A Uganda safari in Kibale National Park

A Uganda safari in Kibale National Park : Kibale Forest National Park is a popular safari destination not only in Uganda but throughout Africa. The park is recognized for having the greatest chimpanzee population in Africa. The park is located in western Uganda and includes the districts of Kabarole, Kyenjonjo, Kamwenge, and Kyegegwa.

The park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to safeguard a significant area of forest that had previously been administered as a logged forest reserve. It has an area of around 766 square kilometers and creates a continuous forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Furthermore, the park has 351 recognized tree species, some of which stand over 55 meters tall and are more than 200 years old. It contains the last substantial area of pre-montane forests in Eastern Africa. Kibale is home to 70 animal species, including around 1,500 treasured chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys (endangered), and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey, as well as bird species, reptiles, butterflies, mammals, and other wildlife. The road travel from Kampala/Entebbe takes roughly 4-5 hours. Visiting Kibale Forest National Park provides the best opportunity to enjoy exhilarating experiences such as chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation, which are the most popular activities.

Activities to Do in Kibale National Park in 2025

Chimpanzee Tracking

The activity is a popular part of safaris in Kibale Forest National Park. Tourists can spend a half or full day observing these fascinating primates in their natural setting. Trekking through these woodlands will provide you with several possibilities to interact with nature and observe various types of flora and wildlife. The most popular activity in Kibale Forest National Park among tourists. The journey begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Kanyachu tourist center, with a brief briefing covering the rules and regulations of chimp trekking. Following that, you’ll be assigned an armed ranger guide who will lead you into the beautiful forest in search of these fascinating creatures while providing crucial information.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park normally lasts between 2-4 hours, depending on where the chimps are located. During the journey, you may also see other creatures that live in the jungle, such as vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, and blue monkeys, as well as red, black, and white colobus. You’ll also have the opportunity to see beautiful butterflies, birds, blossoming plants, and animal species.

Once you identify the chimps, you will have a one-hour contact with them, allowing you to watch how they live in their natural habitat, including feeding, playing, and grooming each other.
Kibale trekking permits in Kibale Forest National Park cost $250 for foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and shs180,000 for East African natives.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Chimpanzee Habituation is another must-do and enjoyable safari activity to undertake while in Uganda. Habituation is the process of gradually introducing chimps to humans so that they become accustomed to their presence. During this fascinating excursion in Kibale Forest National Park, you will spend 4 hours with chimps in their natural habitat. During your Chimpanzee Habituation, you will visit the chimp colony that is currently being habituated with researchers, guides, and rangers as they work to acclimate the chimps to humans. While with the chimps, you’ll be able to observe their daily activities, learn about the chimps’ social dynamics, feeding areas, and other behaviors, and snap photos to take home.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience is also available in Kibale Forest National Park for $300 for foreign non-residents and $250 for foreign residents, while citizens of East Africa pay UGX 250,000. The charges include a guide fee and park entrance fees for four hours.

Forest walk

Forest walks in Kibale National Park are another enjoyable thing to do while on safari in the area. Guided forest walks provide an opportunity to discover the forest’s hidden gems. Walking through these forests will allow you to connect with nature while also observing various types of flora and wildlife. The nature walks usually begin in either Kanyachu or Sebitoli. Guided forest hikes in Kibale forest begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 14:00 p.m. daily, lasting between 2 and 6 hours. The journey will take you into the forest park, where you will have fantastic sightseeing opportunities, including observing the chimps. During the forest walk, you will see the magnificent thick tropical forest, grasslands, and marshes. The exercise is unique and amazing but requires a lot of preparation before embarking on it.

Primate walks.

Exploring Kibale Forest National Park on primate walks is a highlight of every African safari in Uganda. The hikes begin with a briefing at the Kanyachu visitor center, with morning sessions at 8:00 AM and afternoon sessions at 2:00 PM. Each journey lasts about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the group’s pace, the terrain, and the season.

During these hikes, guests can see a variety of species. Primate species seen include chimps, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Demidoff Galago, grey checked mangabeys, Uganda mangabeys, patas monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, and pottos. During the walk, you may also observe other animals such as African buffalo, African elephants, bushbucks, duikers, lions, huge forest hogs, sitatungas, bush pigs, leopards, and mongooses.

Hiking Nyamirima Hill.

Take a scenic climb up Nyamirima Hill, where you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of the five lovely crater lakes that surround Kibale Forest National Park. This journey allows you to enjoy the stunning environment, take some unforgettable images, and engage with the locals, who are happy to share their daily experiences with you. For a little extra excitement, you can paddle around in some of the lakes and enjoy the tranquility of the water.

Birdwatching

Birdwatching is another enjoyable pastime in Kibale Forest National Park during your safari to Kibale. The park is home to 370 bird species, making it Uganda’s top birdwatching attraction. Most birdwatching tours in the park take place at the Bigodi wetland walk. Some of the bird species you may see while on your birdwatching tour here include Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Owlet, Scally-breasted, Pale-breasted, and Brown Illadopsis, Red-caped and Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Fire-crested and Brown-chested Alethe, Forest Robin, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared, and Yellow-crested Woodpeckers, Red-winged Francolin, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped and Afep Pigeon, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Rufous Flycatcher, to name a few.

Cultural encounters.

Kibale Forest National Park is surrounded by two indigenous tribal communities: the Batoro and Bakiga. During your cultural encounter, you will have the opportunity to visit local villages and participate in cultural experiences such as local dances, local ways of life, local juices, and foods, among others.

Contact our reputable tour operators for additional information and inquiries about the greatest Uganda safaris at Kibale Forest National Park in 2025, and book with our tours and travel companies, such as Salt Holidays, who provide the best tour packages during your safari in Uganda.