Chimpanzee tracking is one of the top Uganda’s tourism activities carried out by tourists in Uganda. Uganda is home to approximately 5,600 wild chimpanzees, supporting more than half of the world’s population of these rare primates. Roughly 75% of these primates are hosted across five major forests in Uganda. The three epic spots for Chimpanzee tracking on a Uganda tour include; Kibale Forest National Park “the primate capital” in Kanyanchu visitors center, Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kyambura Gorge “the Valley of Apes” and Murchison Falls National Park in Kaniyo Pabidi central of Budongo forest.
1.Kibale Forest National Park (The primate capital).
Kibale Forest National Park lies in western region of Uganda. The park stretches across four district boundaries that is to say Kabarole, Kamwenge, Kyenjojo, and Kasese. The primary administrative park headquarters (Kanyanchu) are situated in the Kabarole district. Kibale Forest National Park is widely celebrated as the “Primate Capital of the World”. This rainforest protects the highest density and diversity of primates on the African continent. The park is home to over 1,500 East African chimpanzees, offering a 99% success rate for tracking. The forest also hosts 13 Primate Species and these include the endangered red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, nocturnal bushbabies among others.
Getting there.
Getting to Kibale National Park, you can travel by road which is the most popular option or by air from Kampala or Entebbe. The primary entry hub for tourism activities is the Kanyanchu Visitor Center.
By Road, take the Kampala–Mityana–Mubende–Fort Portal Highway (Northern Route). This fully-tarmacked road is roughly 300 kilometers and takes 5 to 6 hours. From Fort Portal city, drive south for about 30 to 45 minutes to reach the park entrance. A 4×4 wheel drive vehicle is highly recommended while accessing the park.
By Air, there are no direct flights into the national park, you can book a domestic flight via regional carriers like Aero link Uganda from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip which takes roughly 1 hour. Then from Kasese airstrip, you will need to arrange a private vehicle transfer or a taxi to drive the remaining 2 hours to the park.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park.
In Kibale Forest National Park, Chimpanzee tracking offers an unforgettable primate experience, taking you deep into the rainforest to spend one magical hour observing the primates.
The experience starts with the early morning briefing about the rules and regulations inside the forest at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters of Kanyanchu. The hiking takes 2 to 5 hours depending on where the primates are located, you are allowed exactly one hour to observe and photograph them while maintaining and following the rules and regulations given by the park guides and rangers.
The forest can be steep, slippery, and physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is highly recommended to chimpanzee trackers.
For a deeper experience, Chimpanzee habituation is better for trekkers in the forest. Here the experience can take the all day where by 3 to 6 hours can be spent looking for the location of chimpanzees, plus the exact 4 magical hours allowed to spend with the primates. This experience teaches the wild chimpanzees to get used to human presence without changing their natural behaviors. The experience also starts with the morning briefing about the rules and regulations inside the forest at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters of Kanyanchu.
Rules to follow while tracking Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park.
Before entering the forest for the tracking experience, visitors are given strict rules and guidelines at UWA headquarters of Kanyanchu to follow while enjoying their experience, regardless of being provided with park rangers and guides. Some of the rules and guidelines include the following;
- Maintain at least 10-meters distance in presence of Chimpanzees.
- Stay in groups of six to fewer people.
- Avoid tracking if sick (flu or cough).
- Manage restrict viewing to one hour for chimpanzee tracking and four hours for chimpanzee habituation.
- Wear a face mask immediately in the presence of the primates to prevent passing on airborne germs.
- No spitting in the forest as it can spread bacteria diseases to the primates.
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke near the chimpanzees. This prevents them from being tempted to grab your food and avoids potential disease transmission.
- Keep voices low or maintain total silence while near the chimpanzees. Never mimic their vocalizations, as this can confuse them.
- Do not attempt to touch or chase the chimpanzees. Give the primates their freedom to move through their natural habitat undisturbed.
- No flash photography while tacking pictures of the primates. Turn off your camera’s flash before entering the forest, as flash lights can scare the chimpanzees.
What to pack while tracking Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park.
Before setting off for Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest National Park, visitors are encouraged to go ready with long-sleeved shirts, trousers, thick socks, waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, a lightweight rain jacket, and high-quality insect repellent.
Don’t forget a waterproof daypack for your camera, packed lunch, at least 2 liters of water, and face masks.
Best times to track Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park is most done in dry seasons from December to February and June to July, these months offer favorable hiking conditions, though tracking is open year-round. In these months, Chimpanzees are easily accessible without hindrance of mud or flooding.
Where to stay in Kibale Forest National Park?
Kibale National Park has a lot of accommodations used by Chimpanzee trackers. These accommodations ranges from luxury, mid-range and budget safari lodges.
Luxury safari lodges in Kibale National Park include; Ndali lodge, Primate lodge Kibale, Kyaninga lodge, Papaya Lake lodge, Chimpundu lodge, Crater Safari lodge among others.
