Charges for Park Entry and Permits
The most significant payments intended to be made to visitors who wish to engage in activities in Kibale National Park, such as chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, and many more, are park entry fees and permit charges. Like the other nine national parks in Uganda, Kibale National Park charges an admission fee.
Visitors who wish to visit Kibale National Park must pay both an admission fee and a permit fee. Visitors who wish to engage in any other activity within the park, aside than chimpanzee trekking, must pay park entrance fees. Hiking and forest nature walks, bird viewing, and most likely research visits are among the activities that necessitate park admission costs. Entry costs to Kibale Park are assessed per person each day, regardless of how many times they visit the park.
Visitors and foreign non-residents who stay in Uganda or East Africa pay $40 USD per person. Visitors from other countries that have appropriate work and residency permits and remain in Uganda or East Africa pay $30 USD. Lastly, as long as they can show a legitimate national ID, East African citizens—including those from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi—pay $6 USD.
Chimpanzee trekking permits are necessary as proof of trekking for tourists who are just interested in chimpanzees. The cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit, which includes park admission costs, is paid once daily. This is because, when trekking chimpanzees, visitors can combine their search for the gorillas with other activities like birdwatching and forest excursions.
Permits for chimpanzee hiking are also divided into groups based on nationality. East African citizens pay $30 per person per day, foreign non-residents pay $150 per person, and foreign residents with proper identity pay $100 per person.
You are expected to report to the park head offices in Kanyachu on the day your permit is scheduled so that the park warden may brief you. This briefing primarily covers the park and what guests can expect when the action begins. Following this briefing, you are split up into groups and given one tourism police officer and two ranger guides. They will guide you to a spot where the chimpanzees are located in the jungle. You are given an hour to observe the chimpanzees, take pictures, and spend time with them after you locate them. A permit for chimpanzee trekking is only good for one day, and it expires the same day you go chimp trekking.
