Trekking the human like primate species of chimpanzees in Uganda gives the most unforgettable experience as it comes with a lot of other exciting tourism activities.

Chimpanzees are undoubtedly the closest human relative given of their cleverness and large brain, and gorilla trekking in Uganda simply offers the travelers an opportunity to not only spend limited time with the chimps but also get to learn about their traits, behavior and feeding habits in the chimpanzee habituation program.

Visitors shall also enjoy wildlife viewing while going in for chimpanzee tracking in the Uganda's finest safari destinations like Murchison falls and Queen Elizabeth national parks.  

Chimpanzee trekking Destinations in Uganda.

Kibale Forest.

Situated in the South western part of Uganda, Kibale forest is the best spot to track and encounter the chimpanzees in their natural setting. With over 1500 chimpanzee individuals and almost 30% of the chimpanzee population in Uganda, Kibale carries pride as the most vibrant spot for chimpanzee tracking in the East African region. Dominated by mostly the rain forests, Kibale forest is the one of the prominent, oldest forest and home to several other primates like the Vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, Blue monkeys, grey cheeked Mangabeys, bush babies, and red colobus monkeys. Kibale is a hidden gem and a must visit spot for wildlife lovers.

The enchanting activity of tracking the closest human relatives in Kibale forest starts in the morning hours around 8am for the first tracking session, and the afternoon session at 2pm. Therefore, chimpanzee trekking in this place is done twice a day. Given the park's great number of chimpanzee population, the chances of sighting these human-like primates are relatively very high at about 90% chances. Travelers to Kibale forest are given an opportunity to engage in several other chimpanzee activities like chimpanzee habituation where guests get to spend some unlimited time with these primates.    

Chimpanzee tracking can be done hand in hand with several other exciting tourism activities that may include birding, and wildlife viewing of other wildlife animals sheltered in Kibale which may include Buffaloes, elephant, giant forest hog, bush pigs, antelopes, impalas, to mention but a few. There are also over 345 bird species in the Kibale wilderness that can be sighted especially along Bigodi wetland bird sanctuary. These may include breasted pitas, horn bills and more. 

Kyambura Gorge.

It is of no doubt that travelers can never miss out on Kyambura gorge while visiting one of the finest wildlife spots and the second vibrant national park in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth national park is also the most visited national park in the country. Situated right in the valley and in the heart of Queen Elizabeth national park, the Kyambura gorge is also one of the finest spots for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda.

The gorge is very popular for its features especially it's thick underground forest that is about 100 meters deeper and its largest concentration of several other primate species like the baboons, colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys and more.

Travelers can therefore accompany chimpanzee trekking in the Gorge alongside Birding and wildlife viewing in the vast Queen Elizabeth national park. Some of the bird species that can be spotted while in the Gorge may include falcons, African fin foot and blue headed bee-eater. It's also worth noting that the chances of sighting the chimpanzees in the Gorge are relatively low compared Kibale and Kalinzu.  

Budongo Forest.

Situated right in the hand of the largest Uganda's national park, Murchison falls national park is one of the most popular destinations in Uganda, the oldest game park in the pearl of Africa. Visiting the Murchison's therefore paves way for the wildlife enthusiasts, who could wish to engage in the breathtaking tourism activity of chimpanzee trekking in the serene Budongo forest.

With over 800 chimps sheltered in the Quaint Budongo, the warm spot is undisputedly the third leading chimpanzee destination in Uganda. Just like any other quaint chimpanzee tracking region, the whole process of chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest is done twice a day and starts at 7:00 am to wipe up the morning session and 2pm for the afternoon session. 

Kalinzu Forest.

Kalinzu is undoubtedly the second vibrant spot for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda after Kibale. The exciting activity can actually be done after a visit to the second largest and prominent national park in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth national park given of its proximity.

The chances of encountering the chimps in Kalinzu are actually higher than expected. Travelers shall therefore have unforgettable chimpanzee experience in Kalinzu. Over 290 chimpanzee individuals are sheltered Kalinzu forest and about 70 chimps are being habituated.        

Cost of Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda.

The cost of chimpanzee trekking varies depending on the tracking destination, time visited, weather and other related factors. For example, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is way costly and expensive than any other chimpanzee trekking destination. To participate in this enchanting tourism activity in Kibale goes for 250 USD and participating in the chimp habituation process costs travelers 300 USD per person.

Chimpanzee tracking permits in Kyambura gorge go for as low as 100 USD making it affordable while saving money for other exciting activities.        

In the quaint Budongo forest, the cost of chimpanzee trekking permits costs 120 USD per person and 130$ USD in Kalinzu forest.  

Best Time to Trek.

Surprisingly, the wet rainy season is the best time for tracking these human-like primates in their natural habitats. The rainy period of May and August months is when the chimps tend to settle in one spot, one that supports the availability of ample food, shelter and drinking water.

During the dry season of June to September, chimps tend to move deeper in the dense forests in search of food making their tracking a bit time consuming and insanely stressful.