Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania: Official Fees and Rules

Last reviewed 2 November 2026.

Chimpanzee trekking is sold very differently in the three countries that offer it on this site's route: Uganda publishes a clear tariff and a hard 2027 price rise, Tanzania publishes park fees but no separate chimpanzee line, and Rwanda's official booking page does not currently show a trustworthy chimpanzee price at all. This guide sets out only what the park authorities themselves publish, flags where their documents disagree, and links to our gorilla pages instead of repeating them.

How much does chimpanzee trekking cost in Uganda?

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) tariff card headed "July 2024 – June 2026" lists, for foreign non-residents, foreign residents and East African citizens respectively:

• Kibale National Park, chimpanzee tracking: US$250, US$200 and UGX 180,000. UWA notes that tracking fees include the guide fee and, uniquely among the chimpanzee sites, the Kibale entrance fee, plus a nature walk on the day of tracking.
• Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth), chimpanzee tracking: US$100, US$80 and UGX 50,000, excluding the entrance fee. The same card lists Kyambura among the "all other reserves" at an entrance fee of US$10 for foreign non-residents.
• Chimpanzee Habituation Experience at Kibale: US$300, US$250 and UGX 250,000, including the guide and park entrance, for four hours with the chimpanzees.

Two newer UWA announcements matter. A signed circular dated 26 February 2026 (ref. TDO 93/04) introduced discounted low-season rates for April, May and November: chimpanzee tracking at US$200 for foreign non-residents and US$150 for foreign residents, with the note that low-season permits cannot be rescheduled. As you read this, in November, that discount is in force. The circular says "chimpanzee tracking" without naming a park, so confirm with UWA whether it applies to Kyambura and to the habituation experience.

The same circular announces a revised tariff from 1 January 2027: Kibale tracking US$300 (foreign non-residents), US$200 (foreign residents), US$100 (rest of Africa) and UGX 180,000; chimpanzee habituation US$400, US$300, US$250 and UGX 250,000; Kyambura US$200, US$150, US$100 and UGX 50,000. This is the same circular that sets the 2027 gorilla changes covered on our Uganda gorilla permit page.

How do the rules and booking work in Kibale?

UWA's Kibale page says tracking departs daily at 8:00, 11:00 and 14:00 from the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, in groups of up to six, that the walk typically takes two to five hours, and that you then spend one hour with the chimpanzees. It also says advance booking is mandatory. These details come from a single page and we could not confirm them in a second UWA document, so check them when you book.

The tariff card states that all gorilla and chimpanzee permits for foreign non-residents and rest-of-Africa visitors can only be booked through licensed tour operators. The February 2026 circular adds that the seven-day unpaid reservation window was suspended from 1 March 2026: operators now secure permits only on full payment at booking.

Minimum age is where UWA contradicts itself. The tariff card says 12 years for chimpanzee tracking; the Kibale park page says all visitors must be at least 16. We cannot resolve this, so assume the stricter figure for anyone between 12 and 15 until UWA or your operator confirms in writing. For comparison, gorilla tracking is 15 under the same card.

On success, UWA's Kibale page claims a sighting success rate of over 90%. That is UWA's own statement on its own page; we have no independent figure and do not repeat it as a guarantee.

What about Budongo and the Uganda tariff for other forests?

The chimpanzee tables in the UWA card cover only Kibale and Kyambura. Budongo is not listed there, so we give no Budongo price or rules. Uganda's park distances table on the same card gives Kibale as 358 km and Queen Elizabeth as 389 km from Kampala; the best months for both are covered in our Uganda timing guide.

What does Rwanda's Nyungwe chimpanzee trek cost?

We cannot give you an official figure. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) booking page titled for chimpanzee trekking with a guide displays a fee table showing US$1,500 for every visitor category, followed by filler placeholder text. That is the gorilla price, and it appears to be a template error, so we do not treat it as the chimpanzee fee. Another RDB page that reportedly lists Nyungwe primate rules could not be opened when we tried. The Visit Rwanda national parks page confirms only that Nyungwe has "a small population of chimpanzees as well as 12 other species of primate".

Ask RDB directly (the booking page lists reservation@rwandatourism.com) for the current fee, age limit and group size before building a trip around Nyungwe. Our Rwanda gorilla permit page notes that Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking is a separate permit, and Rwanda vs Uganda gorilla trekking compares the primate side of the two countries.

What do Gombe and Mahale charge in Tanzania?

The newest TANAPA tariff we found is headed "Tariffs, from 1st July 2023 to 30th June 2024"; TANAPA's website still shows "Financial Year 2023/2024". Under it, a non-EAC adult aged 16 or over pays a daily conservation fee of US$100 at Gombe and US$80 at Mahale Mountains, with children aged 5 to 15 at US$20 in both. A guide or ranger fee of US$20 per group per day applies in all parks except Kilimanjaro. We found no separate chimpanzee-trekking line in the tariff, although TANAPA's Gombe guide says a separate chimpanzee fee or activity supplement may apply, so ask your operator what is on your invoice.

Mahale has one distinct product, the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience: US$100 for non-EAC visitors aged 16 or over and US$50 for ages 5 to 15, in the same tariff. VAT is contradictory: the tariff document says all charges are exclusive of 18% VAT, while TANAPA's tariff web page says fees are inclusive of VAT "where applicable". The wider fee picture is on our Tanzania park fees page.

What are TANAPA's chimpanzee viewing rules?

TANAPA's chimpanzee viewing guidelines (undated) set out the following:

• Visitors must be older than 12.
• Groups are capped at six people including the guide in Mahale and five in Gombe, with a maximum of one hour per group, and the guideline allows five groups per day in Gombe and three in Mahale.
• Keep at least 10 m away, wear masks when chimpanzees are spotted, and do not eat or drink near them.
• Book directly with the park at least 12 hours ahead; everyone signs an indemnity form; fees once paid are non-refundable.

TANAPA's pages say Gombe is usually reached by boat of one to two hours from Kigoma, and that Mahale is reached by air to Kigoma or the Mahale airstrips (seasonal or charter) and then by lake boat, usually arranged by the lodge. Peak season is given as June to October; timing for the rest of the country is in our Tanzania guide. Chimpanzees can catch human respiratory infections, so see our vaccination guide and stay home if you are unwell.

What we could not verify

• Any official Nyungwe chimpanzee price, age limit, group size or start time: the RDB page shows a placeholder fee and the other RDB page was unreachable.
• Any UWA tariff published for July 2026 onward beyond the February 2026 circular; UWA's rates page labels the 2024 card both "June 2026" and "Dec-2026".
• Budongo prices and rules; Kibale tracking times and group size beyond the single UWA page.
• Whether the Uganda low-season rate applies to Kyambura and habituation.
• A current TANAPA tariff after June 2024, and any success rates for Gombe or Mahale (none published).

Sources

• Uganda Wildlife Authority, Conservation Tariff July 2024 – June 2026 (tariff card), read 2 November 2026
• Uganda Wildlife Authority, circular "Introduction of low season gorilla and chimpanzee permit rates and revised tariff structure", ref. TDO 93/04, 26 February 2026, read 2 November 2026
• Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kibale National Park page and UWA Rates page, read 2 November 2026
• Rwanda Development Board, Visit Rwanda booking portal (chimpanzee trekking with guides page), read 2 November 2026
• Visit Rwanda, National Parks page, read 2 November 2026
• Tanzania National Parks Authority, Tariffs 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, and tariff web page, read 2 November 2026
• Tanzania National Parks Authority, Chimpanzee Viewing Guidelines; Gombe and Mahale visitor guides, read 2 November 2026