Kibale Chimp Trekking -Best Guide to Uganda Chimp Tracking Safari
Kibale chimp trekking offers tourists a lifetime opportunity to enjoy up close and personal encounters with chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest provides Uganda primate safaris. Kibale National Park is found in Western Uganda and is the leading chimpanzee tracking destination, also most popular as the primate capital of the world.
Kibale National Park was established in 1993 and covers a land area of 795 sq. km. The spectacular Kibale Forest offers 2 sessions of chimpanzee tracking. The first session begins in the morning at around 8:00 am and the second phase starts at 2-3 pm. All the Kibale Chimp trekking adventures begin after the briefing.
The briefing session for chimp trekking in Kibale starts at Kanyanchu Visitor Center which is about 10 km away from Isunga Park offices. After briefing and allocation of park ranger guides is done, the normal trekking commences and can last for 2-4 hours. The length of the Kibale Forest National Park chimpanzee tracking adventure can be determined by visitors’ walking speed, the location of chimp troops/communities, and the nature of the habitat.
2025 Best Guide to Uganda Chimp Tracking Safari in Kibale
Kibale Chimp Trekking Adventure Guide -Unlock the wonders of Kibale Forest National Park beyond chimps
What else awaits you on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale?
Beyond over 1500 chimpanzees, Kibale National Park holds several other primates, and expect to come across most of them as you go about your trek to see chimps. Additional Kibale primates include the red-tailed monkeys, the grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, red-colobus monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys.
Besides the 13 primate species, Kibale National Park also protects a total of about 375 species of birds. Even at the briefing point at Kanyanchu Tourist Center, expect to spot most bird species. The different bird species in Kibale National Park include the red-faced woodland warblers, African green-breasted pittas, Abyssinian ground thrush, little greenbul, Rwenzori apalis, and others.
Additional wild animals that live in Kibale Forest National Park include forest elephants, sitatungas, bush pigs, forest elephants, bushbucks, duikers, warthogs, hippos, mongooses, leopards, etc.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park Uganda
Kibale National Park’s chimpanzee trek safari involves exploring some of the habituated chimpanzee communities. About 4 communities have undergone full habituation in Kibale Forest National Park alone. A single chimpanzee community can comprise over 120 members.
Cost of Kibale Chimp trekking permits
The cost of chimpanzee tracking permits varies depending on the visitor category. The foreign nonresidents pay USD 250 per visitor, foreign residents USD 200 per person, and East African citizens –Ugandans inclusive pay USD 180,000. The chimpanzee tracking cost for Kibale National Park includes the fee for the park entrance and the thrilling encounter with Kibale chimpanzees.
A chimpanzee trek permit is only valid for one session. Persons above 12 years are eligible to book chimpanzee trekking permits for Kibale National Park. You can safely book a chimp permit through a reliable tour operator.
Talk to our expert at info@premiumafricasafaris.com or WhatsApp: +256751246370.
What to take on a chimp trekking tour in Uganda
Essentials to consider on your Kibale chimpanzee tracking packing list include long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, insect repellents, a pair of gardening gloves, a good camera, a walking stick, a daypack, energy giving snacks, bottled drinking water, a pair of binoculars, a safari hat, and sunscreen.
Kibale chimp trekking rules and regulation
10 Chimpanzee trekking rules and regulations to follow in Kibale. They include;
- No visitor is allowed to go to track chimpanzees if he or she is sick.
- When in the jungle, always keep a distance of 8-10 meters away from chimpanzees.
- Observe the park ranger guide’s guidelines or regulations.
- While in the jungle, avoid feeding chimpanzees.
- You should be above 12 years to be allowed to track chimpanzees.
- Avoid making noise when in the forest searching for chimpanzees.
- When taking pictures, ensure that your camera isn’t having a flashlight.
- Burry the human wastes deep in the ground, about 30 cm.
- You must have a valid chimpanzee permit to visit Kibale chimps.
- All visitors must have an experienced park ranger guide leading them in the search for chimpanzees.
Chimp Trekking Vs Gorilla Tracking/Trekking
Chimpanzee tracking involves exploring more about chimpanzees. The chimpanzee treks in Uganda are offered in key sites including Kibale National Park, Budongo Forest, Kalinzu Forest, and Kyambura Gorge. Gorilla trekking takes you on the search for mountain gorillas in the rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Mountain gorillas can also be tracked in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Congo’s Virunga National Park.
Chimpanzee Trekking Vs Chimp Habituation
Normal chimpanzee treks are conducted twice a day –in the morning and afternoon. The chimpanzee trekking sessions usher you into the jungle to explore an already habituated chimpanzee community. Chimpanzee habituation experience involves exploring the semi-habituated chimp community.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Vs Nyungwe Forest Chimpanzee tracking
Kibale chimp trekking is slightly easier than Nyungwe’s chimpanzee tracking. The elevation range of Nyungwe is a bit higher than that of Kibale National Park. If you may want to come across chimpanzees so quickly then consider visiting Kibale National Park. Long chimp treks are best enjoyed in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
How difficult is chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Uganda?
Kibale chimp treks aren’t hard. Kibale chimpanzee tracking is easier than most primate adventures like mountain gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation/mountaineering in the Rwenzori Mountains.
When is the best time to go for Kibale chimp trekking
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park can be done at any of the year. Kibale enjoys favorable weather and climatic conditions making it an all-year-round primate safaris destination. But the most preferred season for tourists is the peak dry season which begins from June to September then December to February.
During the dry seasons, Kibale records very low rainfall or even no rain with the ground kept drier. Conditions such as these make it easier for primate trekkers to enjoy chimpanzee trekking without encountering challenges.
The wet season is also available for visitors to engage in the trek to see Kibale Forest chimpanzees. The longest rainy months run from March to May then October to November –the months when there is heavy rainfall.
Where to stay on the Kibale Chimp Trekking tour
Visitors on the Kibale Forest chimpanzee safari can opt for luxury, midrange, or budget accommodation options for overnight. The checklist for visitor overnight stays in and around Kibale National Park includes Papaya Lake Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, and Ndali Lodge.
Midrange lodges in and around Kibale National Park include Chimpundu Lodge, Primate Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale Lodge, and Kibale Forest Camp.
Budget lodges –the available budget lodges to book at Kibale National Park include Rwenzori View Guesthouse, Kitojo Guest Cottages, Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve, and Community Campsite.
How to get to Kibale Forest National Park
The easiest and most enriching way to reach Kibale National Park is by road transportation. Road transportation means driving for about 6 hours from Entebbe or Kampala through Mityana –Mubende –Fort Portal Tourism City. From Fort Portal Tourism City, take the Kamwenge route.
Extra activities to do in Kibale
Birding
Kibale National Park is listed among the Important Bird Areas in Uganda with over 375 bird species. A birding tour in Kibale allows you to search for key birds including the malachite kingfishers, African green-breasted pittas, Rwenzori apalis, black-faced apalis, African shrike-flycatchers, pin-tailed wagtail, black-billed turacos, white-throated bee-eaters, white collared olive back, Afep pigeon, and blue-headed bee-eaters.
Forest walks
Kibale National Park offers the best-guided nature walking experiences. During the guided Kibale Forest walks, expect to encounter lots of primates such as blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys, etc.
Visit the Crater Lakes
Kibale National Park lies in the region with multiple spectacular Crater Lakes. The Park is situated in the Great African Rift Valley area with a cluster of Crater Lakes including Katwe, Kasende, Fort Portal, and Bunyaruguru Crater Lake Cluster.
The Kasesende Crater Lake cluster lies around the western end of the Kibale Forest National Park. The Katwe cluster dominates the Queen Elizabeth National Park area.
Sustainable Tourism/Responsible Travel
Explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary just adjacent to Kibale National Park with Flawless Adventure Planners Ltd. Our primate safaris to Kibale focus on the promotion of sustainable tourism. A visit to Bigodi Wetland and nearby local communities allows you to have a close interaction with the residents and also appreciate the local initiatives that have been introduced to enhance the livelihoods of communities surrounding Kibale National Park.
At Flawless Adventure Planners Ltd, we believe achieving the long-term goal of wildlife conservation requires a collective effort. By involving local community tourism, we can greatly play a part in enhancing their livelihood, and in return, they appreciate efforts towards saving wildlife and their habitat. Book a Kibale Chimp trekking tour package with us combined with a community visit.
What to expect at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is part of the Kibale Association for Rural Environmental Development (KAFRED). At Bigodi, expect to explore different primates and birds on a guided nature walk.
The primates present at Bigodi Wetland include vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, baboons, gray-cheeked mangabeys, colobus monkeys, and l’hoest monkeys.
About 138 bird species call Magombe Wetland a home including the Great blue turacos, papyrus gonoleks, kingfishers, hornbills, and more.
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