Park at a Glance
Size: 795km2
Kibale is highest at the park’s northern tip, which stands 1,590m above sea level. The lowest point is 1,100m on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley to the south.
351 tree species have been recorded in the park, some rise to over 55m and are over 200 years old.
Kibale’s varied altitude supports different types of habitat, ranging from wet tropical forest on the Fort Portal plateau to woodland and savanna on the rift valley floor.
Kibale is one of Africa’s foremost research sites. While many researchers focus on the chimpanzees and other primates found in the park, others are investigating Kibale’s ecosystems, wild pigs and fish species, among other topics.
Kibale National Park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. Forest cover, interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp, dominates the northern and central parts of the park on an elevated plateau.
The park is home to a total of 70 mammal species, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee.
It also contains over 375 species of birds. Kibale adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south to create a 180km-long corridor for wildlife between Ishasha, the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Sebitoli in the north of Kibale National Park.
Suggested Itineraries
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3-Day General Itinerary Open or Close
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in time for dinner at your lodge in or near Kibale National Park.
Day 2: Primate Trail and Bigodi Swamp Walk
Take an early breakfast before your primate tracking adventure in the forest. Choose between the half day tracking experience - or a full day chimp habituation adventure. As you search for Kibale’s resident chimpanzees, keep an eye out for other primates such as grey-cheeked mangabeys along with l’Hoest’s, red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys. Your expert guide will share the secrets of the forest’s flora and fauna, ensuring that the trail is both informative and enjoyable.
After lunch, for those not on participating in chimp habituation, the Bigodi Women’s Group will take you on a fascinating boardwalk trail through the papyrus swamp of the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. Finish this action-packed day with a cultural performance or a sunset drink at a nearby lodge.Day 3: Cultural Tour and onward travel
A guide from Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED) will take you on a fascinating cultural tour of the Bigodi homesteads, where you will observe the preparation on food and learn traditional weaving techniques with Bigodi Women’s Group.
From here you can continue south to Semliki National Park, or return to Kampala. -
3-Day Birding Itinerary Open or Close
Day 1: Bird to Kibale from Murchison Falls Conservation Area
After breakfast, drive south to Kibale in the Toro Kingdom, birding en-route. Look out for birds like Western banded Snake Eagle, Striped Kingfisher, Great blue Turaco, Lizard Buzzard, Lesser Striped Swallow, Joyful Greenbul, Chubb’s Cisticola, Masked Apalis, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, Whinchat, Stonechat, Green-headed Sunbird, Common Fiscal among others. Dinner and overnight at one of the lodges.
Day 2: Kibale National Park (Kanyanchu)
After breakfast, proceed to bird the vicinity of Kanyanchu look out for the Green-breasted Pitta and other species like Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Sabine’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle eye and Narrow-tailed Starling among others. Primates like Red Colobus, Black and white Colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkey, L’Hoest’s Monkey among others. Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 3: Bird Bigodi and transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP
After breakfast, proceed to bird Bigodi swamp coming back in time for lunch. After lunch, start the drive south to Queen Elizabeth National Park driving along the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains (crossing the equator) and birding en-route. Look out for birds like, Lizard Buzzard, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Woodland Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, little Greenbul, Winding Cisticola, ZittingCisticola, Green Crombec, Black-and-white Shrike-Flycatcher, Black-headed Gonolek, Bronze Sunbird, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Black Bishop, Black-crowned Waxbill among others.
