Private • Uganda
1 Day Chimpanzee Trekking in Budongo Forest
Kaniyo Pabidi's habituated chimpanzees on a day trip from Kampala
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- Western Uganda
- Duration
- 1 days
- Departures
- All year round
- Party size
- Up to 6
Budongo Forest sits on the road to Murchison Falls, four to five hours north of Kampala, and covers about 793 square kilometres of rainforest and grassland known for its mahogany. The chimpanzee trekking is at Kaniyo Pabidi, in the southern part of the Murchison Falls conservation area, where several communities are habituated for visitors and research.
This is a single long day: a very early pickup, the drive north through Masindi, a ranger briefing and the trek, lunch nearby, then the drive back to arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon or evening. How long you walk depends on where the chimpanzees are that morning, anywhere from half an hour to several hours.
The forest holds more than 600 chimpanzees and nine primate species, and it is one of Uganda's better birding forests, so it suits anyone who wants primates and birds without staying overnight.
Highlights
What you'll experience
Chimpanzees at Kaniyo Pabidi
Several habituated communities live in this section of Budongo, and you spend your time watching them feed, groom and call through the canopy.
A mahogany forest
Budongo is known for its giant mahogany trees, and the walk between them is as much the point as the chimpanzees.
Five other primates
Black-and-white colobus, red-tailed, blue and vervet monkeys and olive baboons share the forest and are often seen on the trail.
Birds along the way
Budongo is one of Uganda's best-known birding forests, with more than 359 species recorded.
Why choose us
Why choose a Private Journey?
Six visitors per group
The Uganda Wildlife Authority allows only six people on each trek, so the time with the chimpanzees is quiet and unhurried.
Permit and rangers arranged
The trekking permit, the ranger fees and the fuel are all in the price, so the day is booked in one step.
Done in a day
Budongo is close enough to Kampala for a dawn start and an evening return, with no overnight needed.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
North to Budongo, the trek, and back to Kampala
We collect you very early from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe and drive north through farmland and small towns to Masindi, the nearest town to the forest.
At Kaniyo Pabidi the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers give a briefing, then you walk into the forest with them to find the chimpanzees. Trekking usually starts around 07:00 and lasts between thirty minutes and several hours depending on where the community has moved. Once found, you watch them feed, climb, groom and call to one another. Black-and-white colobus, red-tailed, blue and vervet monkeys and olive baboons live in the same forest, along with a long list of birds and butterflies and the old mahogany trees the reserve is known for.
After the trek there is lunch at a nearby lodge or restaurant, then the drive south, reaching Kampala in the late afternoon or evening depending on traffic and how long the trek ran. Bring hiking shoes, long trousers, a rain jacket, insect repellent, water and a camera.
Meals · Lunch
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle, fuel included
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger fees
- Bottled drinking water
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
- Laundry, telephone and other items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities not listed in the day-by-day itinerary
Pricing
Available all year round
A private itinerary with no fixed departure dates. Rates are per person in USD.
Journey Details
Essential information
Minimum Age
12 years. Children under 12 are generally not allowed to trek chimpanzees
First Group Event
Very early pickup from your Kampala or Entebbe hotel; trekking starts around 07:00
Last Group Event
Drop-off at your Kampala hotel, late afternoon or evening
Guaranteed Departures
This is a private day trip. It runs on the date you book, whatever the size of your party