3 Days Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking & Bigodi Community Experience
3-Day Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking & Bigodi Community Experience
Track wild chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, then walk the Bigodi Wetland and meet the women's group behind this community conservation story. Your permit is included.
Tour Overview
Kibale Forest is Uganda's primate capital, with over 1,500 wild chimpanzees and 12 other primate species in lowland rainforest near Fort Portal. You'll track chimps with a UWA ranger, then walk the Bigodi Wetland boardwalk with community guides. You'll also meet the women whose craft-making has turned conservation into a living for the village.
Trip Highlights
Chimpanzee Tracking
One hour with a habituated chimp community, with your permit included.
Bigodi Wetland Walk
A papyrus swamp full of birds, with red colobus and black-and-white colobus overhead.
Women's Group Visit
A hands-on craft-making or cooking demonstration with the Bigodi Women's Group.
Fort Portal Tea Country
A scenic drive through tea estates with views of the Rwenzori Mountains.
Secure Your Chimp Permit
Sessions are limited to 8 visitors, and peak-season slots fill months ahead. Tell us your dates and we'll check availability and send you a quote.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Kampala → Kibale National Park
Leave Kampala in the morning with your private driver-guide and head west across the central plateau. Stop for lunch in Fort Portal, where the Rwenzori Mountains rise above the tea estates, then drive on through the tea plantations to your lodge near Kibale, arriving in the early afternoon. Red-tailed monkeys and black-and-white colobus often show up around the lodge boundary. After dinner, your guide briefs you on tomorrow's tracking: what to expect, forest etiquette and how to make the most of your hour with the chimps.
- Private drive west to Fort Portal
- Lunch with Rwenzori views
- Chimp tracking briefing over dinner
Chimpanzee Tracking & Bigodi Wetland
After an early breakfast, go to the Kibale park headquarters for the UWA ranger briefing, then walk into the forest toward a community the trackers have already found. When the first pant-hoot echoes through the trees, the forest comes alive. You get an hour with the chimps as they race through the canopy, groom each other and drum on the buttress roots.
After lunch and a midday rest at the lodge, head to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. A community guide leads you through the papyrus swamp and riverside forest, pointing out birds and spotting red colobus and black-and-white colobus overhead. The visit ends at the Bigodi Women's Group, where you try a craft-making or cooking demonstration.
- Ranger briefing and chimpanzee tracking
- Bigodi Wetland walk with a community guide
- Craft or cooking demo with the Women's Group
Optional Crater Lake Walk & Return to Kampala
After breakfast, take an optional walk to a crater lake near the lodge, a quiet, emerald-green lake ringed with birds, or visit a local tea estate. Then check out and drive back to Kampala through Fort Portal, with lunch on the way. We drop you at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport in the early evening.
- Optional crater lake walk (extra cost) or tea estate visit
- Lunch stop on the road back
- Drop-off at your hotel or Entebbe airport
What's Included
Included
- Private transport with professional driver-guide
- 2 nights forest lodge (full board)
- Chimpanzee tracking permit and UWA ranger
- Bigodi Wetland community walk
- All park, sanctuary and activity fees
- Bottled drinking water throughout
Excluded
- International flights and visas
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for guides and lodge staff
- Alcohol and premium drinks
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Optional crater lake walk fee
- Laundry
Price Per Person
| Group Size | Price per Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $980 | Solo traveller rate |
| 2 people | $710 | Per person |
| 3 people | $640 | Per person |
| 4 people | $595 | Per person |
| 5 people | $570 | Per person |
| 6 people | $550 | Best group value |
Before You Book
Good to Know
- Permits: Limited to 8 visitors per session. Peak-season slots (June–September and December–February) fill months ahead. We secure your permit when you confirm your booking.
- Fitness: Moderate. Forest paths are uneven and can be muddy, so wear sturdy closed-toe hiking shoes.
- When to go: The tour runs all year. June to February usually has drier trails and the best forest conditions.
- The drive: About 5–6 hours each way from Kampala, with a lunch stop in Fort Portal.