Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda is the country's main destination for chimpanzee tracking. The forest holds a large chimpanzee population, and several communities are habituated to people, so encounters on a guided walk are more reliable here than almost anywhere else in East Africa.
Chimps are very different from gorillas. They are loud, fast and spend a lot of time in the canopy, and a tracking walk often involves following calls, waiting, then moving quickly when the group comes down to the ground. Kibale also has around a dozen other primate species, including red colobus and L'Hoest's monkeys.
Kibale sits on the same western circuit as Queen Elizabeth National Park and near Fort Portal, so it is easy to combine with a savannah safari and a gorilla trek.
Kibale is mid-altitude tropical forest with tall trees, thick undergrowth and wetter, swampy patches. The terrain is gentler than Bwindi's. Around the park are tea estates and the volcanic crater lakes near Fort Portal.
Chimpanzee tracking is the main activity, and once the group is found you usually spend an hour with them. On the way you are likely to see other monkeys moving through the trees. Birders come for forest species such as the green-breasted pitta, though it is elusive.
Chimpanzee tracking - a guided morning or afternoon walk, permit required
Chimpanzee habituation experience - a longer day with researchers and rangers, on a separate permit
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk next to the park
Forest birdwatching
Crater lakes and tea country around Fort Portal
Tracking starts with a briefing at Kanyanchu, then a walk into the forest with a ranger. You hear the chimps before you see them. Walks are usually a few hours in total, on mostly flat but sometimes muddy paths. Long trousers, sturdy shoes and a light rain jacket are sensible.
Tracking runs all year. The drier months, roughly June to August and December to February, make trails easier. Chimp sightings are not strongly seasonal.
Read our full guide: Gorilla Trekking in Uganda: How It Works and How to Prepare »
Around 5-6 hours by road from Kampala or Entebbe. Scheduled flights to nearby airstrips are also possible. Kibale fits naturally between Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth on a longer route.
Mid-range and luxury lodges sit near the forest edge, with more options in Fort Portal town about half an hour away.
Chimpanzee permits are separate from gorilla permits and generally easier to obtain
Park entry fees apply in addition to the tracking permit
Malaria-risk area - take medical advice
Combines well with Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi
Official park info: Uganda Wildlife Authority
Generally yes. The terrain is gentler and the walk usually shorter, though the chimps' movements can still lead you some distance.
A longer day spent with researchers and rangers following a chimp community that is still getting used to people. It is more immersive, costs more and has fewer places.
Tell us your dates and we'll build an itinerary that includes it.
