3 Days Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking Tour

Safari highlights

• Chimpanzee tracking in one of East Africa's richest primate forests
• Chance to see red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and other primates
• Guided walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run birding and primate site
• Scenic drive through tea plantations and rolling countryside around Fort Portal
• Small groups and expert local guides

Itinerary route map

1. Kampala
2. Kibale National Park

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 01
   Day 1 Kampala / Entebbe to Kibale Forest

   After an early pick-up you set off west on the Fort Portal highway through Mpigi and Mubende. The road passes banana plantations, rolling hills and small trading towns. It is a comfortable drive of roughly five to six hours, with a lunch stop at a roadside restaurant to break the journey.

   As you approach Fort Portal, the scenery changes to neatly trimmed tea estates and views towards the Rwenzori Mountains on clear days. This area is known for its fertile soils, crater lakes and cool climate, and it is one of the prettiest parts of the country. Your guide points out landmarks and explains local life.

   You reach your lodge near Kibale National Park in the afternoon, with time to rest, take a short nature walk if you wish, and have dinner. Because tomorrow starts early with the chimpanzee briefing, your guide will talk through what to wear and bring, including long trousers, sturdy boots and a rain jacket.

2. 02
   Day 2 Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland walk

   After breakfast you head to Kanyanchu for the morning briefing, where rangers outline the rules and divide visitors into small groups. Kibale holds one of the highest densities of primates in Africa, and the chimpanzee community you track has been habituated for years. Expect a walk of anywhere between one and four hours.

   Once the trackers find the chimpanzees, you may see them feeding on fruit in the trees, grooming each other or crossing the forest floor. You are allowed one hour with them, during which you can take photographs without flash. Along the trail you also have a good chance of spotting red colobus, black-and-white colobus and red-tailed monkeys.

   In the afternoon, you take a guided walk in the nearby Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run reserve known for birds and monkeys. The raised boardwalk crosses papyrus and forest edges, where you may see great blue turaco, grey-cheeked mangabeys and several kinds of kingfishers. The fees support local schools and community projects, adding meaning to the visit.

3. 03
   Day 3 Kibale to Kampala / Entebbe

   After breakfast you check out and begin the return journey to Kampala or Entebbe. If time permits, your guide can stop at a viewpoint over one of the crater lakes or at a tea estate for photographs before you leave the Fort Portal area. These stops add a pleasant finish to the safari.

   The drive takes roughly five to six hours with a lunch stop at a roadside restaurant. You follow the same route through Mubende and Mpigi, and your guide can suggest craft stops if you wish to buy souvenirs. The traffic on approach to Kampala may be heavy, so keep this in mind if you have an evening flight.

   You arrive in the evening and are dropped at your hotel or the airport. Your driver-guide ensures that all luggage is accounted for and answers any last questions about onward travel. The safari ends here, and you leave with memories of face-to-face encounters with our closest living relatives. Thank you for travelling with us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure.