Mahale Mountains National Park · Tanzania
Two chimpanzees grooming on the forest floor, Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

6 Day Mahale And Gombe Chimp Safari

Destinations: Tanzania, Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe National Park

This 6-day Tanzania trip runs through Mahale and Gombe, linked so the travelling is done between the wildlife. White-sand beaches meet the clear lake right below the forest. Red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and olive baboon share the slopes.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Mahale

You fly in from Kigoma, you fly to Kigoma on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, and land near Mahale Mountains National Park, where our guide meets you and the transfer to camp works as your first afternoon out in the park. There are no roads, you arrive by light aircraft and boat, and move on foot. White-sand beaches meet the clear lake right below the forest. Chimp trekking is the draw, with primate walks, kayaking and snorkelling around it. You settle into camp as the light goes. The forest is loud with primates once you are inside it.

Mahale rises straight from Lake Tanganyika, its forested slopes reaching Mount Nkungwe at 2,462 metres. It protects one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzee, the habituated M-group. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

Day 2 Chimpanzee Trekking In Mahale

A full day in Mahale Mountains National Park. You are tracking chimpanzees on foot, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Chimp trekking is the draw, with primate walks, kayaking and snorkelling around it. Mahale rises straight from Lake Tanganyika, its forested slopes reaching Mount Nkungwe at 2,462 metres. It protects one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzee, the habituated M-group. You climb back down through the trees to the lakeshore below.

There are no roads, you arrive by light aircraft and boat, and move on foot. White-sand beaches meet the clear lake right below the forest. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground.

Day 3 Chimpanzee Trekking In Mahale

A full day in Mahale Mountains National Park. You are tracking chimpanzees on foot, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Mahale rises straight from Lake Tanganyika, its forested slopes reaching Mount Nkungwe at 2,462 metres. It protects one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzee, the habituated M-group. There are no roads, you arrive by light aircraft and boat, and move on foot. The forest is loud with primates once you are inside it.

White-sand beaches meet the clear lake right below the forest. Chimp trekking is the draw, with primate walks, kayaking and snorkelling around it. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush.

Day 4 Transfer To Gombe

A short morning tracking chimpanzees on foot at first light in Mahale, then to the airstrip and a light aircraft for the move to Gombe National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Gombe in the afternoon. You head out tracking chimpanzees on foot as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. It is where Jane Goodall began her chimpanzee study in 1960, the longest-running of its kind. Chimpanzee trekking is the reason to come, following a habituated community through the forest. An hour with the group is the permitted limit, and it is enough.

Trails climb to waterfalls and viewpoints over the lake far below. Gombe is the smallest national park in Tanzania, about 35 square kilometres of steep forest on Lake Tanganyika. Red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and olive baboon share the slopes. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush.

Day 5 Chimpanzee Trekking In Gombe

A full day in Gombe National Park. You are tracking chimpanzees on foot, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Chimpanzee trekking is the reason to come, following a habituated community through the forest. Red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and olive baboon share the slopes. Trails climb to waterfalls and viewpoints over the lake far below. You climb back down through the trees to the lakeshore below.

Gombe is the smallest national park in Tanzania, about 35 square kilometres of steep forest on Lake Tanganyika. It is where Jane Goodall began her chimpanzee study in 1960, the longest-running of its kind. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set.

Day 6 Departure

A final morning tracking chimpanzees on foot before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then your light aircraft flies you back toward Kigoma. Chimpanzee trekking is the reason to come, following a habituated community through the forest. Red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and olive baboon share the slopes. This 6-day trip links Mahale and Gombe, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. Trails climb to waterfalls and viewpoints over the lake far below.

Gombe is the smallest national park in Tanzania, about 35 square kilometres of steep forest on Lake Tanganyika. It is where Jane Goodall began her chimpanzee study in 1960, the longest-running of its kind. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

What’s Included

  • All internal flights and road transfers on the route
  • Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
  • Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
  • Park entry fees for the days shown
  • Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

  • International flights and any visa
  • Travel insurance
  • Drinks, tips for guides and staff
  • Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Should You Take This Safari in Tanzania?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. There are no roads, you arrive by light aircraft and boat, and move on foot. White-sand beaches meet the clear lake right below the forest. Red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and olive baboon share the slopes. Linking Mahale and Gombe in one route means you cover more of Tanzania than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 6 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Is a 6 Day Safari in Tanzania Worth Your Time?

6 days across Mahale and Gombe is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 6-day trip is balanced and full.

What Does a 6 Day Tanzania Safari Cost?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Tanzania, park fees run from USD 35 to 70 per adult per day depending on the park, with the Ngorongoro Crater charged higher. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 1,800 to 3,900 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.