Combinez les chimpanzés de Kibale avec la randonnée de gorilles

Yes, you can combine Kibale chimpanzee tracking with gorilla trekking, and it is one of the best primate routes in Africa. The two forests lie in western Uganda, with Queen Elizabeth National Park between them, so a single loop takes you from the chimpanzees to the savanna to the gorillas. The route works in six to eight days. It needs more driving than most visitors expect, and the order of the stops matters.

This guide sets out the route, the days you need, the driving times and the practical points that make the trip comfortable.

The usual order runs from north to south:

1. Kampala or Entebbe to Kibale (Fort Portal area), about five to six hours by road.
2. Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park, around two hours to the Kasese side.
3. Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi, passing through the Ishasha sector, with a drive of roughly three to four hours to the southern gorilla sectors.
4. Bwindi back to Entebbe by road, a long day of about eight to ten hours, or by a short flight from a nearby airstrip.

You can also reverse the order. Start in Bwindi, travel north through Queen Elizabeth to Kibale, and end in Fort Portal or Kampala. Choose the direction by your arrival and departure points.

A comfortable minimum is six days, with these key nights: one near Kibale, one in Queen Elizabeth, and two or three near Bwindi. Seven or eight days add a rest day and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise. Five days is possible for travellers who fly in and out of the gorilla area, but it feels rushed. Add days for a longer safari, such as Murchison Falls, which you can read about in Queen Elizabeth vs Murchison Falls.

For examples, see the 10-day Uganda primates and wildlife expedition and the 12-day primate tracking safari in Uganda and Rwanda.

Here is a sample that balances driving and rest:

• Day 1. Entebbe to the Fort Portal area, with a stop for lunch and a short walk by a crater lake.
• Day 2. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale in the morning, then a drive toward Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Day 3. Game drive in Queen Elizabeth and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise in the afternoon.
• Day 4. Drive through Ishasha toward Bwindi, with a look for tree-climbing lions on the way.
• Day 5. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
• Day 6. A cultural visit or a rest by Lake Bunyonyi, then onward.
• Day 7. Return to Entebbe by road or by air.

This version is demanding. With an extra day or two, you can place a rest day after the gorilla trek and avoid a very long final drive. The 7-day Bwindi gorilla trekking safari shows a simpler route for those who want fewer stops.

Book the gorilla permit first. Places are limited in each sector, and the best dates sell early, especially from June to September and in December and January. Once the gorilla date is confirmed, choose the nights at Bwindi, then work backward to place Queen Elizabeth and Kibale. Chimpanzee permits in Kibale are usually easier to secure, though the full-day habituation experience has fewer places and should be booked early too.

Read how to book a Uganda gorilla permit for the steps and the timing. We handle both permits together so the dates and lodges line up.

It depends on your days and your budget. Driving from Kampala to Bwindi takes about eight to ten hours, which is a long day, but the road takes you past the scenery that makes the trip. Flying saves one long day and is worth it if you have only five or six days, or if you travel with older relatives. A flight costs more than the road and has a baggage limit of around 15 kilograms in a soft bag.

A common compromise is to drive the loop in one direction and fly back. Another is to fly in to Bwindi first, trek gorillas, and drive north to Kibale and Fort Portal, ending in Kampala. We lay out the options with prices so you can choose.

Most visitors do the chimpanzees first, for three reasons. Kibale is closer to Kampala, so the first day of driving is the shortest. The chimpanzee walk is a good introduction to forest trekking. And the gorilla trek, which is the high point for many travellers, sits at the end of the trip, after you have rested at Queen Elizabeth.

The reverse order works if you prefer to trek gorillas early, when you are freshest, and finish with a gentler chimpanzee morning. Tell us your priorities, and we will propose the direction that suits.

The walking is moderate, but the total effort over several days is real. Chimpanzee tracking can mean a few hours on forest paths. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be steep, wet and long, from one hour to several each way. Spread the days so that you do not stack two hard mornings close together. Our guide to how difficult gorilla trekking is in Rwanda gives a sense of the effort, and the Uganda forests are generally steeper.

Age rules differ: chimpanzee tracking is open from 12, while gorilla trekking needs a minimum of 15. Families with a teenager under 15 need to plan around that. See the gorilla trekking age limit in Rwanda and Uganda.

The distances are long, and the roads vary. Plan the trip so that no day has more than five or six hours of driving, with stops for views and lunch. Use a vehicle with space and a driver who knows the roads. Between Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi, the road through Ishasha is bumpy in places, and in the wet months it can be slow.

If time is short, a flight shortens the Kampala to Bwindi leg. Small aircraft fly from Entebbe or Kajjansi to airstrips near Bwindi. Baggage is limited to soft bags, and the schedule is fixed, so plan the connection carefully. We discuss the choices when you enquire.

The loop passes some of Uganda's best scenery:

• Crater lakes near Fort Portal, for a calm walk or a village visit.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park, with game drives and the Kazinga Channel boat cruise. Read the best things to do in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• The Ishasha sector, known for tree-climbing lions in some seasons, though never guaranteed.
• Lake Bunyonyi or Lake Mutanda, for a quiet end to the trip. See the Lake Bunyonyi travel guide.

A Batwa cultural visit near Bwindi also fits well; read how to combine a Batwa cultural experience with gorilla trekking.

• Travellers who want both chimpanzees and gorillas on one trip
• Visitors who like variety: forest, savanna and lakes
• Couples, friends and families with teenagers aged 15 and over

• Travellers who dislike long drives
• Trips shorter than five days

• Underestimating distances. Maps look short, but roads are slow.
• Booking the gorilla permit last. Permits sell out, so secure the permit date first and build the route around it.
• Packing hard mornings back to back. Leave a rest day in the middle.
• Leaving no buffer before the flight home. Add a night near the airport.

It is possible with a flight to the gorilla area, but six to eight days is more comfortable.

Yes. Some routes cross the border to trek gorillas in Rwanda, and our 8-day Rwanda and Uganda primate trekking and Akagera safari shows one way.

The gorilla permit, because it has fewer places. Chimpanzee permits are easier to arrange once the date is set.

Carry your vaccination certificate, and ask a doctor about malaria and other health advice before you travel.

Tell us your dates, your group and how much driving you accept, and we will propose the order and the nights. Talk to Our Tour Specialist, or compare chimpanzee sites in is Kibale the best place for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda.