Small Group • Uganda
2 Days Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
A wetland walk, a dawn briefing and a morning with Kibale's habituated chimpanzees
Overview
About this journey
- Duration
- 2 days
- Departures
- Fixed dates
Kibale Forest, near Fort Portal in western Uganda, holds more than 1,500 chimpanzees and thirteen primate species, which is why it is called the primate capital. This two-day trip gives you one evening walk in the Bigodi wetland and one morning in the forest with the chimpanzees, and gets you back to Kampala or Entebbe the same night.
The first day is mostly the drive west, through tea and crater-lake country, with lunch in Fort Portal. The second starts with a Uganda Wildlife Authority briefing at the park headquarters and then the trek itself. Kibale's chimpanzee communities are large and habituated, so the chance of a good sighting is among the best in Africa.
It suits anyone with two days to spare who wants primates without a long itinerary around them.
Highlights
What you'll experience
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale
A morning in the forest with one of the largest habituated chimpanzee populations in Africa, led by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers.
The Bigodi wetland walk
A community-run walk through swamp and forest, with several monkey species and more birds than you will manage to count.
Tea and crater lakes
The drive west passes tea plantations and the crater lakes around Fort Portal, one of Uganda's prettiest towns.
Thirteen primate species
Colobus, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and baboons share the forest with the chimpanzees, and most trips see several.
Why choose us
Why choose a Small Group Journey?
The best odds of a sighting
Kibale's chimpanzee communities are large and habituated, which is why the park is the first choice in Uganda for seeing them.
Permits and rangers included
The chimpanzee trekking permit, park entrance and the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides are all in the price, so nothing is arranged on the day.
Two days from Kampala
One drive out and one back, with a full activity on each day. Nothing is padded to make the trip look longer.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
West to Fort Portal, and the Bigodi wetland walk
We collect you early from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe and drive west through villages, tea plantations and rolling hills, with the crater lakes and green country around Fort Portal towards the end. Lunch is in Fort Portal, then a short drive on to Kibale to check in.
In the afternoon a local guide takes you through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a swamp and forest walk known for its birds. Blue, red-tailed and black-and-white colobus monkeys and baboons are all likely, along with butterflies and a long bird list. The walk is run by the community, and the guides talk about the conservation work around the forest. Back to the lodge for dinner.
Meals · Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Chimpanzee trekking, then back to Kampala
After an early breakfast you go to the park headquarters for the Uganda Wildlife Authority briefing on how the trek works, the rules around the chimpanzees and what to expect. Then you enter the forest with the ranger guides. Kibale's communities are large and well habituated, so the odds of finding them are high, and colobus, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and olive baboons often turn up on the way.
Once the chimpanzees are found you spend your time watching them feed, groom and move through the canopy. Back at the lodge for lunch, then the drive east, arriving in Kampala or Entebbe in the evening for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Accommodation as indicated
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Bigodi Wetland guided walk
- Bottled drinking water
- Park entrance fees
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits, unless listed as included
- 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