Mid-range accommodations in Kibale National Park include; Isunga lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale safari lodge, Mountains of the moon hotel, Chimpanzee Forest guest house, Chimps Nest lodge and so many others.
Kibale Forest National Park is also gathered with low budget lodges and these include; Crater Valley Kibale Lakeside Resort, Tinka’s Homestead, Mwamba Kelele lodge among others.
Fees and bookings in Kibale National Park.
Visiting Kibale National Park for chimpanzee tracking, it requires activity permits which include a combination of standard park entrance fees and vehicle costs. During December to February and June to July, these months are referred to as peak seasons, therefore you should earlier book permits several months in advance via the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
These permits include your daily park entry fees and they include the following;
Chimpanzee Tracking permits (1 hour with chimps)
- Foreign Non-Residents: $250 per person.
- Foreign Residents: $200 per person.
- East African Citizens: UGX 180,000 per person.
Chimpanzee Habituation permits (Four hours with Chimps)
- Foreign Non-Residents: $300 per person.
- Foreign Residents: $250 per person.
- East African Citizens: UGX 250,000 per person.
Standard Park Entrance Fees
These are paid if you are engaging in other park activities like guided forest walks or birding rather than chimp tracking.
- Adults: $40 (Foreign Non-Residents) / $30 (Foreign Residents) / UGX 20,000 (East African Citizens).
- Children: $20 (Foreign Non-Residents) / $10 (Foreign Residents) / UGX 5,000 (East African Citizens).
It is highly encouraged to check on the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) tariff for the accurate entrance, guidance and community excursion fees, regardless of the above activities and entrance fee costs.
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Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park).
This is the most popular and famous tourism destination in Uganda. It is located in western region of Uganda in Kasese district. The park has Kyambura Gorge known as the Valley of Apes which hosts the endangered primates (Chimpanzees) deep in a thick rainforest. The Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to a population of approximately 30 chimpanzees.
Getting to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
There are two different means of transport to access the park that is to say by road and by air transport.
There is southern Route from Kampala- Mbarara- Bushenyi which is about 420 kilometers and passes through Mbarara which takes 6 to 7 hours and involves crossing the Equator. There is also northern Route from Kampala- Fort Portal- Kasese which is about 410 km which also takes roughly 6 to 7 hours. A 4×4 wheel drive car is highly recommended while accessing the park.
The park can be accessed via air which is a one-hour drive from Kampala (Entebbe and Kajjansi air fields) to Kasese, Mweya air strips. Charter flights are operated by Aero link Uganda and Eagle Air departing from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield.
Chimpanzee tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge inside the Maramagambo forest involves hiking down a steep 100-meter escarpment in a thick rainforest. The experience starts with the briefing about the Chimpanzees and the forest at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Treks take 2 to 3 hours depending on where the primates nested and once they are located, visitors are allowed exactly 1-hour of viewing and observing the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trackers will be provided with park rangers/guides while starting the experience and visitors should obey the rules and regulations of the provided park ranger/guide.
Some of the major rules to follow while tracking Chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Before entering the forest for the tracking experience, visitors are given strict rules and guidelines at UWA headquarters of the park to follow while entering the forest, regardless of being provided with park rangers/guides. Some of the rules and guidelines include the following;
- Distance in the presence of Chimpanzees should be at least 10 meters.
- Avoid tracking if feeling illness (flu or cough).
- Manage the exact viewing one hour for chimpanzee tracking and four hours for chimpanzee habituation.
- Wear a face mask immediately in the presence of the primates to prevent passing on airborne germs.
- No spitting in the forest as it can spread bacteria diseases to the primates.
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke near the chimpanzees. This prevents them from being tempted to grab your food and avoids potential disease transmission.
- Total silence in the forest or near the chimpanzees is a must.
- Do not attempt to touch or chase the chimpanzees. Give the primates their freedom to move through their natural habitat undisturbed.
- No flash photography while tacking pictures of the primates. Turn off your camera’s flash before entering the forest, as flash lights can scare the chimpanzees.
What to pack while tracking Chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Before setting off for Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kyambura Gorge, visitors are encouraged to go ready with long-sleeved shirts, trousers, thick socks, waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, a lightweight rain jacket, and high-quality insect repellent.
Don’t forget a waterproof daypack for your camera, packed lunch, at least 2 liters of water, and face masks.
Best times to track Chimpanzees in Elizabeth National Park.
The best time to track Chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National Park is during the dry seasons from January to February and June to September. These months offer the best weather for chimpanzee tracking, as Chimpanzees are seen easier in the forest without hinderance of mud and flooding.
Accommodations in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is decorated with many various accommodations that is to say hotels and safari lodges. These are categorized in three different categories and these include; luxury, mid-range and budget.
Luxury lodges in the park include; Elephant plains lodge, Ishasha wilderness camp, Kyambura Gorge lodge and so many others.
Mid-range accommodations include; Engagi game lodge, Ishasha jungle lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush lodge, Kingfisher lodge among others.
