Tanzania Chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Arusha - Mahale

Today you will fly into Arusha Airport, where you will be met and assisted onto your flight to Mahale Airstrip. From here, you will be transferred by dhow to Kungwe Beach Lodge on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Time permitting, you may wish to head into Mahale Mountains National Park for your first chimpanzee trek or forest hike, before returning to your lodge for sundowners in the evening.

Overnight: Mbali Mbali Mahale (L, D)

Mahale Mountains National Park

Spend the next few days exploring Mahale Mountains National Park. Accessible only by boat, the remote rainforests of Mahale border the white sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika and are home to the largest population of chimpanzees in Tanzania, with approximately 1,000 individuals. In the mornings, you will head into the park with your expert guide in search of the chimpanzees, watching them fighting, grooming and taking are of their young. Many of the chimpanzees in the park are habituated to humans, allowing for some close-range encounters. In the afternoons you will return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure, enjoying a boat safari or kayaking along the lakeshore, and relaxing with a sundowner overlooking the lake.

Overnight: Mbali Mbali Mahale (B, L, D)

Mahale - Kigoma - Gombe

After breakfast this morning you will be transferred by boat back to Mahale Airstrip for your flight to Kigoma. Upon arrival you will be take another dhow boat ride along Lake Tanganyika to Gombe Forest Lodge. Depending on your arrival time, you may have your first opportunity to explore Gombe Stream National Park on an evening chimpanzee trek or forest walk.

Overnight: Mbali Mbali Gombe (B, L, D)

Gombe Stream National Park

You will have two full days to discover the chimpanzees of Gombe Stream National Park. Gombe Stream is the smallest national park in Tanzania, forming a small strip of ancient forest along the shore of Lake Tanganyika, and was made world-famous through the work of Jane Goodall, who established her research centre in the park in 1965. Despite its' small size, Gombe Stream hosts a remarkable diversity of primate species, including olive baboons, red-tailed colobus and vervet monkeys, as well as the habituated chimpanzees. You will have two morning treks to observe the chimpanzees in the park, with afternoons free for you to explore the lakeside and surrounding areas. Head out on a boat safari where you are likely to encounter crocodiles, hippos and an abundance of birdlife. Return to the lodge for dinner and sundowners in the evenings.

Overnight: Mbali Mbali Gombe (B, L, D)

Gombe - Kigoma

After breakfast this morning you will board a dhow back to Kigoma in time for lunch at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, where you will spend your final night in Tanzania. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or the hotels private beach.

Kigoma - Arusha

Today you will transfer to Kigoma Airport for your flight back to Arusha, in time for your international flight home.