For a gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari, you have to visit two national parks in Uganda—Kibale National Park in the west of the country, close to the Rwenzori Mountains, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southwest, in the highlands at the foot of the Virunga Mountains.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a wildlife haven and is situated in the hilly southwest of Uganda. It is flanked by terraced slopes, foggy mountain peaks, and heavily populated settlements. One of the largest concentrations of animal and plant species in the world can be found in the UNESCO World Heritage site. The mountain gorillas are its most well-known inhabitants. Bwindi is a premier gorilla trekking location in Africa since it has the biggest population of mountain gorillas of any protected region. The two parks, Kibale and Bwindi, are the best options available on the continent if you want to see gorillas and chimpanzees together. Bwindi is separated into four sectors, which have a significant impact on where you stay and where you choose to go on the gorilla trekking safari when organizing your gorilla and chimpanzee safari. There are numerous habituated gorilla groups in each region, and tourists trek with them in compact groups of eight people each. South of Bwindi, in the Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhijja sectors, a smooth-surfaced road via Kamwenge-Mbarara-Kale provides a good connection to Kibale. Due to the rocky route through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Buhoma sector in the north presents a difficult link to Bwindi. Unless you want to stay the night in Queen Elizabeth for a wildlife viewing safari, the drive will take close to ten hours. Due to the early morning start times of the gorilla trekking expeditions, it is recommended to spend the night in Bwindi near to the starting location. The distance between Entebbe International Airport and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is considerable. A one-hour flight or a 10-hour drive from Entebbe would be required to reach a small airfield two hours outside the park. The distance is less between Bwindi and Kibale, though. Be aware that traveling to or from Bwindi will need long hours spent riding in a 4x4 safari Vehicle when arranging your gorilla and chimpanzee safari.

The biggest concentration of monkeys in Africa may be found in Kibale National Park, where thirteen (13) different kinds of primates can be seen scurrying among the trees. The mangabey, red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey, black-and-white colobus, olive baboon, vervet, blue monkey, and common chimpanzee are among the primate species of Central Africa found in Kibale. The habituated chimpanzee troops, however, draw the majority of park visitors. Every time you travel to Kibale, you have a 100% chance of seeing chimpanzees, which makes it a fantastic location to search for chimpanzees in Uganda. To identify a chimpanzee family and spend at least an hour with them, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guides organize daily small group excursions in the forest from the Kanyanchu tourist center for a fee of $200 per person. The Habituation Experience, which costs $250 per person, offers tourists a considerably more intense encounter with the chimpanzees in Kibale by allowing them to spend the entire day with a family of chimpanzees. Every day at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., professional trackers take small groups of visitors into the jungle from the Knyanchu Visitor's Center to locate a habituated troop of chimpanzees. After a quick briefing at the facility, the chimpanzee tracking adventure begins. The chimps are allowed to forage everywhere in the 296 square mile forest area, so sightings cannot be assured. However, there is a very good possibility that you will encounter the chimpanzee group and get to spend at least an hour with them (around 98 percent). It's not as physically exhausting to track chimpanzees in Kibale as it is to track gorillas. Despite having a dense rainforest, the topography in the Kibale Forest is mainly level and simple to maneuver. Once you locate the chimps, however, keeping up with them requires effort and could leave you out of breath. Except when they have just finished eating and are reclining to regain energy for the next foraging expedition, the chimpanzees rarely remain motionless but are constantly moving. If you want to combine a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda, you can either start in Kibale and travel south to Bwindi after doing gorilla trekking in that region, either options are really satisfying.

Both parks provide a variety of lodging options, from budget homestays to luxurious exotic forest hotels. If you're working with a tour company like Dav Safaris, they'll often arrange for your lodging, food, and transportation for the gorilla and chimpanzee package program. Budget lodging on the itinerary will run you less than $160 per person per night, midrange lodging will run you $160 to $370 per person per night, and luxury lodging will run you more than $400 per person per night. Transfers may cost between $60 and $310 each day, including the driver and gas/fuel, depending on the tour operator and your starting point. The gorilla permit is $700 per person (or habituation permit is $1,500) and the chimps permit is $200 per person (or habituation experience permit is $250) on the gorilla & chimps trekking safari. These are additional inescapable charges.

It would typically take 5 days and 4 nights to complete a gorilla and chimpanzee safari schedule. Entebbe is where the journey begins and ends, and you'll stay the night there on both occasions. Kibale Forest is the closer of the two to Entebbe International Airport (EBB), which is used to enter Uganda. Kibale is approximately 338 kilometres from Entebbe via Fort Portal City, a 6-hour journey on a smooth-surfaced road. It takes roughly 10 hours to drive from Entebbe to Bwindi. No matter whatever path you take, unless you have the money to pay for a local flight, there is no way to avoid the lengthy hour-long journey between the two locations.

Planning a gorilla and chimpanzee safari in Uganda is best done from June to September, when the country experiences its yearly dry season. During the dry seasons, we don't anticipate rain to interfere with your gorilla or chimp trekking adventure, giving you a good chance to get up close and personal with the primates. At this time of year, Bwindi's trails and roads are dry. The greatest times to go chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest are during the two rainy seasons that occur every year in March to May and November. Because there are so many wild fruits available at this time, it is simpler to locate the chimps. Additionally, fewer people travel during the rainy seasons. The majority of visitors opt to travel during the dry seasons because the rain can disturb most vacationers. Keep in mind that Uganda's dry season is peak season while making your plans since this is when most tourists book their permits. To avoid disappointment, make sure to reserve your permit and lodging months before the date of your trip with a reputable tour operator. To obtain free support, email info@davsafaris.com