Budget accommodations include; Tembo safari lodge, Simba safari camp, Engiri game lodge and campsite, Kazinga channel view resort among others.
Fees and bookings in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has standard park entrance fees and specific cost for each activity. Visiting the park requires park entry fees of $40 per day for foreign non-residents ($20 for children), $30 for foreign residents, and UGX 20,000 for East African citizens. Permits for specific activities (like the Kazinga boat cruise or chimpanzee trekking) and vehicle entry fees are charged separately. Bookings are handled via the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). It is highly encouraged to check on the Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff for the most accurate entrance, guide, and community excursion fees.
Chimpanzee tracking permits.
- Foreign Non-residents $100 per person.
- Foreign residents $80 per person.
- East African Citizens UGX 50,000 per person.
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Budongo Forest (Murchison Falls National Park)
Murchison Falls National Park lies in north- western region of Uganda in Nwoya district. The boarder of Murchison Falls National Park stretches across four different districts: Nwoya, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, and Masindi. Murchison Falls National Park is known as the largest and oldest national park in all Uganda’s national parks.
Budongo Forest is located in the southern sector of Murchison Falls, this forest is famous for its massive mahogany trees and habituated chimpanzee communities. The Kaniyo Pabidi ecotourism site in the Budongo Forest Reserve hosts a large chimpanzee population estimated at 600 to 800 individuals. Within this mahogany forest, one specific community of about 100 chimpanzees is fully habituated for tracking and habituation experiences.
Getting there.
The park can be easily accessed by road or air means of transport.
By road to the park, it is 4-6 hours’ drive from Kampala- Luwero- Masindi up to the southern gate of Kichumbanyobo which is the easier and direct route from Kampala. A 4×4 wheel drive car is recommended while accessing the park.
By air to the park, it is a one-hour drive from Kampala (Kajjansi airfield) to Pakuba, Chobe and Bugungu air strips.
Chimpanzee tracking and habituation experiences in Budongo Forest.
For the tracking experience, it starts with the briefing about the chimpanzee tracking and the forest at large at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters in the park. After the briefing, park rangers/guides will be provided to Chimpanzee trackers to guide them inside the forest. Hikes will take around 2-4 hours depending on the location of the primates. Once Chimpanzees are found, Visitors are allowed exactly one hour to observe and photograph the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trackers must obey and follow the rules and guide lines given by park rangers/guides.
For a deeper experience, Chimpanzee habituation is better for trekkers in the forest. Here the experience is longer where by 2 to 4 hours can be spent looking for the location of chimpanzees, plus the exact 4 magical hours allowed to spend with the primates. This experience teaches the wild chimpanzees to get used to human presence without changing their natural behaviors. The experience also starts with the morning briefing about the rules and regulations inside the forest at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) headquarters of the park.
Rules of Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest.
- Do not enter the forest when you are suffering from communicable diseases like cough, flu among others.
- Do not use flash cameras while photographing the chimpanzees.
- Maintain a 10- meter distance in presence of Chimpanzees.
- Total silence is required in the forest and in presence of the Chimpanzees.
- Do not touch or chase the Chimpanzees. Give the primates their freedom in their natural habitat.
- Do not litter in the forest or leaving trash behind.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke in front of the Chimpanzees
- Manage the exact viewing of one hour for Chimpanzee tracking and four hours for Chimpanzee habituation.
- Wear a face mask immediately in presence of Chimpanzees to avoid transmitting of airborne diseases to the primates.
Best times to track Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest.
The absolute best time to track chimpanzees in Kaniyo Pabidi (Budongo Forest) is during the dry seasons June to August and December to February. These months offer easier access to the Chimpanzees, less floods and muddy hikes.
Where to stay in Murchison Falls National Park?
Murchison Falls National Park is decorated with many various accommodations that is to say hotels and safari lodges. These are categorized in three different categories and these include; luxury, mid-range and budget.
Luxury safari lodges in Murchison Falls National Park include; Nile safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Anyadwe house among others.
Mid-range safari lodges include; Red Chilli Rest camp, Murchison River lodge, Sambiya River lodge and so many others.
Budget safari lodges include the following; Budongo Eco lodge, Boomu Women’s group Bandas, Bwana Tembo safari camp among others.
Fees and Bookings.
Entry to Murchison Falls National Park costs $45 for foreign non-residents, $35 for foreign residents and 25,000 UGX for East African citizens per 24-hour period. Bookings for park entry and activities can be handled directly at the gates or through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). It is highly recommended to check on the Uganda Wildlife Authority tariff for the most accurate entrance, guide, and community excursion fees.
Chimpanzee tracking permits.
- Foreign Non-residents; $130 per person.
- Foreign residents; $120 per person.
- East African Citizens; $85 per person.
Chimpanzee habituation permits.
- Foreign Non-residents; $230 per person.
- Foreign residents; $160 per person.
- East African Citizens; $90 per person.
