Kibale Forest Holidays

Chimpanzee trekking is the reason to visit Kibale but it's not the only thing to do in this beautiful park. Join guided nature walks through the forest, Magome Swap, or Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary to find waterfalls, reptiles, and monkeys as butterflies flit around and birdsong fills the air. Walk at night to see bush babies or pottos by torchlight. Pick out hundreds of bird species from kingfishers and bee-eaters to warblers and eagles.

Wander trails around the crater lakes of Nkuruba, Nyamirima, and Nyabikere. Get to know the locals on a cultural tour to Batooro and Bakiga villages where you’ll be welcomed with introductions to traditional life and entertained with song and dance. If you’re staying in Fort Portal, botanical gardens, Tooro Palace, and Ugandan restaurants are on your doorstep. In the park? Enjoy time between activities in your lodge swimming pool, or simply sit back and enjoy the view.

If you’re a fan of chimpanzees and monkeys, Kibale Forest is the place for you. While many animals live among the trees of this rainforest park, chimps are certainly the most outgoing and easy to spot. Secure a permit and join an 8am or 2pm tour to search for some of the 1,200+ chimps spread across half a dozen communities in the Kanyanchu region.

As you trek through the canopy, keep your eyes peeled for other primates including the rare L'Hoest's monkey and Ugandan red colobus among mangabeys, baboons, and pottos. For a longer and more exclusive experience, chimpanzee habituation programs are occasionally available. All tours are restricted to ages 15+ and permits must be obtained in advance. Speak to our Travel Specialists to find out how.

Kibale Forest is a five-hour drive from the lakeside cities of Kampala and Entebbe so staying over is essential. Fortunately, there is a healthy selection of lodges to suit every visitor both inside the park and in the welcoming nearby town of Fort Portal. Select lakeside living at Papaya Lake Lodge, a chalet with a view at Crater Safari Lodge, cottages in the canopy at Kyaninga Lodge, or wander among 1,000 acres of farm plantations on the Ndali Estate.

Deeper into the forest, stay beside the chimpanzee trek start point at Primate Lodge or embrace community-driven tourism at Mwamba Kelele. In Fort Portal, enjoy boutique hotel comfort at the Dutchess, a hilltop city stay at the Nyaika Hotel, or your choice from dozens of other accommodations.

Permits for chimpanzee trekking are available all year in Kibale Forest so you’ll be able to enjoy the park's main attraction no matter when you visit. Temperatures are also consistent in every season with daytime averages of 25°C and nights closer to 15°C. For the best conditions, the dry seasons from June to August and December to February when trails are easier to navigate and the sun is high in the sky.

Views can be hazy at this time but you’ll have no problem spotting the chimps and monkeys you’ve come to see. Hiking can be tougher during the wet seasons of March to May and August to November with rain often occurring during chimpanzee encounters, but birding is at its peak and, when the clouds lift, the views across the forest are spectacular.