The development of an HIV-1 vaccine in the last 13 years from an industrial point of view has focused on evaluating potential vaccine candidates in non-human primates. This review discusses the HIV-1 vaccine candidates that have been tested in chimpanzees or monkeys and includes those based on recombinant gp120, recombinant gp160, different viral and bacterial vectors expressing gp120, gp160, or only V3 peptide, naked DNA vaccines, and whole inactivated viruses. To help understand the result of efficacy studies in chimpanzees and monkeys, information regarding the challenge viruses used in these studies is also included. The review does not discuss the testing of SIV-related vaccines or the testing of HIV-1 vaccine candidates in other animal species other than non-human primates.