The most convenient, yet safe way to buy a Chimpanzee permit in Uganda is through a licenced local tour Operator like Realm Africa Safaris™. We are registered with the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB/RTT/TO/2022/100386) which gives us access to the reservation and booking system run by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) a government parastatal that oversees all the issuance of valid Chimpanzee Permits in Uganda.
UTB Licence – Realm Africa Safaris (1)
The price of attempting to do business with an un-registered company is high, Refrain from buying your chimpanzee permit from non-registered tour operators.
How to Buy a Chimpanzee Permit In Uganda
- Contact us via email: info@realmafricasafaris.com or our WhatsApp number +256704669088.
- Tell us where in Uganda you would Like to go Chimp tracking (Kibale, Budongo, Kyambura, Kalinzu or Bugoma Forest Reserve)
- Provide us with at least two (02) preferred trekking dates.
- Advise us on the number of persons travelling in your party and how many permits you would like booked. Remember all participants must be 15 years and above of age. Talk to us about the chance of a minor (under 15 years) getting a chance to track chimps – yes it’s possible!
- Kindly attach a copy of each participant’s passport. Remember, passports must be valid for at least 06 months of travel.
What is the cost/Price of a Chimpanzee permit in Uganda?
The Price of Chimpanzee trekking/tracking permits in Uganda varies depending on where you choose to go trekking or tracking.
Price Of chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale Forest National Park:
- Foreign non-residents pay $250 per person/permit.
- Foreign Residents pay $200 per person/permit.
- East African Citizens Uganda Shillings (UGX) 180,000 per person/permit.
Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Habituation Permit Fees for 2024 – 2026
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- Foreign non-residents pay $300 per person/permit.
- Foreign residents pay $250 per person/permit.
- EAC citizens pay UGX 250, 000 per person/permit.
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Price Of chimpanzee trekking permits in Budongo Forest inside Murchison Falls National Park:
- Foreign non-residents pay $130 per person/permit.
- Foreign Residents pay $120 per person/permit.
- East African Citizens pay approx. $85 per person/permit.
Budongo Forest Chimpanzee Habituation Permit Fees for 2024 – 2026
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- Foreign non-residents pay $230 per person/permit.
- Foreign residents pay $160 per person/permit.
- EAC citizens pay $90 per person/permit.
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Note: The permit prices for trekking Chimpanzees don’t include park Entry Fees which come as an added cost. Follow this link to learn about Park Entry fees for Murchison Falls National Park for 2024 – 2026.
Price Of chimpanzee trekking permits in Kyambura Gorge inside Kyambura Game Reserve:
- Foreign non-residents pay $50 per person/permit.
- Foreign Residents pay $40 per person/permit.
- East African Citizens pay Uganda Shillings (UGX) 30,000 per person/permit.
Note: The permit prices for trekking Chimpanzees don’t include park Entry Fees which come as an added cost. Follow this link to learn about Park Entry fees for Queen Elizabeth National Park for 2024 – 2026.
UWA Guidelines for the Purchasing Chimpanzee Permits in Uganda.
The Uganda Wildlife Authority introduced new guidelines for the acquisition/purchase of chimpanzee permits and these include the following:
- A Full 100% payment MUST be made within 6 months of booking the permit(s).
- An initial 50% deposit of the total cost is required when booking permit(s) 6 months or more in advance. The balance should be cleared 90 days before the trekking/tracking dates.
- You will only be allowed one free reschedule otherwise, a 25% surcharge will be added to the original cost of the permits if you make more than one.
- The reschedules have to be done within a year of the original booking date.
- No refunds are made for other paid safari activities upon rescheduling.
- Fees paid for a certain activity cannot be transferred to other activities.
- You cannot exchange a chimpanzee trekking permit with a chimpanzee habituation permit.
When is the best time to go chimpanzee tracking in Uganda?
The dry season months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February are the best times to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda because during this period there is less rainfall in the chimpanzee destinations therefore access roads and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which make trekking or tracking chimpanzees a lot more less challenging.
Learn More about The best time to go chimp trekking in Uganda.
What to expect while on the search for Chimpanzees In Uganda
Depending on what you choose to do, you should expect the following;
If you are booked on the Traditional 01-hour Chimpanzee trekking experience, your trek will either be scheduled for the morning or afternoon. Assuming you are booked for the morning session, your day starts with an early morning breakfast, after which your Realm Africa Safaris™ private guide will either drive or walk (depending on where your accommodation is located) with you to the park headquarters. Here you’ll find a UWA Ranger guide who will brief you on the rules and regulations for chimpanzee tracking and what to expect when you meet with the chimps. During the briefing, you will be allocated in groups and then head for the trailhead where tracking of the chimps starts. The duration of the trek is unknown but could last anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours. On finding the chimpanzees, you will be allowed a maximum of 01-hours with the chimpanzees. Try to make good use of this time…. it often passes faster than you imagined!
If you are booked on the exclusive 4-hour Chimpanzee habituation experience, you’ll be visiting a semi-habituated family of chimps. Your day will start a lot earlier (you will be advised by the resident rangers on the evening prior), and you will trek in a smaller group of up to 06 tourists. On finding them, you will be allowed up to 04 hours of viewing, photographing or Filming the chimpanzees.
Learn more about what to pack for Chimpanzee Habituation in Uganda.
