Get inspired by our selection of the best Budget Chimp Trekking Tours to Kibale that will take you to best chimpanzee trekking destination in the world. Kibale Forest National Park is well-known for its diversity of primates.
Over a dozen species of primates reside inside this lush 776km2 rainforest. Most visible are the red-tailed monkey, red colobus, Vervet monkey, Olive baboon, black-and-white colobus and the endemic Uganda mangabey.
Kibale Forest is also one of Uganda’s top birding spots, with a checklist of around 375 bird species that includes the glamorous likes of great blue turaco, double-toothed barbet, African Pitta, African grey parrot, and the Great Breasted Pitta.
But for most visitors, Kibale Forest National Park’s major attraction is a community of wild chimpanzees that was habituated in the 1990s and is now incredibly relaxed around people. Visiting our closest genetic ancestors in Kibale National Park is a truly exhilarating bucket-list safari experience. For budget travelers on wildlife safaris in Uganda, it is also a relatively affordable goal compared to gorilla trekking tours.
Here Are the Cheap chimp trekking tours to Kibale National Park:
Join us on this affordable 5-Day Chimps and Big Game Safari Uganda and get the chance to spot a variety of wildlife and enjoy chimpanzee trekking. You will visit two national parks in Uganda. Your tour will start with a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda’s premier wildlife destination. Game drives through this park are an epic affair. After game drives, you’ll enjoy a boating safari on the Kazinga Channel. The next destination on the itinerary is the Kibale Forest National Park. Known for its great density and diversity of primates, this national park is an ideal location…
This affordable 3-Day Kibale Chimp Trekking Tour takes you on a rewarding journey to Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda to see wild chimpanzees…
This brief 5 Days Uganda Birding Tour targets the green-breasted pittas and shoebills. On this tour we will take you to Mabamba Swamp and Kibale Forest to find these two of Uganda’s mega-tick birds. It is an affordable Uganda birding tour and can be modified to suit your interests and desires. While our focus will be on these two iconic birds of Uganda, you will also rack up many other wonderfully good-looking birds, such as blue swallow, great blue turaco, Grey-crowned crane, black bee-eater, papyrus Gonolek, white-naped pigeon, afep pigeon, red-chested owlet, white-headed wood hoopoe, blue-throated roller, purple-headed starling, green-headed…
This 6 Day Uganda Safari offers gorilla trekking, chimp tracking, wildlife viewing, cultural encounters, and beautiful scenery viewing– all at a great price.
Get to know Uganda on this 5 Days Uganda Gorillas, Chimps, Wildlife, & Cultural Tour in the country dubbed “The Pearl of Africa”, in East Africa. Uganda’s gorgeous scenery, warm friendly people, and unique wildlife encounters make it a bucket-list destination. Your adventure will begin with a drive from Kampala/Entebbe to Kibale National Park, a quintessential tropical rainforest, surrounded by scenic crater lakes, rural villages, and resounding with birdsong, and the distinctive calls of primates. Your days here will be spent tracking chimps on foot; watching these playful creatures in their natural habitat. You’ll also take a nature in the…
This 7-Day Uganda Wildlife Safari provides a superb introduction to the country’s top wildlife attractions, chimpanzees, gorillas, the big Five, Antelopes…
Your remarkable 10 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari offers Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, combined with amazing game viewing in Murchison Falls & Queen Elizabeth National Parks, community tours, Lake Bunyonyi boat cruise & relaxation and beautiful scenery viewing. Your 10 days Uganda Wildlife safari will begin with wild rhino tracking on foot Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You then visit Murchison Falls National Park, the largest, oldest and best Game Park in Uganda, home to the world’s most powerful waterfalls, and four of the Big 5 animals (Lion, Leopard, Elephants, and Buffalo). You continue to Kibale Forest,…
Seven Questions About Budget Chimp Trekking Tours to Kibale
1. Can I Go Chimp Trekking In Kibale National Park On A Budget Trip?
Yes, you can go Kibale Forest chimpanzee trekking on budget. And for those on a tight budget, chimpanzee trekking is quite a bit cheaper than mountain gorilla trekking.
