Distance And Time From Bwindi To Kibale National Park Uganda

The distance to drive from Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee trekking is about 245 kilometers taking about 5 to 6 hours. There are several routes that lead to Kibale National Park from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and these vary with distance too.

Kibale National Park is the prime primate destination in Uganda with more than 13 species recorded. More than 325 bird species are now recorded as residents of Kibale National Park a tropical rain forest. A number of natural tree species make up the vegetation of Kibale forest and inhabitants of the forest depend on this variety of supplies.

More than 1500 chimpanzees are recoded as residents of Kibale forest a number that puts the park on the list of having the highest concentration of chimpanzees living freely in the world. Uganda has about 5000 chimpanzees in total.

Bwindi impenetrable National Park is home to the vulnerable and some of rarest mountain gorillas only living in three countries in the world that is Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.Congo.

From Bwindi forest drive through Kanungu, or Kabale via Ishaka or Kihihi to Kasese then FortPortal or Kabalore There are alternative routes too in case one is messy.

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Alternatively drive from Bwindi to Kabale to Ishasha to Kasese then Kibale National Park

How To Get To Kibale National Park From Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Road Transport

The common means to travel from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is by road transport however the roads get messy especially in the rainy season. Have a 4×4 wheel drive vehicle that is terrain resistant and in good condition.

The roads of Kigezi sub area are winding because of the remains of volcanic forces that affected the landscape of this area leaving multiple highlands.

Public transport is available from Bwindi and can connect to through segments Kibale however this is time wasting and chances of misplacing baggage are possible. Arrival time is quite hard to determine since you have to travel by different segments.

It is better to use private transport with a professional and knowledgeable driver guide who will provide more information about Uganda national Park.

 Do not expect a smooth ride from Bwindi forest to Kibale forest because the roads are still bumpy and rough and some still under construction so plan for road sickness in case you experience it.

From Kampala, two routes lead directly to Kibale National Park that is via Mubende the northern route and the southern route via Mbarara to Kamwenge with a detour to Laka Mburo National Park. You can use both routes to Kibale National Park to form a circuit. Distance from Kampala or Entebbe to Kibale National Park is about 336 kilometers

Air transport

It is possible to travel by air from Kihihi or Kisoro to Kasese Airstrip but advance arrangements need to be made. Do not forget to arrange a transfer vehicle from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip and from Kasese airstrip to Kibale National Park. Note there are no direct flights from Bwindi to Kibale Forest

Activities to Do In Kibale National Park

Chimpanzee trekking and Chimpanzee habituation Experience

The main safari activity in Kibale national park is chimpanzee trekking where two sessions are conducted daily that is morning and afternoon. For chimpanzee trekking, only one hour is allowed around these fully habituated primates. Currently Kibale National Park has about 12 fully habituated chimpanzee trekking families open to the public.

For chimpanzee habituation experience, Maximum 4 tourists are allowed to accompany a team of ranger guides and researchers to follow a semi-habituated chimpanzee community then spend four with them.

For chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park, every tourist is required to book a permit.

Birding in Kibale National Park

More that 325 bird species are currently confirmed as residents of Kibale forest including more than 7 species on the IUCN red list. It is best to start the birding safari in Kibale National park early morning to get the best collection.

The Bigodi Wetland sanctuary in Magobe swamp area where you may get the chance spot a wide range of bird species from the visitor platform. There are chances of spotting the rare shoe bill stork in this swamp area.

Some of the birds you may get to spot in Kibale forest include Collared Apalis, African Pitta, Dusky’s Crimsonwing, Black bee eater, Crowned Eagles, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, red-faced Woodland Warbler and more.

Primate Walk Safari In Kibale

Other than the chimpanzees, taking a guided primate walk in Kibale National Park gives you chance to identify a variety of other primates as the forest is home to more 12 species including pottos, bush babies, grey cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus and more.

The more the merrier so it is better to organize the guided primate walk in Kibale forest during the dry season.

Forest hike in Kibale Forest

While covering this 12 kilometer hike in Kibale Forest you get the chance to walk through the rain forest, swamp, grassland, riverine forest and more.

By following the trail network in Kibale forest, you get to encounter a variety of amazing features and marinate in the natural aromas of this natural tropical rain forest. Along the way, you may come across duikers, giant forest hogs, forest elephants, bushbucks and more.

Note that Kibale forest shares a migration corridor of about 180 kilometers with Queen Elizabeth National Park a game park so chances of finding migrant wild animals are more open.

The Kibale guided forest walk starts from Kanyanchu visitor center at about 0800 hours which is the main park head quarter to the elephant wallow approximately 1400 hours.

Community And Cultural Experience In Kibale

The guided walk in the communities around Kabale forest may take 2 to 3 days overnighting in accommodations with in the community. The Bakiga and Batoro are the main local residents of this area. You may get the chance to participate in community activities such as food preparations, harvesting crops, local beer preparation and tasting, crafts making and more.

While interacting with the communities around Kibale you get to listen to their experiences as residents living close to a national Park. We encourage our tourists to extend some support to the community projects of the people around Kibale National park to encourage them to appreciate the purpose of conserving wildlife.

With the company of porters to assist with lifting your belongings while you do this guide community walk around Kibale Forest.

Children Activities In Kibale National Park

As the age limit for chimpanzee trekking is 12 years and above so when travelling with children below this age, Kibale National Park has an eco friendly program for children. With an accompanying well trained children’s ranger guide, children participate in activities like batik making, pond digging, cyanotype, nature inspire games, photography and more.

The children’s nature inspired activities in Kibale last about 2 hours but full of fun and are educational.

Scenic viewing in Kibale National Park

Close to Kibale National park are several crater lakes where you can take a guided walk by passing local people’s gardens. The towering terraced highlands are amazing to spot while on this Uganda safari to Kibale National park and this creates a great environment for nature inspired photography.

Kibale National Park lies close to tranquil Ndali-Kasenda crater area dotted with several wet and dry crater lakes.

 Visit the wetland areas of Kibale

A tour to the community based Bigodi wetland sanctuary and Kihingani wetland is one way to support the local community in case this is one of your desired activities to do while on Uganda safari. A variety of primates, birds, other animals may be spotted around these wetlands.

Tips For A Safari To Kibale National Park

Book in advance all necessary chimpanzee permit for Kibale as their availability is restricted as a conservation measure. Both chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale require having a permit as this is the main document for this safari. You can choose to do the morning of afternoon chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation Experience session.

Pack the right chimpanzee safaris gears including wilderness friendly attires, insect repellant, camera, rain proof gears, back pack

Age limit for booking chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation Experience safari in Kibale is 12 years and beyond

Maintain some level of fitness as the search to find the chimpanzees Kibale forest may take unknown time.

Best time for taking a chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation experience safari is the dry season although this is an entire year adventure. Kibale forest is not affected by extreme weather conditions however you need to know the season to pack appropriately.

Location of Kibale National Park is in Kabalore district but the nature of the landscape of this forest is quite a flatland area so do not expect to hike very high spots despite the forest being engulfed by several landforms. The Kibale Forest National Park lies on the Albertine Rift Valley transitioning from saturated evergreen forest to tropical rain forest. Elevation of Kibale Forest is between 1100 meters to 1600 meters above sea level with the heights point in the northern part of the park close to Sebitoli