Canopy Walkway
Canopy walkway is the newest Nyungwe national park adventure activity compared to other activities in the park. It was established in 2010 for the purpose of boosting domestic and international tourism. The aerial bridge in the canopy of the trees is the greatest chance to see and visit the tropical forest with an aerial view the only chance to see the arboreal primates, such as blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys. If you are lucky you may even see Ruwenzori Colobus monkey from the canopy walkway in the canopy of the forest thicket. The canopy walkway is 60m above from the forest ground and 100 meters long. The canopy is made with three sections but the middle one is the one with the highest height. In the middle one, you are not able to see the ground, here you are welcome to test how brave you are.
For the middle one, you will visit the bridge by first passing by Uwinka reception center, for registration and clearing the documents. Park reception will assign you a park guide for the briefing. You will be briefed about the dos and don’ts and also short brief introduction and history about the Nyungwe national park. There and then you will start your trip by descending in one of the trails of Nyungwe National Park and that will be the Ishishigishigi trail which leads to the canopy walkway. From the starting point of the trail to the canopy, there are many vantage points where you will have a chance to view the Congolese biggest island in Lake Kivu which is Ijwi Island. Here the guide will talk more about it, as it shares some stories with Rwanda. As you walk there is also a chance for bird watching and you’ll get interpreted for about some common plants that are found in the trail such as Kalapa Glandfrola, Symphonia Globelifela, Policias Fulva and many other. You will get to know their use in the Rwandan society traditional and economically. After getting at the canopy walkway, the guide again will give you a briefing about walking on the canopy, dos and don’ts. After completing the briefing, walk on the canopy and here you will have two return options. In the first option, you may choose to come back through the same way you came, or you may prefer to go on a round trip which will connect you with other trails such as Umuyove trail. This one will give you a chance to see the canopy at a great view. It is like passing under the umbrella. And there are many buttress roots trees that chimps like to use in their communication.
The canopy walkway is the second activity done by a big number of tourists in Nyungwe national park after the chimpanzee trekking. This canopy walkway has been so amazing and people come from all over the world to experience this for a honeymoon, adventure, research marriage proposals, and many other reasons.
It is found only in Rwanda in the whole of East Africa. The activity of canopy walkway starts at 9 am and the last trip to the canopy walkway is 3 pm. The bridge is capable of carrying six tons and the maximum number of the people allowed on canopy walkway is 8 people per round.
The minimum age of the visitors allowed to walk on Canopy Bridge is 7 years old person, and the children’s are always accompanied by their parents or relatives.
What to carry for the canopy walkway safari:
Don’t forget to come with your hiking boots, raincoat, and hiking stick because the Nyungwe national park is a tropical mountainous rain forest, so it can rain any moment and trails may become slippery and muddy. If you don’t have those gears, you can hire them from the reception center. Also, don’t ever leave behind your mineral water and some snacks. Make sure you buy the visiting permits before. It is easier through your trusted tour company so that they arrange everything for you including transportation and accommodation.
Nyungwe Canopy Walk fee
-Foreign non-residents pay: $60/person
-Foreign-resident pays: $50/person
-Rwanda residents pay: Rwf 5000/person
-East Africa Community (EAC) nationals pay: $10/person
-East Africa Community (EAC) foreign resident pays: $50/person
-Rwandan students pay: Rwf 5000/person
-East Africa Community (EAC) students pay: $5/person
-Foreign Residents Students pay $25/person.
Important note: All the national parks in Rwanda no longer accept cash at reception and you have to pay with visa card or mobile money.
It’s advisable to buy the permit before and present them during the visit.