Therefore, it is very easy to incorporate into a low-cost safari without pushing the price up too much.
What’s more, a wide variety of budget safaris including Kibale are available, from 2-day stand-alone dashes from the capital city of Kampala to relaxed countrywide itineraries with duration of 2 weeks or longer.
2. Is Kibale the best place in Uganda to track chimps affordably?
Kibale National Park is statistically the best place in Uganda to track chimpanzees.
The habituated community here is very used to people, so your chances of find them is greater than 95% and the quality of sightings is usually excellent.
However, Kibale Forest National Park is not the most affordable place to track wild chimpanzees in Uganda.
That distinction belongs to Kalinzu Forest Reserve near Queen Elizabeth National Park, which charges US$50 per person for a chimpanzee trekking permit as compared to US$200 in Kibale.
While Kalinzu Forest is not as reliable for sightings as Kibale Forest, it has a very decent success rate of around 90%. If you are on a really tight budget, it is certainly worth thinking about as a cheaper alternative.
3. What Other Activities Can I Do On A Budget Safari In Kibale?
Although chimpanzee trekking adventure is by far the most popular activity in Kibale, there are many other possibilities for exploring this biodiverse park.
If you only have time to do one other activity, a recommended option is the nature walk in the community run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is located immediately outside the park boundary.
The guided walk through Bigodi is affordably priced and the sharp-eyed local guides will point out dozens of bird species along with several species of monkey.
Guided forest walks in Kibale are also available, but they are more expensive than Bigodi and tend to be less rewarding unless you’re serious about locating secretive forest interior birds.
Other recommended options include guided night walks into the park to look for nocturnal creatures such as the sloth-like potto, the wide eyed bush babies, and exploring some of the region’s many beautiful crater lakes.
4. How Many Days Are Recommended For A Budget Chimp Trekking Trip To Kibale?
It is possible to track chimpanzees on a stand-alone 2-day Kibale Forest National Park budget safari tour out of the capital Kampala or nearby Entebbe city the home of Entebbe International Airport. This is quite a rushed option, as the driving time is around 5 to 6 hours in either direction.
But it still leaves time to do the Bigodi Swamp Walk on the afternoon you arrive and a chimp trek the next morning. An advantage of a 2-day safari is that you only pay for 1 night’s accommodation, which helps keep costs down.
Budget and time permitting, however, we would recommend at least 3 days for a stand-alone visit to Kibale, and 4 days or longer if you also want to visit other nearby Uganda national parks, like Semuliki, Queen Elizabeth, or Rwenzori Mountains National Park.
5. Can I combine chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest with gorilla trekking in Uganda?
Yes, Tulambule Uganda safaris offer trips that combine chimpanzee trekking in Kibale with gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The two parks are about 240 kilometres apart, a distance that can be covered in 6 or 7 hours. If you don’t mind things being a little rushed you can squeeze both trekking activities into a 4-day safari.
If possible, however, we would recommend 5 to 6 days for a combined gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris.
This will make for a far more relaxed holiday. And it allows you time en route to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and look for lion, leopards, hyenas, elephant, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of antelopes.
6. What type of accommodation can I expect on cheap Kibale Forest Chimp Trekking packages?
Most budget tours accommodate clients in simple but clean tented camps or lodges, but a few prefer to use campsites, which tend to keep the price a bit lower.
It is worth checking accommodation arrangements before booking any safari to make sure you’re comfortable with what is on offer.
Most tented camps and safari lodges provide full-board packages that include meals. On a camping safari, you will most likely travel with a professional cook who prepares all meals.
7. How much does a Kibale budget safari cost?
The cheapest stand-alone 2-day chimp trekking packages to Kibale cost around US$700 to US$850 per person.
This includes transport, 1 night’s accommodation and meals, as well as park and activity fees (including a US$200 chimp trekking permit).
Longer budget tours that incorporate other parks will typically work out at around US$250 to US$300 per day if no gorilla trekking is involved. But they will be much more expensive if the package includes a gorilla trekking permit fee.