A chimpanzee sculpture and a Kanyanchu Visitor Center signpost in Kibale Forest

Kanyanchu Visitor Centre

Located in Kibale Forest National Park, Kanyanchu Visitor Centre is the main visitor centre in Kibale and the starting point for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park. Kanyanchu Visitor Centre is situated 3 minutes away from the main road and the sign post is clearly set along the road and cannot be missed.

The visitor centre serves as a starting point and briefing area for different activities that take place in Kibale Forest National Park. This is where guests visiting Kibale converge before they start their chimp trek, receive briefing and guidance before setting out into the forest in search of the chimpanzees.

Kanyanchu Visitor Centre has an office area that has a reception, office and briefing room. The briefing room has seats and a T.V screen where you can spend time watching some documentaries about the primates of Kibale and wildlife in the national park. The briefing room also has remains of primates and mammals that you can look at which include remains of antelopes, pigs and other wildlife. The briefing room is also a great place to read on the primates of Kibale before your activities and also learn more on conservation and community work that the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is doing.

Briefing room with exhibits, a table and a T.V screen.

Briefing room at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre

At Kanyanchu Visitor Centre you find UWA staff members that include office attendants and park rangers who are helpful in making your visit to Kibale Forest National Park smooth. This is also where tour operators show your chimpanzee permits that they purchased prior on your behalf so that after everything checks out, you are assigned a group for the day and park rangers/guides for the chimpanzee trek.

Office building with a reception area surrounded by forest

Uganda Wildlife Authority(UWA) park office at the visitor centre with a reception, offices and briefing room.

Café Kibale

Aside from the main UWA office is Café Kibale, a recently opened café by Uganda Lodges Ltd. Café Kibale is a great stop for a cup of coffee either before or after your chimpanzee trek. Café Kibale is a community run café that trains locals in communities neighboring Kibale National Park. The café trains locals as a way of giving back to the community and also setting up locals especially young adults to work and serve in the hospitality industry. The trainees are given jobs in the café itself so you are likely to be served by one of them and the others go ahead to work in other properties in Uganda as chefs, barristers and waiters.

Café Kibale has a menu that includes coffee and snacks. Burgers, wraps, freshly baked pastries and juices are served here. Café Kibale overlooks the Kibale Forest and has spacious sitting areas, you can choose to have your cup of coffee inside the café or at the sitting area outside the café.

Coffee shop in Kibale Forest with chairs inside the cafe and a signpost outside

Cafe Kibale

The café also has a gift shop where you can stop by and buy some gifts or souvenirs if that is of interest to you. The gift shop sells crafts, beaded jewelry mostly made by women in the community, handmade baskets, “kitenge” material scarfs among other items.

Gift shop displaying baskets, coffee and other items for sale.

Kanyanchu Visitor Centre is not only a starting point for chimpanzee tracking but is also a starting point for other activities in Kibale National Park like bird watching, night walks, and the chimpanzee habituation experience.

How to get to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre

sign post showing Kanyanchu visitor centre and activities like chimpanzee trekking

Kanyanchu Visitor Centre is accessed by road from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda along the Mubende – Fort Portal highway. The drive from Kampala to the centre is 5 hours, the scenic drive takes you through beautiful landscape of Uganda.

If you are staying and connecting from Fort portal town Kanyanchu Visitor Centre is a 40 minute -1 hour drive away from Fort Portal. The drive is along the Fort Portal – Kamwenge road.

Recommended Tours

2 Day Chimpanzee Tracking Tour

3 Day Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Tour

5 Day Chimpanzee & Gorilla Tracking Safari

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