3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Uganda - Kibale Forest (Best Value)

Share this article

Safari Overview

3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari in Kibale National Park offers the opportunity to see a habituated chimpanzee troop at close range in their natural habitat. Kibale National Park famously known as the world’s primate capital, is home to more than 1500 chimpanzees, making it the best destination for chimpanzee tracking. It is located in the shadows of the Rwenzori Mountains in the western part of Uganda.

You will meet and greet a habituated chimpanzee troop in Kibale Forest on a 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari. Thanks to habituation! The chimpanzees have lost their natural fear of humans, and now they can be approached very closely through tracking under the watch of expert ranger guides. You will spend a maximum of one hour in their presence, observing their playful nature.

For those who are very keen to observe and study primates, the 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari will have you doing the chimpanzee habituation experience, where you will spend up to 4 hours with a semi-habituated chimpanzee band, which starts at 6:30 a.m.

Since Kibale National Park is home to the highest population of 13 different primate species, the 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari will give you a glimpse of this great diversity – more than any other park in Africa and you will see some of them crossing your path as you go searching for the chimpanzees. These primates include red colobus and the rare I’Hoest’s monkeys, black-and-white colobus, and red-tailed monkeys among others.

After your chimpanzee tracking excursion in Kibale Forest, you will embark on a nature walk around the Bigodi wetlands at the edge of the park. This primate walk has you observing some of the park’s residents from another perspective.

The 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari permit costs USD$ 200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and Ushs. 150,000 for East Africans.

Quick Safari Details

Country: Uganda.

Departure/End City: Entebbe.

Destinations: Kibale Forest National Park.

Group Type: Private.

Number of People: Tailored.

Availability: Year-Round.

Dates: Open.

Duration: 3 Days.

Cancellation Policy: Up to 90 days.

Activities: Chimpanzee trekking, nature walk, primate walk and visiting local community.

Price: Request a quote.

Safari Highlights

An exciting and unforgettable encounter with a band of habituated chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Guided nature walks along Bigodi Swamp at the edge of the park to see a variety of primate species, bird species and butterflies.
Kibale National Park is arguably the best place for bird watching with a wide variety of bird species for avid birders to tick off their list.
Meet, explore, and learn from the local community.

3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park

After an early morning breakfast, your safari guide will pick you up from the hotel or guesthouse of your choice in Entebbe or Kampala. He will brief you about the 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari and start your scenic road trip to Kibale National Park.

You will stop along the way for lunch, enjoy beautiful scenery, and finally arrive at your destination in the afternoon. Upon arrival, check in at your lodge and spend the night with the sounds of the tropical rainforest after dinner.

The ride takes about 6.5 hours.

Accommodation & meals:

Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge
Mid-range: Chimps Nest Lodge/Turaco Treetops
Budget: Chimpanzee Guesthouse/Wild Camping

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 2: Chimp tracking and swamp walk

Wake up to a sumptuous early breakfast and transfer to the Kanyanchu visitor center for registration and a briefing. From here, you will join a group of other chimp trackers (maximum of 8 individuals) after the briefing and start the 4-hour chimp walk from the headquarters.

In the company of the ranger guides assigned to you, you will delve into the forest jungle to search for the chimpanzees. The chimp trek also features viewing other primate species like red colobuses, black-and-white colobuses, L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed, velvet, and blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, and more once the opportunity arises based on animal movements.

You will spend about four hours looking for the chimps, and once you find them, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour to be with them, observing from a safe and intimate distance of 8–10 metres. The one hour allotted to you is enough to allow you to do everything you would like to.

So, get up close and personal with the chimpanzees, discover their beauty, intelligence, and social structures, and take enough pictures to share your story with family and friends. After this thrilling encounter with chimpanzees in the wild, return to your lodge for lunch and relax.

In the afternoon, you embark on the Bigodi Swamp walk (a community-based project), from where you will see an incredible diversity of primate species, mammal species, butterfly species, and bird species. After your day’s activities, return to the lodge for dinner and a great night of sleep.

Day 3: Return to Entebbe/ Kampala.

After breakfast, you will pack up your baggage and enjoy another glimpse of the beautiful scenery as you ride back to Kampala or Entebbe. You will have a stopover for lunch along the way, arrive in the evening, and be dropped off at your hotel or airport for your departure flight.

The ride takes about 6.5 hours.

No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

End of 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari in Kibale National Park.

Safari Includes

Transfers in 4WD
Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
One Chimp permit per person to be secured and paid for in advance.
Bottled drinking water.
English speaking guide/driver
All activities in the itinerary except the optional ones.

Safari Excludes

Visa & Travel insurance
Emergency medical bills
Trip cancellation insurance
Drinks & Laundry services
Gratuities/tips to local guides
Porter fee while trekking
Tobacco/cigarettes
Activities not included in the itinerary.

Start planning a life-transforming safari with us. Book this trip or build one from scratch with the help of a safari expert.

Important Notes for the 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari.

The 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari in Kibale is limited to a maximum of six travelers per vehicle, and a 30% deposit is required on confirmation.
Travelers with special needs may be required to pay an extra fee for trekking facilitation.
The minimum age for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking is 15 years.
Optional: Chimp Habituation Experience (USD $250 extra per person)
Dinner and accommodations before and after the trip are not included in the overall tour cost.
This 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari is tailor-made and can be customized to your own style of travel. You can set your own dates (subject to availability) and choose your accommodation facilities with our guidance. The lodges selected here are what we think will suit this kind of trip and are where we have the best rates for you.
Due to the uncertainty of travel during these times, you can postpone your trip up to 12 months ahead (considering accommodation availability) and have a minimum of 30 days to cancel.

Tips for the 3 Days Chimpanzee Tracking Safari

Do not forget your water-proof hiking shoes or closed shoes.
Rain poncho during the rainy season
Camera with an additional battery and charger. No flash photography, lest you frighten the chimps into being defensive while tracking.
Binoculars for birders
Sun hat
Sunscreen
Insect repellent