3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda

Kibale forest national park is the best destination and commonly referred to as the primate capital of the world. The Park is home to over 1000 individual chimpanzees, and 12 other primate species including baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and many more. There are 2 times for trekking opportunities per day, morning or afternoon. You are allowed to stay with the chimps for a maximum of one hour after locating them.

Safari highlights

Chimpanzee trekking experience
Bigodi swamp walk which includes bird watching, encountering other primate species and learning more about trees.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe and transfer to Kibale forest national park

Kibale forest located south western Uganda is a home to chimpanzees and other primates, also known as the, “Primate capital of the world” with 13 different primate species. This is 6-hour drive from Kampala to Fort portal from where you will connect to Kibale forest with an enroute stop over for lunch. Some of the primate species here include; Chimpanzees, baboons, red colobus, Black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys and many more.

Upon arrival, you will check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi swamp walk

After an early morning breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the park/visitor information center for registration and briefing. Thereafter, the park guide will take you through this adventurous experience where you may be blessed with enormous encounters of various forest primates such the L’hoest, black faced colobus monkeys, baboons and other forest species. Return to lodge for lunch and there after proceed for the swamp walk where you may be privileged to view some monkey and bird species you could have missed during the morning chimp tracking experience.

Return for dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 3: Transfer to Kampala

After breakfast, you will drive back to Kampala through another interesting route of Fort portal-Ibanda-Mbarara – Kampala. You may choose to have lunch from Mbarara or at the Equator. A stopover at the Equator is always rewarding for a water experiment on the different poles of the equator line and taking pictures. Thereafter, proceed with your journey to either Kampala or for a drop off at Entebbe for your departure flight.

Safari includes:

Park entrance
Chimpanzee tracking permits
Bigodi swamp walks fees
Hot/ packed lunches on transfer days
Bottled water in car
Professional guide/ driver allowance
Ground transportation in a 4×4 safari car
Accommodation at the lodge
All meals at lodges
Airport transfers (pick and drop off)

Safari excludes:

International Air ticket and visa fees
Beers and Wine (alcoholic drinks)
Laundry expenses and craft shopping
Travel insurance
Tips
Pre and post safari accommodation

When to book a Chimpanzee tracking tour

It is usually advisable to book this trip 6 months in advance to allow us ample time to secure the gorilla permits. On the other hand, visiting the savannah national parks does not necessarily require advance booking.

Best time to do Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park

Kibale is open for Chimpanzee tracking all year long, but the best times to go are from June to August and December to February. At these times, the forest trails are drier and therefore less slippery. Also, your chance of a dry chimpanzee viewing experience is higher during these months. However, on the other hand, game viewing in Uganda’s savannah national parks is best at the end of the dry seasons- February and March and September and early October when wildlife is concentrated around water sources. Bird watching is fantastic all year round but is at its peak between November and April when migrant species are present.

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