How much does it cost to see chimps in Uganda?

How much does it cost to see chimps in Uganda? The cost to see chimpanzees in Uganda starts with purchasing a chimpanzee permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. You can do chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation safari in Uganda from various destinations in the country. The prime chimpanzee safari destination in Uganda is Kibale National Park. At the moment, Uganda has a chimpanzee population of approximately 5000 chimpanzees.

Most Popular Safaris

5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife

11 Days Gorilla Tracking Safari

19 Day Best of Uganda Safari

6 Days Nyungwe & Lake Kivu

18 Day Ultimate Uganda Safari

5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps

5 Days Gorillas & Nile River Source

14 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

4 Days Gorillas & Golden Monkeys

5 Day Rwanda Gorillas & Culture

The price of chimpanzee permits for Uganda varies with the destination and activity you engage in. Some chimpanzee permit costs include park fees, while others exclude it, so you must note this before booking the activity.

During chimpanzee trekking, tourists follow a fully habituated chimpanzee troop and have one hour with them. They are habituated to be in human presence for this time to minimize the effects of human presence on the chimpanzees and other forest dwellers.

The Chimpanzee habituation experience involves tourists accompanying a team of researchers in the wilderness to follow a semi-habituated chimpanzee community and take four hours with them. In Uganda, chimpanzee habituation experience is in Kibale National Park and Budongo Forest.

The cost of accommodation you book for the chimpanzee safari in Uganda plays a big part in the final safari package you choose, whether it is a Luxury, mid-range, or budget safari package.

Transport means to the chimpanzee safari destinations must include the final safari cost, including vehicle hire, fuel, drive guide fee, and other costs. You must purchase a seat if you are booked on the daily domestic flights. 

Let us first identify where to see chimpanzees in Uganda.

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park lies in western Uganda, covering about 795 square kilometers of forested land. A population of over 2500 chimpanzees is living in this tropical rainforest. Each day, two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen in Kibale National Park in the morning and afternoon. More than 15 chimpanzee communities are habituated and are residents of Kibale National Park. This park also has one of Africa's most habituated chimpanzee communities.

While in Kibale National Park, you can engage in either chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation experience.

What is the cost of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park?

The current cost of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park is $300 for foreign non residents, $250 for foreign residents, and 180000shs for East Africans.

The chimpanzees' trekking permit for Kibale National Park includes:

• Park fees.
• Ranger guide fees.
• Security.
• Chimpanzee conservation support.
• Local community support and.
• One hour with the chimpanzees.

Exclusions in the cost of chimpanzee trekking are accommodation expenses, transport, snacks, and any other personal expenses.

What is the cost of chimpanzee habituation experience permits for Kibale National Park?

Currently, the cost of chimpanzee habituation experience permits for Kibale National Park is $300 for foreign nonresidents, $300 for foreign residents, and 300,000shs for East Africans.

The chimpanzee habituation experience permit includes:

• A researcher fee.
• Security.
• Park entrance fee.
• Four hours with the chimpanzees.
• Local community support.
• Ranger guide fees.

Exclusions on the chimpanzee habituation experience permit cost are snacks, porter hire, and accommodation costs.

Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Places 100 meters deep on the rift valley floor in Queen Elizabeth National Park are forested by Kyambura Gorge. A community of chimpanzees lives in this forested part of this National Park with other primates like olive baboons, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and others.

Each day, two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen in Kyambura Gorge, which are early morning and afternoon sessions. Sessions start with a briefing at the fig tree camp at 0800 and 1400 hours. 

What is the cost of chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura Gorge?

Currently, chimpanzee permits for Kyambura Gorge are $50 for foreign nonresidents, $40 for foreign residents, and 30000shs for East Africans.

The cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit includes ranger guide fees, security, chimpanzee conservation, local community support, one hour with the chimpanzees, a nature walk, and others.

Exclusions in the cost of chimpanzee trekking permits include porter hire, tips, transport, and any other items of personal expenditure.

Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National Park

Located 8 kilometers from Kicumbanyombo gate of Murchison Falls National Park is Kaniyo Pabidi forest, home to a chimpanzee community. These chimpanzees live amongst some of the few leftover fully grown mahogany trees in Uganda and co-exist with other primates like black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and others.

You can attend the morning or afternoon chimpanzee safari session in Kaniyo Pabidi.

Other Uganda chimpanzee safari destinations include

Kalinzu forest on the outskirts of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki National Park, Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary, Uganda Wildlife Education Center.

What is the cost of chimpanzee safaris in Uganda?

After purchasing the chimpanzee safari permit in Uganda, other tour expenses you encounter include:

Cost of accommodation for the Uganda chimpanzee safari

Every chimpanzee safari destination in Uganda has accommodations ranging from upmarket or mid-range or Budget facilities. If you are booked for the early morning chimpanzee safari, you have to spend the night within or closer to the chimpanzee destination in Uganda. This is because you must attend a brief at the ranger station. Failure to participate in the briefing may disqualify you from attending this adventure, even if you possess a ticket.

