Hot 5 Spots for Chimpanzee Tours in Uganda

Are you looking for the best destinations to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda? Besides the most famous mountain gorillas, Uganda also offers refuge to remarkable chimpanzees. Uganda is regarded as a primate capital in Africa not because of its fascinating mountain gorillas but also the rare chimpanzees, golden monkeys and many more.

About 5000 chimpanzees are noted to be thriving in Uganda and 1500 of them live in Kibale Forest National Park while the rest are shared by other destinations. If you are looking for the best areas to go and see these dramatic creatures in East Africa, consider Uganda a must to include in your bucket list.

Below is a list of areas where you can go and track chimpanzees in Uganda

Kibale Forest National Park

Regarded as the best spot for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda, Kibale Forest National Park offers refuge to about 1500 individuals of chimps. The park is situated in western Uganda between Kabarole and Kamwenge district and it can be reached about 6 hours drive from Kampala city center.

The park is proud to be a home to 3 habituated chimpanzee troops 2 of which have been set for visitor experiences. Every visitor who wishes to track chimpanzees in this protected area pays $150. Kibale Forest National Park also offers refuge to 12 more primate species and over 375 bird species as well as buffaloes and elephants. This means that this protected area rewards visitors beyond chimpanzees.

Semuliki Valley National Park

Located in western Uganda, Semuliki National Park features among the few destinations in Uganda where chimpanzee trekking is conducted. It comes with several birdlife, tropical rain forest, Semuliki River and many more that add up the visitors’ experiences. The chimpanzees here were habituated by Indiana University. A primate adventure in this protected are rewards visitors with other spectacular views of birds, wildlife, primates that are found in the Congo and stunning sceneries. The park is closely situated to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

Budongo Forest

Situated in Northern Uganda, Budongo Forest is part of Murchison Falls National Park and also protects the large population of chimpanzees in the country. The Kaniyo Padidi has been habituated for visitors to catch a glimpse of these unique creatures. For visitor adventures, the permits are obtainable at $80. This spectacular forest is rated the second best site for chimpanzee tracking. For interested visitors, you can incorporate your safari in Murchison Falls National Park with chimpanzee treks in Budongo Forest to make your experience remarkable.

Kyambura Gorge

Located within Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Gorge features among the best areas for visitors to visit for this lifetime experience. This area features only one habituated community of chimpanzees of about 8 members but equally rewards visitors with astonishing encounters. Trekking these Great primates in this site can be breathtaking as most of them keep wandering around. Permits are obtainable at $50 and only 8 visitors are allowed to track chimpanzees every day.

Kalinzu Forest

Situated around Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kalinzu Forest is remarkably the 3^rd best spot in Uganda for chimpanzee tracking tours. To track chimpanzees at Kalinzu, visitors pay $30. This forest lies next to Queen Elizabeth National Park and if you have a plan to visit the park, you can combine chimpanzee adventures in Kalinzu Forest and wildlife safaris in Queen. The chimpanzees in this area have been habituated by Japanese Researchers.

Chimpanzee Tracking – Karinzu Forest

The other area is Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Compared to other areas, Ngamba Island only offers refuge to orphaned chimpanzees and there are about 40 rescued individuals that thrive within the sanctuary. The island is located around 23 kilometers southeast of Entebbe-Lake Victoria.

In conclusion, chimpanzee trekking is another remarkable primate adventures that you should consider while on safari in Uganda. With several spots that are available in the country, you have a wide range of options to choose the best destination for your lifetime experiences.