Chimpanzee Trekking Day Tour in Kibale National Park

Destinations to visit

Fort Portal City (starting and return point), Kibale National Park

Safari Overview

Explore the Primate Capital of the World on a guided chimpanzee tracking tour in Kibale Forest National Park, starting from Fort Portal.

This full-day chimpanzee trekking experience offers an opportunity to observe one of our closest relatives in their natural forest habitat. The tour begins early in Fort Portal, a vibrant town in western Uganda, known as a gateway to various wildlife destinations in the region.

Safari Activities

Chimpanzee Tracking Experience (Approx. 3 Hours): Accompanied by experienced park rangers, venture into the tropical rainforest to locate and observe a habituated group of wild chimpanzees. Along the way, you’ll encounter rich biodiversity including other primate species like red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, black-and-white colobus, and a variety of birds and butterflies.

Depending on the movement of the chimpanzee groups, the trek may begin directly from Kanyanchu or require further driving to a different trailhead within the park.

Wildlife Viewing and Photography: Spend time watching the chimpanzees as they forage, play, communicate, and move through the forest canopy. You’ll have the opportunity to photograph these fascinating primates at close range.

Chimpanzee Trekking Day Tour in Kibale National Park

Detailed Itinerary

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in Fort Portal at 6:40 AM. From here, you’ll travel 26 kilometers to the main entrance of Kibale National Park, home to one of the highest densities of chimpanzees in East Africa and over 13 species of primates.

Upon arrival, entry permits will be processed, and you’ll proceed another 10 kilometers into the heart of the forest to the Kanyanchu Visitor Center. Here, you'll register and attend a 15-minute orientation session led by experienced Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guides, who will brief you on the chimpanzee tracking guidelines and safety measures.

At exactly 8:00 AM, your chimpanzee tracking experience begins. Led by professional park rangers, you will follow established trails through Kibale’s dense tropical rainforest in search of habituated chimpanzee families. The rangers stay in radio contact with trackers who have already located chimpanzee groups earlier in the morning.

Depending on the location of the chimpanzees, the trek might begin directly from Kanyanchu or require a short drive deeper into the forest to a specific trailhead. The trek lasts approximately 3 hours, offering opportunities to see chimpanzees grooming, feeding, calling to each other, or playing in the tree canopies.

Along the way, you'll also have the chance to spot other forest dwellers such as: