Uganda
Kibale Forest
The continent’s primate capital — 13 species of primate in one forest, and the world’s most reliable chimpanzee tracking, with habituation experiences available.
Primate
Chimpanzee Trekking: Forest Primate Adventures
Track our closest living relatives through equatorial forest in Kibale, Nyungwe and Kyambura — where their calls are heard long before they are seen.
Chimpanzee Trekking
The Experience
Chimpanzee tracking is loud, kinetic and fast — the opposite of a gorilla encounter. Habituated chimp communities of 80 to 150 individuals roam over wide ranges, and your guides use audible cues — pant-hoots, drumming, branch-cracking — to converge on the group.
Once with them, the forest theatre unfolds: juveniles wrestling overhead, adults grooming on the trail, hunting parties moving fast through the canopy. Standard treks give one hour with the chimps; habituation experiences in Kibale offer a full morning with researchers as they record behaviour.
What Sets It Apart
Designed for the Discerning
01
Habituation Experience
In Kibale, join the habituation team for four to six hours — far quieter, far closer access, and limited to four guests per day.
02
Forest Lodges
Stay at Kyaninga, Ndali or Kibale Lodge in Uganda; One&Only Nyungwe House in Rwanda — all built into the forest with vast verandas overlooking it.
03
Twin-Primate Combinations
We design itineraries that pair chimps with mountain gorillas or golden monkeys, bridged by short scenic flights to save on travel days.
Where to Experience It
Our Recommended Locations
Rwanda
Nyungwe Forest
A montane rainforest with a canopy walkway, 13 primate species, and exceptional birding. Chimp treks can be steep but rewarded with vast forest views.
Uganda
Kyambura Gorge
A dramatic forested canyon in Queen Elizabeth National Park — combine a half-day chimp trek with afternoon game drives in the same park.
From the Field
In Pictures
Ready to Plan?
Discover Chimpanzee Expeditions — privately, with us.
Our travel designers will hand-craft a journey around chimpanzee trekking — paired with the right lodges, the right guides and the right time of year. Start the conversation; we’ll take it from there.
