Chimpanzee Safaris
Chimp Treks in Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream National Parks
5 days
Price quote dependent on choice of lodges, dates, and group size
Chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans. Trekking to observe them in their natural habitat is truly thrilling. Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream are two of the best places in the world to see chimps, and they are only accessible by boat.
Five-day chimp treks can be combined with a wildlife safari in nearby Kativi National Park, the northern or southern national parks, or a trek in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Gombe Stream Itinerary
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Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (Arusha) or Julius Nyerere International Airport (Dar es Salaam), your private guide will be waiting to transfer you to your boutique lodge for your first night before beginning your safari.
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The fastest way to travel to the western Tanzania National Parks is to fly from Arusha or Dar es Salaam to Kigoma Airport, which take 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kigoma Airport is located close to Gombe Stream National Park. Your guide will meet you at arrivals and you will be transferred to your lodge. Enjoy the views or an afternoon swim before dinner.
Accommodations: Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
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After breakfast, you will travel by boat to Gombe Stream National.
Gombe National Park is famous for the work of primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, who studies the chimpanzees there for more than 30 years, and is where her world famous research center is located. Besides the chimps, Gombe is also home blue monkeys, olive baboons, red colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and vervet monkeys.
After breakfast, you will travel 4 hours by boat to Gombe Stream National Park. You will go on your first chimpanzee safari on the hills and mountains of Gombe. Afterwards, you will return to camp to enjoy time at the beach relaxing, swimming or snorkeling. You can go on a short 30 minute hike to the Kakombe waterfall or a more adventurous hike to Mkenke waterfall.
Accommodations: Mbali Mbali Gombe
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You will enjoy a second day of chimp trekking. Spend the afternoon relaxing as you like.
Accommodations: Mbali Mbali Gombe
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After breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and bid farewell to Gombe. Transfer by boat, then fly back to Arusha with picnic lunch.
Mahale Mountain Itinerary
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Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Julius Nyerere International Airport, your private guide will be waiting to transfer you to your lodge for your first night before beginning your safari.
Accommodation: TBD
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The fastest way to travel to the western Tanzania National Parks is to fly from Arusha or Dar es Salaam to Mahale Mountains National Park, On this scenic flight, you will get a great view of the plains and mountains of western Tanzania. Your flight lands on an airstrip near the shores of Lake Tanganyika. You will travel by boat to Greystoke Camp, a luxury tented camp on the shores of the lake. Enjoy the afternoon relaxing, swimming and boating.
Accommodations: Greystone Camp
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Enjoy your first day in Mahale. This serene park is home to the largest concentration of wild chimps in Tanzania. The chimps live in the wild, but most have been habituated, giving visitors the opportunity to see them up close. You will spend your morning tracking some of the family groups. This is a challenging trek as the trails can be steep and thick with brush and trees. But you will be excited when you see the closest living relatives of humans up close. You will return to camp for lunch, then enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, and relaxing in the afternoon.
Accommodations: Greystoke Camp
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You will enjoy a second day of chimp trekking. Spend the afternoon relaxing as you like.
Accommodations: Greystone Camp
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After breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and bid farewell to Mahale. Transfer by boat, then fly back to Arusha with picnic lunch.
Our trips are all custom so there are a lot of different ways to extend your trip. These include wildlife safaris at any of Tanzania’s national parks, wild river safaris, Ngorongoro Highlands trek, and beach vacations in Zanzibar or the Swahili Coast.
What’s Included
Accommodations in best-in-class lodges and tented camps
Tasty meals and bottled water
Expert naturalist guide
All transfers with private guide
Entrance fees
24/7 support
Flying Doctor coverage
Donation to African People & Wildlife