Chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale forest national park 2024; chimpanzee trekking is an exciting and the second best done activity in Uganda after gorilla trekking and it involves tourists moving on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their natural environment. Kibale forest national park is located in western part of Uganda in Kabarole district and its known for harbouring the highest number of chimpanzees. Kibale forest national park is also known as the primate capital due to the fact that it’s a home of 13 primate species including over 1,500 chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys among others. Apart from Kibale forest national park, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is also done in Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu forest and Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park.
Chimpanzee trekking safari experience in Kibale forest national park 2024
Chimpanzee trekking in kibale forest national park is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at around 8:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm and each session starts with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the park headquarters. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are found and once they are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviours, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, fight, rest, hunt, groom young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Best time to go for chimpanzee trekking in kibale forest national park
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park can be done all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes chimpanzee trekking easy.
Cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest national park
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park cost 200 USD per person for foreign non residents, 150 USD per person for foreign residents and 150,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to book chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the chimpanzees. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to purchase the permits on your behalf.
Booking chimpanzee trekking permits via Achieve Global Safaris saves you all the hustle in that we will not only acquire the permits on your behalf but also plan for your entire safari which includes transportation to Kibale forest national park, accommodation during the safari, recommend other activities to engage in after chimpanzee trekking and other destinations to combine with kibale national park.
What to carry for chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale forest national park
When going on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale forest national park, there are a number of items that you should pack or carry including insect repellent, long sleeved shirt and trouser, hiking shoes, long cotton socks, waterproof rain jacket, energy snacks and drinking water, camera and extra batteries, face masks, a pair of binoculars, warm sweater, back pack among others.
How to get to kibale forest national park
Kibale forest national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Mubende, Fort Portal or Masaka, Mbarara and then to the park headquarters which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive.
Kibale forest national park can also be accessed by air transport means where tourists will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kasese or Semuliki airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road.
You can as well access Kibale forest national park from Lake Mburo national park which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive.
Apart from chimpanzee trekking, Kibale forest national park offers other activities like chimpanzee habituation experience, guided nature walks, bird watching, night forest walks, cultural tours among others that tourists can engage in during the safari.
Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting activity in Kibale forest national park that can be combined with wildlife viewing/game drives, boat cruise, sport fishing, horseback riding, night game drives, bird watching among others in Lake Mburo national park. For more information about chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale forest national park, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a combined safari package.
