Travel advisory, last checked 23 September 2026: the US State Department rates Uganda Level 4, “Do Not Travel”, an advisory issued in May 2026 because of Ebola. WHO declared Uganda’s outbreak over on 27 August 2026; the outbreak in the neighbouring DRC continues. Read our dated safety guide before you decide.
Primates
Pant-hoots roll through the canopy, the trackers pick up the pace, and a chimpanzee drops out of a fig tree onto the path a short way ahead.
Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda centers on three forests with very different characters. Kibale National Park holds more than 1,500 chimpanzees in at least 12 communities, and UWA reports sighting success above 90% at its main base, Kanyanchu. Kyambura Gorge, a sunken strip of forest inside Queen Elizabeth National Park, has a smaller community and lower odds but a dramatic setting. Budongo Forest, near Murchison Falls, is managed outside the UWA system and suits routes heading north.
Chimps are not gorillas. They split into small, shifting parties, travel fast on the ground and high in the canopy, and announce themselves with screams and drumming on tree buttresses. Expect to move with them rather than sit, and expect photography to be harder in the dim forest light. On a standard permit you track them for as long as it takes and then spend one hour in their company; the habituation option, offered in Kibale, stretches that to as much as four hours.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda
We choose the forest to fit your route: Kibale on most itineraries, Kyambura if you are based in Queen Elizabeth, Budongo on the way to Murchison.
Our licensed partner in Uganda books your permit for a set date and slot, and at Kibale we ask for the morning departure where we can.
After a briefing at the trailhead, a UWA ranger guide leads your small group into the forest, following calls and radio updates from the trackers.
When you reach the chimps the hour begins: you keep your distance, move when they move and put the camera flash away.
On the habituation option you start at 06:30, often in time to see the chimps leave their night nests, and stay with the community for up to four hours.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda
Where to go
Uganda’s primate forest: habituated chimps at Kanyanchu, twelve other primate species and crater lakes near Fort Portal.
Explore
Uganda’s classic savanna park: Kazinga Channel boat trips, Kasenyi’s kob and lions, Kyambura chimps and Ishasha’s tree-climbing lions.
Explore
Uganda’s largest park: the Nile forced through a narrow gorge, north-bank game drives, delta shoebills and Budongo chimps nearby.
ExploreSafaris
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary · Murchison Falls · Kibale Forest · Queen Elizabeth NP · Ishasha · Buhoma · Lake Mburo
Travelers with close to two weeks who want primates, savanna and the Nile, and are happy with a few long road days
Mabamba Swamp · Lake Mburo · Ruhija · Buhoma · Queen Elizabeth NP · Kibale Forest
Keen birders and bird photographers who want a private guide, early starts and time to find their targets
Good to know
Kibale gives the best odds, with UWA reporting success above 90% at Kanyanchu, and the most forest to explore. Kyambura Gorge suits travelers already staying in Queen Elizabeth who value the setting over certainty. Budongo is a practical choice on the way to Murchison Falls.
We prefer the 08:00 slot where possible: it is cooler, the chimps are often more active and vocal after leaving their nests, and it leaves the afternoon free. The 14:00 slot is a sensible fallback when your arrival time or permit availability rules out the morning.
Tracking gives you one hour with a fully habituated community once it has been found. Habituation starts at 06:30 and lets you stay with a community for up to four hours, alongside the researchers who are accustoming it to people. It costs more and is tiring, but it is far better for photography and behavior.
Gorillas tend to sit and feed in one place during your hour, while chimps are restless, noisy and often high in the trees. Chimp treks are usually on gentler ground than Bwindi’s slopes, the minimum age is lower, and the permit costs much less. Many travelers do both on the same trip.
Experiences
Primates
Spend up to four hours with a gorilla family that is still learning to accept people, alongside the researchers and trackers doing the work, in Bwindi’s southern Rushaga sector.
Tell us when you would like to travel, who is coming and how many gorilla days you want. We check permit availability first, then design a private Uganda journey around it, with nothing booked until you approve.
Plan My Uganda Safari