Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale: Permit Prices, 2027 Changes and How to Book

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park is the most popular primate experience in Uganda after the gorillas, and the price is about to change. A standard Kibale chimpanzee tracking permit costs 250 US dollars for foreign non-residents today, drops to 200 dollars in the low-season months, and is due to rise to 300 dollars from 1 January 2027. This guide sets out the permit prices, what they include, the rules on the day, and how to book and reach the trailhead, using the Uganda Wildlife Authority's (UWA) published tariff and its 2026 notice on tariff changes, as of October 2026.

Why Kibale for chimpanzees

Kibale lies in Kabarole district in western Uganda, south of the town of Fort Portal. According to UWA, the forest holds more than 1,500 chimpanzees in at least 12 communities, four of which are habituated to people for tourism and research. It is also home to 13 primate species in all, including red colobus, black-and-white colobus, L'Hoest's monkey and grey-cheeked mangabey, and about 370 bird species.

Tracking leaves from the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre. The chimpanzee community visited by tourists from Kanyanchu has been tracked daily since 1993, according to Bradt Travel Guides, which helps explain why UWA reports a sighting success rate of more than 90 percent.

Kibale chimpanzee permit prices (as of October 2026)

Under UWA's current conservation tariff, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale costs:

Foreign non-residents: 250 US dollars per person.

Foreign residents of Uganda: 200 US dollars.

East African Community citizens: 180,000 Uganda shillings.

The tariff states that the permit includes the guide fee, park entry and a nature walk on the day of tracking, so you do not pay Kibale's separate entrance fee that day. If you stay longer, entry is 40 dollars for foreign non-residents, 30 dollars for foreign residents and 20,000 shillings for East African citizens per day, and an entrance ticket is valid for 24 hours.

Low-season rates: April, May and November

In a notice dated 26 February 2026, UWA introduced discounted low-season permits for April, May and November. In those months Kibale chimpanzee tracking costs 200 US dollars for foreign non-residents and 150 dollars for foreign residents.

The catch is flexibility. UWA says low-season permits cannot be rescheduled, so only buy one if your dates are fixed. These months fall in Uganda's rainy seasons, so expect slippery trails; our guide to the best time to visit Uganda explains the seasons month by month.

What changes from 1 January 2027

UWA's revised tariff raises Kibale chimpanzee tracking to 300 US dollars for foreign non-residents from 1 January 2027. Tour operators summarising the notice also report the full-day chimpanzee habituation experience rising from 300 to 400 dollars for foreign non-residents, and that prices are set by the date you buy the permit rather than the date you track. If that holds for your booking, buying a 2027 permit before the end of December 2026 could save money, but confirm the rule with your operator or UWA reservations before you rely on it.

Rates for foreign residents and East African citizens in 2027 were not clear from the sources we could verify, so check them when you book.

The chimpanzee habituation experience

If one hour with the chimpanzees feels too short, Kibale also offers a chimpanzee habituation experience, in which visitors spend much longer following a group that is still being accustomed to people. Under the current tariff it costs 300 US dollars for foreign non-residents, 250 dollars for foreign residents and 250,000 shillings for East African citizens, including the guide fee and park entry. UWA's documents describe it as both a full-day activity and a four-hour one, so ask your operator how long your session will last.

The rules on tracking day

UWA's rules are there to protect the chimpanzees from disturbance and human disease.

Start times: groups leave Kanyanchu at 8am, 11am and 2pm, according to UWA's Kibale page. Arrive early for registration and the briefing.

Group size: a maximum of six visitors per group.

Time with the chimpanzees: one hour once they are found. The whole walk usually lasts two to five hours.

Distance: stay at least 10 metres from the chimpanzees.

Minimum age: UWA's tariff gives 12 years, while its Kibale park page says 16, so check the current rule with your operator if you are travelling with teenagers.

Changes: rescheduling a chimpanzee permit late costs a 25 percent fine, and moving to a different tracking location costs 50 percent, under the tariff.

How to book

UWA's tariff says chimpanzee permits can only be booked through licensed tour operators, and the Uganda Tourism Board publishes a list of them on its website. UWA accepts payment by mobile money, card machine, bank transfer and its online portal. Since 1 March 2026 UWA has also suspended the old seven-day window for holding permits without payment, so a permit is secured only once it is paid in full. For the reservations office, UWA lists [email protected] and +256 414 355000.

Because each group is limited to six visitors, fix your tracking date first, then build the rest of the trip around it.

Getting to Kibale

UWA puts Kibale about 326 kilometres from Kampala, roughly six hours on a tarmac road via the Kampala–Fort Portal highway. Bradt places Kanyanchu about 35 kilometres south of Fort Portal, which UWA describes as about an hour's drive from the park. A longer southern route runs via Mbarara and can be combined with Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

There are no direct flights to the park. UWA says scheduled or charter flights run from Entebbe or Kajjansi to Kasese airstrip in about an hour, followed by about two hours by road, and charters to Fort Portal take about 90 minutes.

Planning a visit

Most travellers spend at least two nights around Kibale, tracking chimpanzees one morning and adding the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which Bradt places about 5 kilometres from Kanyanchu, or the crater lakes near Fort Portal. Pack long trousers, sturdy waterproof boots and a rain jacket whatever the season, and bring binoculars for the monkeys and birds. If you are combining chimpanzees with gorillas, read our Uganda gorilla permits guide, since both permits are affected by the same 2026 and 2027 tariff changes.

Photo: Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).