Budongo Forest Chimpanzee Tracking

Budongo Forest is located on the escarpment north-east of Lake Albert, covering Hoima and Kikube districts. It is well known as a home to the chimpanzees and an area with an abundance of mahogany trees of about 80 meters tall and 20 meters in circumference.

Budongo Forest covers an area of 82,530 hectares and is under the management of the National Forestry Authority (NFA). Four rivers flow through this forest to Lake Albert, which are Waisoke, Kamirambwa, Sonso, and Siba. Busingiro, Sonso, and Kanio Pabidi are the three major sites purposely for tourism in this forest.

Chimpanzee Trekking

This is one of the major activities taking place in Budongo Forest. It should be noted that the rules and regulations regarding trekking chimpanzees at this forest are the same rules applied in other areas where this exercise is carried out. The forest has over 700 chimpanzees. The Sonso community stays near the river Sonso and is believed to be one of the oldest habituated groups in Budongo Forest.

Kanio Pabidi chimpanzee community was habituated by Jane Goodall and is managed by Budongo Eco Lodge, also open to tourists who are willing to visit man’s closest relatives. Waisoke community lives near Waisoke River and is also open to tourists. Chimpanzee trekking takes between 2-4 hours, depending on the movement. Tourists should at all times abide by the rules governing this activity, which are keeping time, listening to instructions from the ranger guide during briefing, and maintaining the 8-meter distance while in the forest.

Cost

Chimpanzee permits for Budongo Forest vary depending on the financial year and government taxes. As of 2024, the permit costs USD 130 per person for foreign nonresidents (FNR), USD 120 per person for foreign residents (FR), and USD 85 per person for East African residents (EAR). Book with Corners of Earth Safaris your trip today.