How to Get There
Getting to Kibale Forest National Park which is home to the impressive chimpanzees alongside many other primates, mammals, and bird species comes with many options which puts it on the bucket list of many travelers on an Uganda Safari and the Park can either be reached by road or by air.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Getting to Kibale By Road
Kibale National Park can be accessed from different directions, depending on where you are coming from.
The fact is that this park is located some 22 km from Fort Portal Town, which is the biggest town in the mid-western part of Uganda.
Three road routes can get you to Kibale National Park;
Kampala-Fort portal Road
For travelers coming from Entebbe or Kampala city, you will access Kibale By driving to Busega where you will take the roundabout towards Mubede highway. This route will see you drive along varying vegetation cover including forests, Swamps, Savannah grassland, and rock outcrops.
You will drive through vibrant towns like Mitiyana and Mubende which is the biggest town along this route.
At Mubende, you could choose to take your journey’s commercial break by using the washrooms at the petrol stations or try out the roasted chicken sold by the vendors at the main stage. What a great way to spice up the journey!
After Mubende, you will approach Kyegegwa town, remarkable for hosting one of the biggest refugee settlements in Uganda.
The towns of Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo mark the start of the Tooro-speaking tribe. you will drive through lush and well-manicured tea plantations, a symbol that the Fort Portal town is now within the vicinity.
As you approach fort portal, you will be treated to beautiful views of this post-colonial town. The turn to Kibale National Park is near Buhinga Hospital where you will take the Fort portal-Kamwenge road all the way to Kanyachu visitor center, some 25km from Fort portal town.
Distance and Time
The road distance from Kampala city to Kibale national park along the Kampala-Fort portal is about 338 km and takes between 5-6 hours to cover.
Kasese-Fortportal Road
This route is popular for travelers who are coming from visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park with Kibale National Park as part of their itinerary on a Uganda safari.
Two options are in place;
Kasese-Fort portal-Kamwenge road
one can choose to drive along the Kasese-Fort portal highway which treats you to the scenic views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges all the way to Fort portal town where the branching to the park is near Buhinga hospital.
Kasese-Rwimi-Kasenda road
Access to Kibale can also be by taking a branching at Rwimi, a town along Kasese-Fort portal road and drive along a dusty and bumpy road that winds along Kasenda town council.
This route will treats travelers to scenic views of undulating lush land scape that is occasionally punctuated with crater lakes of different sizes and the famous Mahoma falls.
Mbarara-Kamwenge Road
Also referred to as the southern route, this is preferred by travelers who have Lake Mburo National Park as part of their itinerary.
With this route can be used by travellers coming form Kampala from Masaka city all the way to lyantonde town. From here, you will either drive through Mbarara City to Kazo Town and Kamwenge where Kibale National Park is located or drive from Lyantonde near Lake Mburo National Park to Rushere and Kazo township then Kamwenge to Bigodi township where Kibale National Park is located.
Getting To Kibale Forest National Park By Air
For the adventure junkies that can not dread the long drive from Kampala or Entebbe to Kibale Forest National Park, We still have you covered.
Outback Adventure Safaris can book you on a flight which will depart from either Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airstrip for fixed-wing aircraft travelers and to a playground that doubles as a helipad near Bigodi township for those that wish to fly in helicopters.
Chartered and Scheduled Flights
Most of our air travel partners prefer using Cessna Grand Caravans because they can land on both bushy and dusty runways.
These aircraft are low-flying which offers both a breathtaking scenery throughout the flight and uninterrupted interaction with the pilot.
If you need more information or want to book a flight, feel free to reach out to our team.
Flying Rotary Wing Aircraft
This extraordinary option enables VIP and luxury travelers to access Kibale National Park in ultimate comfort and luxury.
Flying by chopper not only save time, but also allows the traveler to experience the breathtaking undulating views of Uganda’s countryside.
For ease of departure, helipads are available in different locations around Kampala, including Kololo Airstrip and Kampala Serena Hotel, while travelers near Entebbe can either use Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe International Airport.
Upon landing, our ground teams will be in the wait to transfer you to your overnight lodging facility near the Kibale Forest National Park. Write to us if you are interested.
