Best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda; Chimpanzee trekking is an exciting and one of the top activities in Uganda where visitors get an opportunity to move on foot into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Uganda is one of the best destinations for chimpanzee trekking due to the fact that it harbors the highest number of chimpanzees which are found in different destinations namely Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge, Kalinzu forest and Budongo forest.

Chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park

Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital is one of the best place for chimpanzee trekking located in western park of Uganda in Kabarole district. Kibale forest national park is known for harboring about 13 primate species including 1,500 chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys among others. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at 8:00am and the afternoon session which starts at 2:00pm.

Kibale forest national park also offers chimpanzee habituation experience where the wild mountain gorillas are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale forest national park takes a whole day and gives travelers an opportunity to spend four hours with the chimpanzees in their habitat.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge

Kyambura gorge is another chimpanzee destination in Uganda located in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge is also done in two sessions that is the morning and afternoon session.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest

Kalinzu forest is located in western part of Uganda in Bushenyi district and it’s the second best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda after Kibale forest national park. Kalinzu forest is a home of over 290 chimpanzees with about 70 habituated chimpanzee which are available for trekking on a daily basis. Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest can either be done in the morning or in the afternoon and each session starts very early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters.

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest

Budongo forest is another chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda located in Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park in Uganda. Budongo forest is a home of over 800 chimpanzees and trekking is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at around 7:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm. Budongo forest also offers chimpanzee habituation experience which is carried out in the low season during the months of March to May and October to November.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge, Budongo forest and Kalinzu forest starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will be divided into groups of 6 people where each group will be allocated a habituated chimpanzee family to trek and an experienced park guide. Trekking of chimpanzees in Uganda takes about 2 hours to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primates, animals, bird species among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, watch them feed, play, hunt, rest, mate, fight, groom young ones, take photos and record videos.

Best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is an interesting activity that can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February because during this period there is less rainfall in the chimpanzee destinations therefore chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery.

Chimpanzee trekking can also be done in the wet season during the months of March to May and October to November because during this period there are few visitors in the national parks therefore you will be able to enjoy the park with few crowds and chimpanzees will easily be found due to plenty of food.

Cost of chimpanzee trekking permit in Uganda

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest national park costs 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.

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalizu forest and Kyambura gorge costs 50 USD per person for foreign non residents, 40 USD per person for foreign residents and 30,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.

A chimpanzee trekking permit in Budongo forest costs 130 USD per person for foreign non residents, 120 USD per person for foreign residents and 85 USD per person for East African citizens.

What to pack for your chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda

There are a number of items that travelers should pack or carry when going for a chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda including Long sleeved shirt and trouser, insect repellent, hiking shoes, long socks, waterproof rain jacket, camera and extra batteries, walking stick, garden gloves, warm sweater, a pair of binoculars, back pack among others.

Chimpanzee trekking is an adventurous activity in Uganda that can either be done in Kibale forest national park, Budongo forest, Kalinzu forest or Kyambura gorge depending on your preference. For more information about the Best place for Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book a chimpanzee trekking package.