Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale Forest National Park 2023 – 2026

Located in the south western part of the country, Kibale National Park has quite a large number of chimpanzees with about 1500 chimpanzees 120 of which are habituated. Chimpanzee trekking exercise is less stramineous compared to Gorilla trekking. the high number of chimps in the forest, makes it easier to locate the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in kibale forest national, is done twice a day that is in the morning and in the afternoon. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale goes for $200 per person for foreign non residence and $150 per person for foreign residence. The park also carries out Chimpanzee habituation where visitors get to spend more time with the primates in their natural habitat. Chimpanzee habituation permit, costs $250 per person for foreigners and $200 for foreign residence and lasts for 4 hours with the chimpanzee. This process involves moving in the forest with scientists and rangers.

The park is ranked to be the best destination for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda and besides meeting the chimpanzees, you will also get to see other primates including; the colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, a wide variety of bird species and other wildlife.

The park has also got variety of accommodation facilities where you can stay for the rest of the safari in Kibale forest national park. the lodges vary depending on the interest and the budget of the clients. the lodges include; Primate Lodge, the Kyaninga lodge, Papaya Lake lodge, Isunga lodge, Ndali lodge among others. The lodges offer standard accommodation to both local and international clients.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale Forest National Park 2023-2026: Chimpanzee Trekking Permit

A chimpanzee trekking permit is a legal document that will give you access to the chimpanzees. They are issued by the Uganda wildlife Authority and they still remain the property of the Republic of Uganda even after being issued to you. Just like the trekking permit for gorillas, the permits are printed depending on the tracking dates. limited permits are printed per day and these are only valid for the date that they have been printed. The reason as to why few permits are printed is to try as much as possible to reduce the interaction between the chimpanzees and humans to conserve them. The chimpanzees are vulnerable to human disease and can easily attract bacteria and viruses from humans.

You can book your chimpanzee trekking permit directly through Uganda wildlife Authority or the best and easiest alternative for one to get the chimpanzee trekking permit is by booking through licenced and registered local tour operator company who will check for the availability of the permits and the process of permit booking. The tour operators will book the permit at the Uganda wildlife Authority and once payment is done, a scanned copy will be sent out to you via email with details on when you are to tracking, the time, your name, passport details, and the unique serial number. Also note that, these permits cannot be interchanged and it is also hard for you to get a refund in case you fail to make it for the trek.

Cost Of the Chimpanzee Trekking Permit

To track the chimpanzee in Kibale forest national park, you will need to purchase a chimp trekking permit which costs $200 per permit for foreigners, $150 for foreign residence to trek chimpanzee in kibale forest national park. Murchison falls Budongo forest cost, kalinzu forest and Kyambura gorge permits cost $50 per person.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking is one of the best-done activities that is sought after by many tourists who come to Uganda and visiting kibale forest national park, just like gorilla trekking, it involves walking through the forest in search of the chimpanzees, chimpanzee trekking is done on Habituated chimps meaning that they are used to the sight of humans. The trek normally takes a few or less hours putting in mid that these are wild animals and move a lot. The experienced ranger will lead you in to the forest since they are well versed with the trails and understand the movement of these chimpanzees. You will also encounter other primates and animals and bird species in the forest. when you have found chimpanzees, you are allowed spend an hour with them before trekking back to the camp.

Chimpanzee trekking starts in the morning; therefore, visitors are required to report early to Kanyanchu park headquarters for a briefing by an experienced ranger on rules and regulations on chimpanzee trekking while you are in the forest. thereafter, you will divide in groups of 6 people each tracking a single Habituated chimpanzee group.

There are several chimpanzee destinations in Uganda which have got number of habituated chimpanzees from which you can do chimpanzee trekking, many travellers in Uganda mainly do chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park. other destinations include; the Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura gorge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki wildlife reserve, and Kalinzu forest is located in Bushenyi District in western Uganda. It is approximately 375 km. and takes 5 hours’ drive from the Capital City of Kampala.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Murchison Falls National Park

For the travellers visiting Murchison Falls National Park, the park has got numerous forests with habituated chimpanzees from which you can do chimpanzee trekking. The Budongo forest include; the Kaniyo Pabidi and the Rabongo forest and both forests facilitate chimpanzee trekking. These three forests have over 600 chimpanzees making Murchison falls national one of the best destinations for chimpanzee trekking. Murchison National Park is a home to over 500 bird species, wildlife and is a top destination for many tourists who come to Uganda for safaris. The best time for chimpanzee trekking is from October to January because it is easier to see the chimpanzees as they hunt for food. Chimpanzee trekking is done in two sessions both in the morning and in the afternoon chimp trekking.

The Rabongo forest, this is also found within the Murchison falls national park and it also offers chimpanzee trekking experience. With the help of the ranger guide, he will set out the trails within the forest as you search for the chimpanzees. After you found them, you will be allowed one hour with them. The Rabongo forest however has fewer chimpanzee families as compared to the

Budongo forest.

