09/10/2026
Kibale or Kyambura Gorge: which chimpanzee trek in Uganda should you choose?
We just returned from a primate safari in Uganda, and trekked chimpanzees in both regions. Here are some of the differences between our treks!
Kibale Forest National Park is home to around 1,500 chimpanzees, with two communities habituated for tourism. Sightings are reliable, but can be busy. 90 permits daily means youâll often share the sightings with other groups. We followed part of the Kanyantale community who happened to be on their way beyond park boundaries, and we found them amongst old park cabins and a dirt road, on the edge of family farms and plantations.
Kyambura Gorge is a forested rift on the north-eastern edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It shelters a small chimp community, isolated from other populations after connecting forests were cut down for settlements. You descend steep slopes thick with leaf litter to the Kyambura River at the bottom of the gorge. Trackers keep tabs on the chimps movements, which meant that fifteen minutes into our walk, we found the chimps. After grooming and resting, they walked straight past us and crossed the old iron bridge. We had ample time to observe their social behaviours and group dynamics.
At Kibale, with the large chimp population, the chances you will see chimpanzees are high. The tropical rainforest is beautiful and you can request groups that are found closer to HQ or on an easier path in case you donât want a far or difficult hike.
At Kyambura, the treks can be steeper and longer. In return you get fewer people, a hidden forest, and an encounter that feels more intimate.
Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust protects the Gorge and strives to reconnect the âLost Chimpsâ with other populations through a forrest corridor, habitat and livelihood projects.
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