Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania

Chimpanzees versus gorillas

Both are great apes, and both are worth a trip. But they’re different experiences. Gorillas are calm, family-based and slow, and you usually find them resting or feeding on the ground. Chimpanzees are energetic, noisy and quick, often on the move in the trees. A chimp encounter tends to be more chaotic, with calls echoing through the forest and animals crossing above your head.

Chimp permits are also much cheaper. If a gorilla permit is out of your budget, a chimp trek is a strong alternative, and adding one to a gorilla itinerary is easy and affordable.

Where to go

Kibale National Park, Uganda

The best all-round choice. Kibale has one of the highest densities of primates in Africa, with roughly a dozen species and a large chimp population. Habituated communities make sightings reliable, and the setting is a lush tropical forest. Most visitors combine it with Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi. The chimpanzee habituation experience gives you a full day with a community that’s still being habituated.

Budongo Forest, Murchison Falls area, Uganda

Budongo, near Murchison Falls, offers chimp tracking in an ancient mahogany forest, and it works well as an add-on to a northern Uganda trip.

Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda

Nyungwe is a huge montane rainforest with chimps, a dozen other primates and a canopy walkway. Chimp tracking here can involve longer hikes, and sightings are less reliable than in Kibale, though the forest is beautiful.

Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains, Tanzania

Gombe is where Jane Goodall began her research in 1960, and Mahale is a remote forested range on Lake Tanganyika. Both are far from the main safari circuits and are reached by small plane and boat. They’re expensive and logistically involved, but they offer rare, untouristed encounters and lakeside settings.

What the trek is like

You attend a briefing at the park office, then walk into the forest with a ranger. Habituated communities are located each morning, and you join them when you find them. The rules are similar to gorilla trekking: keep your distance, keep your voice low and don’t eat or drink near the animals. You typically get an hour with the chimps. Because they move around a lot, expect to follow them as they forage and travel.

Trekking time varies from a few minutes to several hours. The terrain at Kibale is generally moderate, with forest trails and some hills.

Costs

As of September 2026, chimp tracking at Kibale costs roughly US$250 to US$300 for foreign non-residents in high season, and less in low season. Nyungwe, Budongo and other sites have their own prices. Permits at Gombe and Mahale are part of national park fees, and getting there costs extra. Check the current fees before you plan.

When to go

Chimps can be tracked year-round. The drier months, June to September and December to February, make trails easier. Fruit availability affects where chimps are, but the trackers know.

What to bring

Wear long trousers, waterproof boots, a light rain jacket and a hat. Insect repellent is important, and gloves help with thorny vines. See our safari packing list.

Combining with gorillas

Chimps at Kibale, big game at Queen Elizabeth and gorillas at Bwindi make a natural sequence. Our seven-day Uganda itinerary does it, and our gorilla trekking guide covers the other side.