Budongo forest is also a top destination for chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park, the forest has got a large number of primates and habituated chimpanzees opened o trekkers for chimp trekking. With the help of a tour guide, trekking will be easy, during the trek, you will also see other primates like monkeys, the olive baboons, and red-tailed monkeys, different bird species among others.

Kaniyo Pabidi forest is one of the few in the country that has remained in its natural state without any tampering from humans, the forest harbours both chimpanzees, a wide range of bird species, insects, and other primates.

Accommodation in Murchison falls National Park is divided into three sections, there are Luxurious, Mid-range, and Budget accommodation facilities and you can choose from these with your tour operator to see what works for you best depending on the budget and the type of the accommodation of your interest.

Chimpanzee Trekking In The Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best National Parks that is sought after by many tourists with a number of habituated chimpanzees for chimpanzees trekking, chimpanzees in queen are found in Kyambura gorge. The activity is best done in the mornings and it takes about 1 to 2 hours. The exercise begins with a morning briefing at the headquarters on the guidelines of chimpanzee trekking, thereafter, you will be escorted by experienced tour guides in to the forest in search for the chimps. After you found them, you will be given one hour with them.

The park has also got other activities that you can enjoy such game drive around the National Park where you will get to see different animal species, bird species among others. Some of the lodges that you can check out while in Kyambura sector include the Kyambura gorge safari lodge, Kingfisher camp, Mweya safari lodge, jacana lodge and Katara lodge among others.

Chimpanzee Trekking in The Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Ngamba Island found along Lake Victoria and easily accessed by a speedboat from Entebbe, the speedboat that goes to Ngamba has two shifts with a half trip starting in the morning and a full one starting at 5pm. The island is also one of the best places where you can enjoy chimpanzee trekking while in Uganda.
Set up by Goodall to conserve the primates, the part where the chimpanzees are kept is fenced off in order to allow the chimps to roam freely and also to avoid them breaking off and causing damage to the nearby surroundings. The cost of visiting the island depends on the number of people in the group. the smaller the group, the higher the cost and the bigger the group, the lower the cost. Children from 5 to 15 years pay half the price of adults to access the sanctuary.

The sanctuary started with about 13 chimpanzees that were rescued by a few locals and Dr. Jane Goodall and since then, the number of chimpanzees has grown to over 50 chimpanzees that have either been rescued or orphaned while here, you are able to see the chimpanzee at a close range. The sanctuary offers other activities such as; fishing, swimming, bird watching and village tours.

Chimpanzee Habituation

Chimpanzee Habituation, is process by which chimpanzees are trained to get use to the sight of humans. For the travellers taking part in chimpanzee habituation, you will be joined by scientists, rangers and experts in to the forest in search for the chimpanzee groups. The exercise starts in the morning and lats when the sun sets and chimpanzees are building nests for the evening. During the activity, you will observe the characters, behaviours and interact with the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee habituation takes quite a long time before it is actualized, the exercise can last for about 2 to 3 years before they are declared for gorilla trekking.

Chimpanzee habituation has a special permit which costs about $200 for foreign residents, UGX200000 for East African citizens and $200 for non-foreign residents. The permits need to be booked in advance prior to the tracking dates.

Chimp Trekking VS Gorilla Trekking

Chimpanzees can be found in different national park in Uganda, with Kibale being the primate capital having the highest number of chimpanzees living in the forest. besides kibale, chimpanzees are also found in Budongo forest in Murchison falls, Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest in Queen Elizabeth national park, these forests have got habituated chimpanzee groups opened for chimpanzee trekking. chimpanzee trekking has become one of the most done activities by many tourists in kibale forest national park. To be able to track the chimps, you are required to have chimpanzee trekking permit, the permit allows to access the forest and also to spend one hour with the chimps in their natural habitat as you watch them jump from one tree branch to another, groom young ones, feeding among other daily activities.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda

Gorillas in Uganda are found two national park which are Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Bwindi is famous for gorilla trekking and one of the top most visited destinations by many travellers visiting Uganda. The park has got the highest gorilla population distributed in different sectors of the park. the sectors of the park include; Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga and Ruhija and both sectors offer different difficulties when tracking gorillas while Mghainga has got one habituated gorilla family (Nyakagenzi group) in the park, other primates found here include the golden monkeys among others. Gorillas live in highland areas thus requires one’s physical fitness when it comes to trekking the gorillas compared to chimpanzee trekking which is quite easier.

Chimpanzee Trekking Vs. Chimpanzee Habituation

Chimp trekking normally involves trekking in the forest in search for the chimpanzees and this mat last for about 2 to 3 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzee. When you found them, you are given one hour to spend with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, during the trek, the guide will be with you all the way, your free to ask questions about kibale and the chimpanzees.

While Chimpanzee habituation, tourists get to spend more time with the chimps and lasts for about 4 hours and some get to spend the whole day with the chimps. Uganda is known to be a good place to enjoy chimp habituation and tracking at the same time. As you compare chimp trekking and habituation, the first thing that you should put into consideration is the amount of time spent with the chimpanzees and the habituation and chimpanzee trekking permits. Chimpanzee habituation costs $250 per person, per permit.

