Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale National Park
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Gorilla vs Chimp Trek
If you’re heading to Uganda, there’s a strong chance you’ve heard of the gorilla treks available in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which, we have to say, is the ultimate animal highlight in the country. But just over 300km North of Bwindi is Kibale National Park, home to over 1500 wild chimpanzees.
Now the question we get asked all of the time: should we do both? Yes! Yes! Yes!
If you’re making the trip to Uganda, we cannot recommend this trekking experience enough. It was a completely different experience to the one in Bwindi because the daytime behaviour of chimpanzees is vastly different from that of the gorillas.
The main thing we found when on our trek is that chimpanzees are active during the day, particularly early in the morning. They forage for around 8 hours a day, either between trees up in the canopy or on the ground. So, unlike the casual laziness we found from the gorilla troops, the chimps of Kibale keep you on your toes.
How To Do It: Getting There
By Road: The quickest route to Kibale National Park from Kampala is through the Kampala-Fort Portal highway (full-tarmacked road taking approximately 6hrs).
There is a longer alternative of going through Mbarara city for an optional stopover at Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
By Air: There aren’t any direct flights to Kibale itself but Kasese Airstrip is the closest to Kibale at around 2hrs away.
How To Do It: Permits
The Uganda Wildlife Authority release a limited amount of permits to trek at Kibale Forest each day, which are mandatory to trek with the chimpanzees.
As of 2023, the cost per permit is:
200 USD for a foreign visitor
150 USD for a foreign resident
Book with a tour company in Uganda, and they’ll handle the booking for you or via the UWA following these steps:
Step 1: Contact the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to book your permits.
Step 2: Provide your desired trekking date, group size, and personal details.
Step 3: Pay the permit fees through authorized channels.
Step 4: Await confirmation from UWA, who will provide you with an official permit.
Step 5: On the trek day, present your permit at the park's headquarters and get ready for an extraordinary journey into the wild.
Remember, permits are limited, so plan ahead and grab yours for an awe-inspiring chimpanzee encounter!
Where To Stay
We kept on the eco-lodge theme in Kibale Forest, staying at Kibale Forest Camp and it was beautiful: perfectly located and
There are many great places to stay around Bwindi, but, for us, our favourite has to be Agandi Uganda Eco-Lodges in Ruhija.
Agandi Uganda Ltd is a social eco-tourism company founded by people who share the same passion for the Pearl of Africa and the same vision for an inclusive eco-tourism in Uganda.
Travelling to natural wonders, all over the World, we are incredibly conscious of the social and environmental impact of our travels. This lodge combines affordable luxury, with a positive impact on the local communities in Ruhija, and the environment.
What To Do: Packing
This part is incredibly important. You could be trekking for hours in thick forest so ensure you pack all of the essentials below:
A waterproof jacket
Long trousers (pants), preferably waterproof
Hiking shoes (we highly recommend this as entrance into the forest can be wet and very steep)
Thick walking socks
Sunscreen (you are mostly shaded but always handy to have in the bag)
Lots of water
A good camera, charged and ready to snap all of those great photos!
On The Day
For the chimpanzees in Kibale, the day began bright and early with a morning trek into the forest. Be well rested — treks vary widely in length depending on how far you must walk to find a chimpanzee group. We headed to the briefing point at Kanyanchu, where local rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority gave a safety talk and explained the forest, the chimpanzees, and ongoing conservation work. This is the last place with restroom facilities, so use them even if you think you don’t need to.
How do you know where to go in a park that is 296 square miles?
Expert trackers are sent out to monitor the movements and whereabouts of different chimpanzee groups. This is not only a benefit for us, but it also helps with the conservation efforts: monitoring numbers, group dynamics, and the general health and safety of each group.
Working with the rangers was essential to locating the troop. They know the forest intimately — the subtle trails, the sounds that betray a nearby group, and the hours when chimpanzees are most likely to be active. On this visit, our ranger first led us to a cluster high in the canopy, a typical daytime sighting. We caught them feeding on lots of fruit (watch your heads as they are very much know for throwing their rubbish to the floor)!
She then signalled for us to move deeper into the undergrowth, following a faint path and listening for faint calls. Our patience paid off: we came upon three adult males on the forest floor, casually grooming one another in a rare, relaxed scene.
The alpha male soon resumed leadership. He rose, wandered a short distance as we followed. A few hundred meters later, he halted, emitted a loud call and began thudding nearby tree trunks — a clear, deliberate signal that drew the rest of the group’s attention. One by one they scrambled up into the branches, reasserting their arboreal dominance. Observing this sequence — the ranger’s quiet guidance, the males’ intimate grooming, and the alpha’s display — emphasised how much the rangers’ expertise enhances both safety and the quality of the encounter.
