Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge | Queen Elizabeth National Park
Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda can also be done from Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park. Also known as the Valley of Apes, the Kyambura Gorge is an amazing destination located in the north eastern part of Queen Elizabeth national park.
Queen Elizabeth national park is the second biggest and most visited national park in the south western part of Uganda. The Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the destinations in the country harboring the habituated chimpanzee families. Chimpanzees are also known as the second most viewed attractions in Uganda after the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable forest.
Apart from Kyambura, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is also conducted in Kibale forest national park- a destination which harbors the highest number of chimpanzees in the country. Other chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda include Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park, Kalinzu forest in Bushenyi district among others. Kyambura Gorge is known as the valley of apes because it’s a habitat of chimpanzees and other primates such as the baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys among others.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge
Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park is such an adventurous activity. Visitors move into the forest in search of the chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge can be done in two sessions that is the morning and the afternoon session though it’s best done in the morning. Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park starts with a briefing at the visitor’s center where after you will be assigned a park guide who will be leading you while trekking and a walking stick for support during trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth national park allows a maximum of 8 people to trek each family and trekking takes about 2 to 3 hours or even longer depending on the location of the chimpanzee families because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
Once the chimpanzees have been found, visitors spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat where they will view the chimpanzees feeding, breast feeding as they learn more about their behaviors, habits as well as recording the beautiful moments and taking plenty of photos with flash less cameras.
Cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge
Chimpanzee trekking permit is a legal document issued to the visitor above the age of fifteen allowing him or her to participate in chimpanzee trekking activities in Uganda.
Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular activity carried out and there are two chimpanzee trekking sessions that is the morning and the afternoon session. Kyambura Gorge harbors habituated chimpanzee families where each chimpanzee family only allows a maximum of 8 visitors. A single chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge costs USD 50 per person for the foreign non-residents and UGX 30,000 for East African citizens.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge is the cheapest compared to other destinations like Budongo forest where the permit costs USD 85 per person and Kibale forest national park where the permit costs USD 200 dollars per person. Therefore budget visitors who want to get participate in chimpanzee trekking at an affordable price with great experience Kyambura Gorge is the best destination.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge includes the one hour spent in the presence of the chimpanzee family and the services of a park guide who will be sharing knowledge about the chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge.
How to book a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge
In order to participate in chimpanzee trekking activity in Kyambura Gorge you first have to acquire a chimpanzee trekking permit. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority offices in Kampala by contacting the offices via email or telephone calls or on ground at the offices in Mweya.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura can also be booked via a trusted tour operator company like Explore Rwanda Tours. Booking through a tour operator is the best option in that it will save you all the hustle and your entire safari will be taken care of for example transportation will be planned, accommodation, other activities you want to engage in among others.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Queen Elizabeth national park can be acquired anytime of the year; although it’s advisable to booked in advance before the trekking date especially during the peak season because there is limited number of chimpanzee trekking permits in Kyambura Gorge therefore they might get sold out.
When to visit Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park
Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda can be visited anytime of the year. However, the best time to go for chimpanzee trekking is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June to September and December to February. During this time there will be less rainfall therefore the roads to Kyambura Gorge will be passable, chimpanzee trekking trails will be passable as well which makes chimpanzee trekking successful compared to the wet season. During the wet season Kyambura Gorge receives heavy rainfall thus making chimpanzee trekking trails wet, muddy and slippery therefore visitors are advised to wear hiking shoes, garden gloves, long sleeved trousers and shirts, waterproof jacket among others.
Kyambura Gorge is a great destination to visit in that it harbors a wide range of attractions like vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkey, red tailed monkeys, baboons and various bird species. Apart from chimpanzee trekking, you can also participate in various activities such as guided nature walk and birding, due to the fact that Kyambura Gorge is situated within the national park you will be able to combine other activities apart from chimpanzee trekking for example game drive in Kasenyi plains, night game drive in Mweya peninsular, lion research tracking, boat cruise at Kazinga channel, mongoose tracking at Mweya peninsular, bird watching among others which will make your safari in Uganda unforgettable.
How to get to Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Road transport
Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda can be accessed by road from Kampala city via Masaka, Mbarara, and Kasese which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive. There are also public means of transport from Kampala to Kasese; from Kasese you will hire a private vehicle to Kyambura Gorge.
Air transport
In order to avoid the long distance you can book chartered flights from Entebbe airport to the airstrip in Mweya in Queen Elizabeth national park. You will then have to connect to Kyambura gorge which is 30 kilometers from Mweya peninsular.