• Kibale accommodations: Ndali Lodge, Primates Lodge, Chimpanzees Guest house, Kyaninga Lodge, Chimps nest, C.V.k
• Kyambura Gorge accommodations: Mweya Safari Lodge, Jacana Lodge, Bush Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Ishasha Wilderness Camp
• Kaniyo Pabidi Accommodations: Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge, Sambiya Lodge, Red Chillis Camp, 

Transport cost to the Uganda chimpanzee destinations

Getting to Uganda's different chimpanzee safari destinations may be by road or air. Hiring a 4x4 wheel drive vehicle in good condition is an advantage. Most areas where chimpanzees live in the wild have marrum roads and tracks that may be hard to navigate, especially destinations with game parks like Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

When calculating the transport cost to the chimpanzee safari destinations in Uganda, you need to include vehicle hire, fuel, driver guide fees, mechanical damages, and others. A full gas tank is advised before proceeding into the countryside because finding where to refill from may be challenging.

Additional Uganda safari activities to combine with chimpanzee safaris

If you have other Uganda safari activities to engage in during the chimpanzee safaris in Uganda, you have to know their costs. Uganda is gifted by nature, and some activities you can combine with chimpanzee safaris include game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park. Taking relaxing launch trips on the Kazinga channel and River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park is stunning. 

Visiting the source of the River Nile, whitewater rafting, visiting religious grounds like the Uganda Martyrs' shrine in Namugongo, and others enrich your Uganda safari experience.

Some of these activities require one to pay park entrance fees, which last 24 hours from entering the park.

Cost of chimpanzees safari gears to pack

Doing chimpanzee safaris in Uganda involves walking in the jungle, so you need the right gear. When making the shopping list for what to pack for a chimpanzee safari in Uganda, you need to include a safari hat, long-sleeved safari shirt and trousers, a camera, rainproof gear, garden gloves, insect repellant, a safari hat, energy bites, and others.

There is no need to overpack, but carry what is necessary for your stay on safari. Having so many bags may make it hard to monitor them all.

Other factors considered when costing chimpanzee safaris in Uganda include

Number of days on chimpanzee safari

Two days of chimpanzee safari is the least time you can take in Uganda.

The first day is departure day to the chimpanzee destination

The second day is chimpanzee trekking or habituation day, and we depart for a night flight.

The more days on a chimpanzee safari in Uganda, the higher the safari package cost. 

 Number of people on chimpanzee safari

When you have company on your chimpanzee safari in Uganda, you share costs like fuel, vehicle hire, driver guide, accommodation if having twin or double rooms, and other expenses. The cost of the chimpanzee permit cannot be shared because it is charged per individual. The age limit for chimpanzee safaris in Uganda is 15 years and over. Children below this age may not withstand the conditions in the wilderness.

 The more people booked to see the chimpanzees in Uganda, the less the per-person cost.

Time of booking the chimpanzee safari in Uganda

When you book the chimpanzee safaris during the peak season in Uganda, June, July, August, September, December, and January, demand is high, and so are the logistics prices that support these safaris.

With the high demand, scarcity of service providers arises, and so are the chimpanzee permits. Finding last-minute chimpanzee safari permits in Uganda during the peak season is challenging.

The low season, normally March, April, May, and November, may attract fewer bookings, so chances of last-minute chimpanzee permits are open. One with a limited budget can have this opportunity to do chimpanzee safaris in Uganda. Some service providers may discount their costs to break even during the chimpanzee safari in Uganda. If you need an upgrade but have a limited budget, consider using the low-season discount opportunity.

When is the best time to see chimpanzees in Uganda?

Chimpanzee safaris in Uganda are open all year, but the dry season is most preferred. The dry season is usually June to September and December to January. The precipitation in the forests is usually lower, and more sunlight is allowed through the dense canopy to dry up the water on the ground. The chimpanzees and other forest dwellers are full of life and more accessible to spot.

The wet season pushes the chimpanzees up trees, making it challenging to see them. You sometimes need a pair of binoculars to get a closer look at these primates.

What are the Guidelines for chimpanzee safaris in Uganda?

• When taking photographs during the chimpanzee safari in Uganda, please do not use flash photography because you may scare the chimpanzees that are scared of unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.
• No feeding the chimpanzees because they are wild animals that must look for their meals.
• Spitting on vegetation is prohibited because it is food for primates in the forest.
• Provoking the chimpanzees, even mimicking them, is forbidden because you may not know what you are communicating.
• Dumping wraps or any other waste damages the natural setting of the forest, so no dumping. Uganda is also pro-ecotourism and very strict with throwing garbage anywhere, so keep the environment as clean as you find it.
• If you wish to ease yourself, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole about 30 meters deep and cover everything beyond recognition.
• Do not smoke or eat while in front of the chimpanzees. They may be tempted to grab it, yet wild animals must search for their own meal.
• Only one hour is allowed to be with the chimpanzees so they can be left free to eat. The presence of humans interferes with the day-to-day life of the chimpanzees, such as grooming, feeding, and others.
• Try not to surround the chimpanzees because this makes them feel ambushed.
• If you wish to sneeze or cough, do it away from the chimpanzees to avoid spreading any infections to them. Volunteer to stay behind if you catch any infectious illness like flu or Covid-19 just before chimpanzee trekking.
• If you want to eat, do it about 300 meters from the mountain gorillas so that these primates are not enticed to grab it from you. Chimpanzees are wild animals that must search for their food and not depend on human support.

Spending time with chimpanzees is truly amazing. Contact us to plan your safari to Uganda today.