Photo: Robert Harding/Shutterstock
25 Unforgettable Places to Go in 2026: Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
Rwanda
Wildlife
National Parks
Adventure Travel
by
Suzie Dundas
Dec 18, 2025
Explore Matador Network’s full 25 places to go in 2026
Travelers keen to go beyond the typical safari experience in 2026 should head to Rwanda – and no, not just to Volcanoes National Park. Instead, aim farther south to Nyungwe National Park. 2026 marks the 20th year of partnership between the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the conservation nonprofit African Parks, and Nyungwe recently became a UNESCO World Heritage site. Add in several new Western-style lodges and amenities, and it’s clear 2026 may be the sweet spot when it comes to visiting before heavy tourist traffic arrives but after years of investment have come to fruition.
Nyungwe covers 386 square miles of rainforest on the watershed that divides the Nile and Congo Rivers. The park reaches elevations of up to 9,700 feet above sea level and encompasses cloud forests, bamboo stands, and highland rainforest – meaning the canopy is denser, ferns cover the floor, and trees are twisted and draped in moss. The park has been undergoing successful large-scale restoration for years, with the Rwandan government spending more than one billion Rwandan francs (about $780,000) to support community development and tourism projects around the park. The first hotel in the park, Munazi Lodge, opened in June 2025, as did a rainforest zipline and hanging obstacle course through the canopy with more than 20 segments and features.
Photo: Suzie Dundas
Although most visitors to Rwanda still head straight for Volcanoes National Park, the addition of high-end amenities at Nyungwe now means the country should be known not just for gorillas, but for a national park road trip loop. The country is roughly the size of Maryland, and it’s possible to fly into Kigali and drive between Akagera National Park for Big Five game drives, Volcanoes National Park for gorilla trekking, and Nyungwe National Park for tracking mountain chimpanzees or golden monkeys and bird-watching for the astonishing 300-plus species. Driving from Akagera to Nyungwe is a stunning drive, showing the range of Rwanda’s geography, from grassland plains and tea country to mist-soaked mountain jungles. 