Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee trekking safaris and has the highest number and diversity of primates in East Africa. There are 13 species of primates including chimpanzees living within its 795km2 land cover with the most beautiful and most diversified tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. The Forest covering predominates in the central and northern part of the park on the raised Fort Portal plateau. At the park’s northern tip, Kibale is highest and stands 1590m above sea level.
Beyond its renowned primates, Kibale National Park boasts an astonishing biodiversity. The park is home to over 120 other mammal species, including olive baboons, forest elephants, bush pigs, duikers, and rare antelope species. Bird enthusiasts will be equally delighted, as Kibale shelters approximately 370 bird species, with 23 Albertine Rift endemics such as:
Nahan’s francolin – a globally threatened ground-dwelling bird
Cassin’s spinetail – a fast-flying forest-dweller
Blue-headed bee-eater – a strikingly colorful species often spotted along forest edges
Lowland masked apalis – an elusive warbler found in dense vegetation
There is a number of other wildlife in Kibale National Park however they are hardly seen. These consist of buffaloes, leopards, bush pigs, elephants, and duikers. A keen viewer may also be able to spot some amphibians, reptiles and a variety of colorful butterflies.
Kibale supports one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzees in Uganda, estimated at over 1,500 individuals, distributed across at least 12 distinct communities. Four of these communities have been habituated for tourism and research, with the Kanyantale chimpanzee community being the most prominent for visitor tracking. This group has been open to tourists daily since 1993, making it one of the longest-running chimpanzee tracking programs in the world. For those seeking an even deeper experience, Kibale also offers the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, which allows visitors to spend an extended period following a semi-habituated chimpanzee group as they go about their day.
Guided chimpanzee tracking walks are conducted daily at 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 2:00 PM, starting from the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre. These treks typically last between two to five hours, depending on the chimpanzees’ movements and other factors such as weather and terrain. Upon finding the chimpanzees, visitors are allowed one hour in their presence to observe their social interactions, playfulness, and feeding habits, offering an unparalleled window into their fascinating lives.
To ensure a sustainable and intimate experience, each tracking group is limited to six participants, and all visitors must be at least 16 years old. Arriving early for registration and a pre-trek briefing is strongly advised, as rangers will provide essential guidelines on chimpanzee behavior and safety protocols. Advance booking is mandatory to secure a slot for this highly sought-after experience.
The Location of Kibale National Park is in the western part of Uganda about 348km (5 hrs drive) from Kampala and about 26km south-east of the beautiful Fort Portal town – one of Uganda’s most lovely places to explore. The park is located close to the serene Ndali Kasenda crater area and it takes a half day’s drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori Mountains & Semuliki National Parks and the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.
Southern Kibale borders Queen Elizabeth National Park and collectively these conserved areas protect a 180 km long migration corridor for wildlife that stretches from the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in “Ishasha”, to “Sebitoli” in northern Kibale.
Kibale’s varied vegetation offers different varieties of wildlife habitat, ranging from the moist evergreen forest (wet tropical forest) along the Fort Portal plateau, then through the dry tropical forest (moist semi deciduous), and then to the woodland and savanna along the rift valley floor. In the central part of the park, around Kanyanchu, the high forest consists of a mixture of evergreen trees and deciduous with the evergreen species being dominant. The vegetation rises to over 55m and establishes a semi-closed canopy of massive stratified tree crowns. With shade tolerant herbs, a variety of ferns, shrubs and broad-leaved forest grasses, the undergrowth is sparse. 351 tree species have been registered in the park.
When to visit
Although Kibale National Park is accessible throughout the year, the best time to Visit the park is during the dry season when the trails are dry and passable. This runs from December to February and then from June to September. The wettest area in Kibale is the northern area, receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 1700mm, mainly during March to May and September to November. The climate is usually pleasant with an average annual temperature range of 14C to 27C. The southern part of the park experiences the maximum temperatures and lower amounts of rains where the terrain drops onto the hot rift valley floor and forest provides way to open grassland.
