Uganda Chimpanzee Permit Prices (Trekking and Habituation).
Cost of the chimpanzee permit
Chimpanzee tracking is a must-do activity during your visit to Uganda. It takes place in several conservation areas in the country, including the Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, and Budongo Forest. The ecosystems offer guests the opportunity to meet the primates in their natural habitats. Chimpanzees have been scientifically proven to share up to 98% of human DNA. They are characterized by their social behaviour, living in communities of 20 to 100 individuals, communicating with gestures and facial expressions, and exhibiting strong social bonds. The chimps mainly diet on fruits, leaves, and flower occasionally on small monkeys.
Kibale Forest National Park is the hub for primates; it is home to 13 species, hosting the highest concentration of chimpanzee in Uganda. Other primates that can be seen here include the red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, pottos, olive baboons, and grey-checked mangabey, to mention a few. Besides the primates available, over 350 species of birds have been recorded in the ecosystem, and mammals like Forest elephants, sitatungas, and giant forest hogs can be seen, although they are rare.
Chimpanzee tracking takes place in phases; it is in the morning times starting from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm East African time. It lasts for 2-3 hours, depending on how far the primates have moved. An hour is allowed to interact, take pictures, and enjoy viewing as they go on with their day-to-day duties. The activity is done in groups of 6, starting from the Kanyachu visitor center with a morning briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, while the chimpanzee habitat is visited once a day for 4 -6 hours. This process includes getting the chimps used to the presence of humans while they go about their day-to-day duties.
The cost of the chimpanzee permit in Uganda is determined by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), a government organization managing protected conservation areas of Uganda. This year, 2026-2027, it is a legal document that is mandatory to acquire when doing business in the country. The permit rate differs between chimpanzee tracking and chimpanzee habituation. Chimpanzee tracking permit per person costs $250 foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX 180,000 shillings for East African citizens. Chimpanzee habituation costs $300 per person for foreign non-residents, $250 foreign residents, and UGX 250,000 shillings for EA residents. According to the recent news, the tariff is bound to be revised in 2027 to $300 per person for foreign non-residents, $200 per person for foreign residents, for Chimps Trekking. Chimps Habituation permits shall be revised upwards to $400 for foreign non residents and $300 for foreign residents.
Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda has specific rules and regulation’s, these include minimum age of 12 years, chimpanzee can catch a disease hence restricted to individuals without flue or any communicable disease, human waste should be buried 30cm and 12 inches deep, mimicking the vocals of the chimps is not allowed, smoking eating and drinking while tracking is not allowed as well as the use of flash photography.
Chimpanzee tracking permits can be booked through Ugandan registered Tour operators from the Authority, depending on availability and the season of travel; payments are supposed to be made in time, especially during the peak season. The park can be visited anytime of the year, but best during the dry season between the months of January, February, June, July, August, and October, during this time the trails of the forest are drier and easier to trek.
What to pack for a great chimpanzee tracking experience includes proper hiking boots, waterproof covers for phones and cameras, sunscreen, insect repellents, hats, cameras, binoculars, a backpack, a water bottle, and any other important items of personal nature.