Kibale is the best place in East Africa to spend time with chimpanzees. Its mid-altitude rainforest holds around 1,500 of them, along with 12 other primate species, which is one of the highest densities of primates anywhere in Africa.
Tracking starts from Kanyanchu, on the tarred road south of Fort Portal. You walk on fairly level forest paths behind a ranger who listens for the calls, and when the group is found you spend an hour watching them feed, groom, argue and swing through the canopy. The success rate is high, and the pace is gentler than a gorilla trek.
The park sits in crater-lake country, with tea estates and small volcanic lakes all around, so it is a lovely place to pause for two or three nights. Primate Lodge Kibale is inside the forest itself, and on some nights you hear chimps calling from your veranda.
Kibale’s 13 primate species include chimpanzees, red colobus, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey and blue monkey, as well as nocturnal bushbabies and pottos found on night walks. Forest elephants live here too, and although shy they are sometimes seen on the roads at dawn.
The birdlife is rich, with around 375 species recorded, including the green-breasted pitta, which birders come from far away to find, and the great blue turaco, which is easy to spot at Bigodi.
Chance of seeing
Our estimate for a stay of two or three nights with a good guide. Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised.
Kibale is tall, evergreen forest, with buttressed trees, clearings of elephant grass and swampy valleys. Outside the park the landscape opens into rolling tea plantations and dozens of small crater lakes, and on clear days you see the Rwenzori Mountains rising to the west.
Activities here
Kibale is pleasantly warm, with days around 24°C to 27°C and nights around 14°C to 16°C. Rain can fall in any month, with the wettest periods from March to May and from September to November. Showers usually pass quickly.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 14 | 50 |
| Feb | 26 | 14 | 80 |
| Mar | 26 | 15 | 140 |
| Apr | 25 | 15 | 180 |
| May | 25 | 15 | 150 |
| Jun | 25 | 14 | 80 |
| Jul | 25 | 14 | 60 |
| Aug | 25 | 14 | 110 |
| Sep | 25 | 14 | 160 |
| Oct | 25 | 14 | 190 |
| Nov | 25 | 14 | 170 |
| Dec | 25 | 14 | 90 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
The drier months run from June to August and from December to February. Days are warm, around 24°C to 27°C, with fresh mornings around 14°C. Forest paths are firmer, walking is easier and the chimps can range widely in search of fruit, though a passing shower is still possible.
Rain peaks from March to May and from September to November, often in heavy afternoon bursts. Paths become muddy and the canopy drips long after the rain stops, but the forest is at its greenest and the chimps often feed on fruiting trees in a smaller area.
Chimp tracking runs year round, but the drier months of June to September and December to February make forest walking easier and more comfortable. In the wetter months the chimps often feed on ripening fruit in a smaller area, which can make them easier to find.
Best time to visit Jan to Feb, Jun to Sep
Kibale is about 5 to 6 hours by road from Entebbe or Kampala via Fort Portal, on a good tarred road. It also fits naturally between Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, which is about 2 to 3 hours to the south. Charter flights can land at Kasese or Fort Portal area airstrips.
Both chimp tracking and the habituation experience require permits issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, with the full-day habituation permit costing more and available to only a few people each day. Numbers are limited and peak dates fill early, so we book them as soon as your plans are set. Chimp tracking is usually open to guests aged 12 and over.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is on forest trails that can be muddy and slippery, so wear sturdy boots. A yellow fever certificate is needed to enter Uganda, so please carry it with your passport. Visitors with a cold or other infection cannot track, as chimpanzees are vulnerable to human illness. Malaria is present, so antimalarials are advised.
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“Choose the full day”
If chimpanzees are high on your list, we strongly recommend the habituation experience rather than the standard trek. You head out before dawn to find the group as they leave their nests, and you stay with them as they feed, rest and travel, which gives a far richer sense of their lives than a single hour. We also love pairing Kibale with an afternoon among the crater lakes near Fort Portal.
Safaris from
US$2,012 per person
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