along this looping trail. The canopy walkway measures a total of 160 meters in length and is suspended 74 meters from the ground across a deep valley filled with thick forest.

The canopy walk tour starts at Uwinka which is also the park’s headquarters and the round trip takes from 1.5 to 2 hours long. After registering at the Visitor’s Center, visitors take on a forest trail that connects to the Igishigishigi trail. The forest walk offers a beautiful nature experience and one gets to observe wildlife found at the ground level and enjoy beautiful views of forest-clad rolling hills. A must include on your visit to Rwanda.

A canopy walk is a guided tour done by persons of 6 years and above at a fee of 60 USD per person per walk. Though a 6-year old can do the walk, it’s advisable that adults always accompany the children. The canopy walk can be done all year round however it is much more exciting during the dry season since it becomes easy to spot the animals in the forest. The dry season in Rwanda rand from June to September and December to February.

What to pack with for a canopy walk and hike?

• To engage a canopy walk in Rwanda, for the best experience we recommend that you pack the following with you
• Waterproof hiking boots
• A raincoat
• A camera and batteries
• A small/light backpack bag
• Mineral water
• Hiking stick (can be provided for you at the National Park)

Other frequently asked questions

The canopy walk is a guided tour done by persons of 6 years and above at a fee of 60 USD per walk per person.

Canopy walk Nyungwe

The Canopy walk in Rwanda is an exciting experience over Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park on a suspended bridge 70m high above the great Nyungw