What You Need to Know About Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are believed to have the closest relatives to humans with DNA of 98% of Humans, they are also known to be extremely playful and keep on jumping from tree branch to another and moving. Just like other animals, chimpanzees too charge and become aggressive once they are provoked. Adult chimpanzees weigh differently depending on the sex. For average adult female chimpanzee, can weigh between 30 to 50kgs at a height of 2 to 4 feet whereas a male adult chimpanzee of a height of 3 meters weighs between 35 to 75 kgs.
Chimpanzees relatively stay in groups of 10 to 100 with one dominant male as the leader. With their high intelligence, they can easily take care of each other like humans, hold hands, search for food, and care for the young ones. When a baby chimpanzee turns 4 years, they tend to become independent and start looking for their own food.

The chimpanzee total life spand is 40 years for the ones living in the wild and for those that are kept in zoos can live up to 60 years. The chimpanzees have the same characteristics as the humans, they are social animals and effectively communicate with each other just like the humans, they search for food, build their own nests, groom young ones and these skills are passed down to generations. Chimpanzees are known to spend most of their time on the ground but when it comes to feeding and sleeping, this is done way up in the trees.

Behavioral Patterns for Chimpanzees

There is always only one dominant male and if another male wants to take over, they have to fight for the position. The chimpanzees normally live on the ground level, but spend most of their times up in the trees, especially at night and when feeding. They are known to be swift at climbing trees and they use both their hands and toes to make it easier and faster when jumping from one tree branch to another. While on the ground, they use both their hands and toes for walking with half-flexed fingers due to their huge weight. They normally live in groups of 0 to 100 chimpanzee and migrate in groups as well.

What Do Chimpanzees Feed On?

Chimpanzees are omnivorous frugivorous, there main food is fruits and leaves. They however feed on only ripe fruits which they keep on gathering during morning hours. They also feed on flowers and bugs and fresh meat. Chimpanzees use different tools to gather their food and while looking for insects, they use twig trees to poke into anthills and sometimes check under the stones for hidden bugs. After chewing the leaves, they use them to clean themselves and dip the leaves into the water for drinking.

Where Else Can I go for Chimpanzee Trekking?

Besides Uganda chimpanzee trekking experience, chimpanzees are also found in the Virunga national park, Gombe and Mahale in Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda, it done in Nyungwe forest National Park. All these countries, are neighbouring countries to Uganda.

How Difficult Is Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda?

Chimpanzee live on relatively lower altitude and only stay up on the trees when feeding and sleeping, chimpanzee trekking is done following the flat trails in the forest thus its less stramineous since you can find the chimps living on the ground compared to gorilla trekking. gorillas live on higher altitude to trek through the think forest of Bwindi impenetrable forest thus requires one’s physical fitness to hike through the steep slopes.

What Is the Best Time to See Chimpanzees in Uganda?

Chimpanzee trekking can be carried out all year round however the best time to chimp trek is during the months of June to September and December to January by this time, there is little or no rainfall received at all, this is the dry season in Uganda. This is also known as the peak season due to the fact that there are many tourists received in Uganda for chimpanzee trekking. During the dry season, the trek trails are dry and not slippery thus easier to trek through the forest and also makes it easy to see the chimpanzees during the dry season unlike during the rainy season when the roads become slippery and the vegetation is dense. Chimpanzee trekking can also be done during the wet season due to the presence of plenty of food for the chimpanzees to feed thus reduces on the movement of the chimpanzee making it easy for them to be spotted.

What to carry along

• Comfortable hiking boots/ shoes for climbing steep slopes and muddy slippery trails in case you visit during the dry season.
• Long sleeved shirts and trousers are also essential to protect you from the pricking thickets as you move through the verdant jungle
• Do not forget a rain gear, since the weather here is highly unpredictable
• Bring enough drinking water plus snacks to bite on in case the hike gets tougher.
• Carry a pair of binoculars for easy viewing of distant birds and animals
• If taking photos, keep in mind camera flashes is strictly not permitted.
• Better to have a fast film (of 400 – 800 ASA) or even utilize the settings on your camera.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale Forest National Park 2023: A Whole Day Of Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking has become one of the best-done activities by many tourists visiting Kibale forest national park, chimpanzee trekking in kibale, is carried out in two sessions each day the morning session starts at 8:00am and afternoon session commences at 2:00 pm where by all trekkers are required to report to the park headquarters early enough for the briefing where you be reminding to heard here to the rules and regulations while tracking chimpanzees. You will be put in groups of six led by an experienced ranger through the created trails in the forest and when you found them, you will be allowed one hour to be with them to observe, watch them play, feed and play, you will also be allowed to capture your best moments but remember flash lights are not allowed. During the trek, you will also come in conduct with other primates’ spices and wildlife such as; the red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, a variety of bird species among others.

There are several chimpanzee destinations in Uganda and each one of these has a group of chimpanzees that you can trek. Chimpanzee trekking is mainly done in the Kibale Forest National Park and other destinations include; Budongo forest situated in Murchison Falls National Park, Kyambura gorge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki wildlife reserve, and Kalinzu forest situated in the district of Bushenyi.