Our 3 days chimpanzee tracking safari will take you to Kibale National Park also referred to as the “primate capital” because of a variety of primate species that can be found here. Kibale is situated in the western part of Uganda in the district of Fort portal and is undoubtedly the best place you can go chimpanzee tracking in the whole world.
The park covers an area of 795 square kilometres and is mainly a tropical rainforest with woodland and savannah. Its these trees that do act as a haven to 1500 chimpanzee individuals and other 12 primates (Grey Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus Monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Red Tailed Monkey, the Grey Vervet Monkey) Cheeked Mangabey Monkeys, Olive Baboon Monkey and Blue Monkeys) found in this park. Other wildlife species that you can find here include leopards, forest elephants, lions, forest pigs, warthogs and a number of bird species.
Its a rewarding safari that you definitely have to include on your budget while on a safari to Uganda or still planning to.
Highlights of the safari
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
Nature walk
Bird watching
Primate walk
Detailed itinerary for 3 days chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
Day 1: Arrival, transfer to Kibale National Park and nature walk at Bigodi bird sanctuary
Our driver/guide will pick you up from the airport or your preferred pick up point, brief you about the 3 days chimpanzee tracking safari to Kibale National Park. Here you’re allowed to ask as many questions you wish to ask so that you get to understand fully the place you’re heading to and what to look forward to seeing on this once a lifetime and memorable safari. Once the briefing is done, you will embark on a 4hr journey to fort portal which doubles as the tourism city via the Kampala – Mubende route. Along the way, you will enjoy the beautiful scenic views of the countryside made up of hills, plantations, valleys and more and you can as well capture the moments right onto your camera or phone.
Upon reaching Mubende, you will stop in the town for lunch and later proceed to Fort portal. This city happens to be the cleanest compared to other cities in Uganda. Once you’re here, you can choose to go check out areas like Amabere ga’nyina mwiru, the royal tombs, the king’s palance and more. You will also enjoy the clear beautiful views of the Rwenzori mountains.
From here, you will proceed to Kibale National Park where you will find your accommodation. You will check in and later head for a nature walk in Bigodi bird sanctuary. Bigodi is one of the best places for birders on a safari to Kibale National Park. Here you will find bird species like the elusive papyrus ganolek, the purple breasted sunbird, ground thrush, black capped apalis, cuckoos, Abyssinia and many others. You will be able to spot some of the primate species in this place like the red columbus monkey, baboons, mangabey, vervet monkey, black and white colobus monkey and many more. You will also find the bush pigs, otters among others. You will later be taken back to your lodge to have dinner and rest.
Travel time
4-5hrs
Accommodation options
luxury: kyaniga lodge
Midrange: primate lodge
Budget: Bush lodge
Meal plan
Lunch and dinner
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
Wake up early and excited because this is the day you will go check out the highlight of the safari – chimpanzee- right in their natural habitat. After breakfast, our driver/guide will pick you up and transfer you to Kanyachu for briefing on the guidelines to follow while close and during chimpanzee tracking. You will then be required to hand in your details and permits. There after you will be allocated a chimpanzee community that you will track.
Before the trek, an advance team is sent into the jungles to search for chimpanzee communities where they’re located. These incredible species usually move in search of food so its crucial to find out their exact location before set off. The question of how far chimpanzees travel in a day totally depends on the location of food. On spotting them, the team alerts the ranger and you will set off to the forest. You will then be led to the forest with the help of a ranger to the location of a particular community. Along the way you will get to see other primate species found in the park (pottos, Grey Vervet Monkeys, baboons, Colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey checked mangabey, blue monkeys and Red-Tailed Monkeys) among other species. on spotting chimpanzees, you will be given time of upto 1hr to observe and take pictures as many pictures as you want. Unlike gorillas, chimpanzees are fun and exciting to be around. You will watch them play on tree branches in communities and making noise. For gorillas, they are always confined in one place where they feed, fart and relax from. Once the 1hr has elapsed, you will be led back to the park headquarters where our driver/guide will pick you up to your lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for a boardwalk in the forest for birding where you will discover a number of bird species. this activity is for those who’d done chimpanzee tracking. For those doing chimpanzee habituation, they won’t be part of birding as habituation takes the whole day.
After the boardwalk, you will be led to the lodge for dinner and resting.
Accommodation options
luxury: kyaniga lodge
Midrange: primate lodge
Budget: Bush lodge
Meal plan
Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 3: Community walk and transfer to Kampala
Wake up, get break fast and our guide will take you on a guided community walk. Here you will get to discover the culture, crafts and how Ugandans live their day to day lives. You can as well try out local dishes or purchase a few fruits from the local markets. From here, our driver will take you back to your lodge to have lunch, check out and then embark on a journey to Kampala. You will use another exciting route and that is the Fort portal – Mbarara – Kampala route. Along the way you will get to enjoy the beautiful rolling hills of the countryside, plantations, farms of cattle and you can as well stop by at the equator in Kayabwe to take photos. Your 3 days chimpanzee tracking safari will end in Kampala where our driver/guide can either drop you off to the airport or any lodge within the city.
What 3 days chimpanzee tracking safari in Kibale National Park includes
Chimpanzee tracking permit/ habituation permit
A 4×4 safari vehicle
Ground transport
Bottled water
English speaking driver
Air transfers
Nature walk in Bigodi bird sanctuary
Accommodation for 2 nights
Guide/ driver fees
Park entrance fees
3 days chimpanzee tracking safari exclusions
Luxury drinks
Tips to local guide
Laundry
Any other activity not mentioned in the itinerary
Airplane tickets and visa fees
Hotel expenses for a night
What to pack for 3 days chimpanzee tracking safari
Waterproof hiking shoes to help you navigate through tough terrains
Gardening gloves to protect you from thorns within the forest
Insect repellents to keep you safe from mosquito and other insect’s bites
Good camera and binoculars
Waterproof jacket or sweater especially during the rainy season
Long sleeved shirts and trousers.