Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda; Chimpanzee trekking is the second best done activity in Uganda after gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park and it involves moving on foot into the forest in search of the chimpanzees and once they are found you are allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Uganda is best known for harboring the highest number of chimpanzees which are found in different destinations including

Where to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Kibale national park

Kibale national park is located in western part of Uganda and it’s also known as the primate capital because it harbors about 13 primate species including 1500 chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park starts in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at around 8:00 am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm.

Each session takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Apart from chimpanzees, Kibale national park is a home of other primates like grey cheeked mangabey, l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies among others.

Kibale national park also offers chimpanzee habituation experience where you will be able to spend four hours with the chimpanzees under the habituation process.

Kalinzu forest

Kalinzu forest is the second best chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda after Kibale forest. Kalinzu forest is a tropical rainforest located in Bushenyi district near Queen Elizabeth national park and it’s a home of over 300 chimpanzees. Just like Kibale national park chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking where after you will enter the forest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their environment.

Budongo forest

Budongo forest is the biggest mahogany forest in East Africa located in Murchison falls national park which is the largest protected area in Uganda. Budongo forest is the third best chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda and its known for harboring over 600 chimpanzees and other primates like red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons among others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest is an interesting activity that starts early in the morning with a briefing at the headquarters. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide in search of the chimpanzees which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours.

Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to observe their behaviors, habits, lifestyle, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record the breathtaking moments.

Kyambura gorge

Kyambura gorge also known as the valley of apes is another chimpanzee trekking destination located in north eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Kyambura gorge is a home of other primates like blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons among others.

Toro-Semuliki game reserve

Toro-Semuliki game reserve is another destination located in western Uganda where you can visit the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Toro-Semuliki game reserve takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours and during trekking you will be able to view other primates like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons among others and once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment.

Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda

A chimpanzee trekking permit is a legal document that allows any visitor above the age of 15 years to visit a habituated chimpanzee family in any destination. Chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda vary depending on the destination you visit, a single chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale national park costs USD 200 for foreign non residents, USD 150 for foreign residents and UGX 150,000 for East African citizens, in Kyambura gorge and Kalinzu forest a chimpanzee trekking permit costs USD 50 for foreign non residents, USD 50 foreign residents and UGX 30,000 for East African citizens, in Budongo forest a chimpanzee trekking permit costs USD 120 for foreign non residents, USD 110 for foreign resident and USD 75 for East African citizens and a chimpanzee trekking permit in Toro-Semuliki game reserve costs USD 30 for foreign non residents, USD 30 for foreign residents and UGX 20,000 for East African citizens.

A chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale national park costs USD 250 for foreign non residents, USD 250 for foreign residents and UGX 150,000 for East African citizens. Chimpanzee trekking and habituation permits in Uganda should be booked 3 months in advance before the trekking date because they usually get sold out quickly especially during the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February.

Best time to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda can be done all year round through the best time is during the dry season in the months of June to September and December to February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the chimpanzee destinations therefore access roads and chimpanzee trekking trails will be passable compared t o the wet season when the trails are wet, muddy and slippery hence making trekking difficult.

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is an interesting and adventurous activity which can either be done as a stand-alone activity or you can combine it with gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park, volcano climbing or wildlife viewing to make your safari unforgettable. For more information about chimpanzee trekking or safari booking, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris.