Chimpanzee Trekking

Why trek with Chimpanzees?

The rainforests in Uganda and Rwanda are home to often large troops of chimpanzees and on your hike to find them you might encounter many of the other primate species that inhabit the forests too. It’s worth bearing in mind that chimpanzees like to be active and can often move quickly over rough and steep terrain, so a good level of physical fitness is required to keep up with them.

In Uganda, the lush, tropical rainforest in Kibale National Park is home to the highest concentration of primates in Africa, with 13 different species, including the captivating chimpanzees. Another natural habitat is the Kyambura Gorge, a forested area within the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Nyungwe Forest in neighbouring Rwanda, is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa and a haven for chimpanzees and other primates.

In western Tanzania, the Mahale Mountains are home to one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzees. Expert guides have been studying the chimps for years and bring to life the social intricacies of the chimpanzee community with unbridled passion. The mountains sweep down to the sandy shores of Lake Tanganyika, a perfect spot to relax after a strenuous trek.

For a more in-depth experience, we offer a chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park, Uganda, where you will participate in the habituation of a chimpanzee group, a process that trains the chimps to continue with their day to day lives in the presence of humans. Early in the morning, you will trek to locate the chimps and spend a large part of the day with them, along with researchers and guides. This is a long day and a strenuous activity, a good level of physical fitness is required.

Chimpanzee trekking can be done year-round. In Rwanda and Uganda we recommend the two dry seasons, June to September and mid-December to February for the most comfortable trekking conditions. In Tanzania, the chimps tend to frequent the lower reaches of the mountains and are therefore easier to trek to between July and November, with September and October generally considered the best months.