Only $400 is a foreign nonresident’s new price for chimpanzee habituation in Kibale National Park. This has increased from $300 per person. Meanwhile a foreign resident will pay $300, a slight increase from $250. Visitors from the Rest of Africa and the East African Community will pay $250 and UGX250,000 per person respectively. Note that, the price also includes entrance. However, these rates are effective from January 1, 2027.
How to get a Chimpanzee Habituation Permit?
It is the Uganda Wildlife Authority with the sole mandate to issue and sell chimpanzee permits. But, all foreign nonresidents should acquire a permit through a licensed tour operator like us. First confirm our legitimacy to operate within the country with the Uganda Tourism Board. Then, communicate to us your intention for the experience by email, social media text/audio/video or phone call on our website. After some minutes, we shall give you feedback about the availability of a permit for your preferred date.
Once you send the full or partial payment to purchase the permit we shall do this on your behalf. Thereafter, we shall send you a copy of your permit. On the day of your chimpanzee habituation experience, this document is essential, so come with it. However, only people from 12 years and above can get a permit for this activity. Therefore, you need to disclose your valid national identity card for confirmation. The new price for chimpanzee habituation in Kibale National Park gets you this permit promptly.
How Chimpanzee Habituation is Done?
This is one of those activities in Kibale National Park that starts quite early, 6:30 a.m. to be specific. You meet the park rangers, who offer tips aimed at promoting successful chimpanzee habituation experiences. Then, with a chimpanzee tracker, rangers, researchers and habituators enter the forest to look for a semi-habituated chimpanzee troop. In minutes or hours, you will find them, probably looking for food. In their presence, watch them for 4 hours before you leave to return to the start.
The researchers could share some interesting aspects of their survey on the chimpanzees, therefore you have plenty to learn. This experience also offers an encounter with chimpanzees not so accustomed to human presence. Therefore, the behavior they present are raw and wild. Meanwhile, this experience also offers views of many other wildlife that live inside Kibale Forest. These include 12 other primate species including L’hoest’s monkeys, baboons, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and red colobus monkeys etc.
When to come for Chimpanzee Habituation?
Chimpanzee habituation never stops regardless of which day of the year. Book this activity on any day of the year, even on public holidays. But, experiences in the forest can differ significantly depending on the season of the year. Only 2 seasons are experienced in Uganda, dry and wet, with 2 distinct peaks each. Dry seasons are loved for their comfortable atmospheric conditions. They cause the cool forest air to hold less moisture thus low humidity.
Rainfall is drastically reduced in the dry season to create perfect conditions to walk on solid ground. You cannot slide because the gorilla trails are not muddy. Also, vegetation in and around the forest are not as dense as in the wet season. This makes it much easier to see mountain gorillas when you locate them. They cannot hide behind the large foliage mostly available during the wet season. Interestingly, dry seasons tend to happen in June to August and December to February.
How to Travel?
Under normal circumstances, travel to Kibale National Park is by either road, or air. A scenic experience is best got on the road, from Kampala to the forest. A drive through Mityana, Mubende and Fort Portal covers a total distance of 276 kilometers. This route is known to take between 5 to 6 hours. While some consider this a nice scenic experience, others consider it exhausting. Therefore, air transport is suitable for such travelers, especially on a tight schedule.
Fly from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip, situated 50.6 kilometers from Kibale National Park. For most of the year, flights take 2.5 hours, while sometimes it is an hour and 10 minutes. Our representative waits for your aircraft to land at the airstrip. Then, he or she drives you to Kibale National Park. A drive to the forest is between an hour to 2 hours. Take notice that air transport is not only faster than road but also a luxury experience.
What to Carry for Chimpanzee Habituation Experience?
Your confidence in Kibale National Park is enhanced if you have the right items. Therefore, as you plan a chimpanzee habituation experience, ensure to include a range of items to carry with you. They include long-sleeved shirt, pair of trousers, warm sweater and light rain jacket. Your feet should wear socks, strong and waterproof hiking shoes/boots and gaiters. Also, have a daypack, hiking gloves, wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, insect repellent, water bottle, snacks and sun cream etc.
