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Safari plan · 4 days · Western chimps · Midrange

Gombe Chimpanzees

Gombe is where Jane Goodall began studying chimpanzees in 1960 — a narrow strip of forested valleys above Lake Tanganyika, reached by boat from Kigoma, with two days of trekking to find the chimpanzees she made famous.

Dar es SalaamKigomaGombeKigomaDar es Salaam

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Length4 days · 3 nights

ParkGombe

Starts & endsDar es Salaam (DAR)

ComfortLakeside hotel, simple park camp

Best monthsJuly–October

Overview The route Day by day Rates Where you sleep Included Add-ons When to go Flights & extras FAQ Enquire

IOverview

Where Jane Goodall began, by boat up Lake Tanganyika.

Gombe Stream National Park is a small park on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, north of Kigoma: steep valleys of forest running down to the beach. Jane Goodall began her chimpanzee research here in 1960, and the study has continued ever since. The chimpanzees are used to people, and trekking to find them, with a park guide, is the reason to come.

It is a short, simple plan: a scheduled flight to Kigoma, a boat up the lake, two nights at Gombe and two treks. It is not a savannah safari and has no game drives; there are no vehicles in the park at all. For the bigger, remoter chimpanzee forest further south, see ‘Make it yours’.

Major attractions · 4

01Gombe Stream National Park
02Chimpanzee trekking
03Lake Tanganyika
04Kigoma

Trip detailsPrivate

Tour length: 4 days · 3 nights
Country: Tanzania
Start / end: Dar es Salaam (DAR), via Kigoma
Accommodation: Midrange where available
Tour type: Private chimpanzee trek
Group size: Maximum per trekking group
Meal plan: Full board at Gombe
Best period: Jul–Oct
Activity level: Demanding — steep forest trails, heat and humidity

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IIThe route

A flight to Kigoma, and the last stretch on the lake.

4 days, 3 nights, 2 places to sleep. The solid line is this plan; the dotted lines are the other roads through the region. Point at a day to see its leg.

01Dar es Salaam → Kigoma~2 h flight
02Kigoma → Gombe~3 h game
03The Gombe valleys~3 h game
04Gombe → Kigoma → Dar es Salaam~2 h flight

Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale

IIIDay by day

Four days, one at a time.

Each day lands on top of the last as you scroll: honest road time, game time, meals and where you sleep. Times are door to door in a safari vehicle and move with the season and what you stop for.

KigomaADD IMAGE · Sunset over Lake Tanganyika from the shore at Kigoma, fishing boats on the water

01/ 04

Roughly two hours on a scheduled flight, then an evening on the lake.

04°53′S 29°40′EDay 1 · Dar es Salaam → Kigoma

Fly to Kigoma

Travel: ~2 h flight
Game viewing: No game drive
Meals: Dinner
Sleep: Hotel on the lake shore

Morning
A scheduled domestic flight west across the country from Dar es Salaam.
Afternoon
Met at Kigoma airport and driven to your hotel on the lake shore.
Evening
Lake Tanganyika at sunset, and the briefing for tomorrow: the boat, the trek and the rules of the forest.

GombeADD IMAGE · A motorboat pulled up on the beach at Gombe, forested valleys rising behind

02/ 04

Roughly 1–2 hours by motorboat up the shore, then the first trek.

04°41′S 29°38′EDay 2 · Kigoma → Gombe

Up the lake to Gombe

Travel: ~1½ h boat
Game viewing: ~3 h
Meals: B · L · D
Sleep: Simple camp or rest house on the beach

Morning
North from Kigoma by motorboat along the shore, past fishing villages. How long it takes depends on the boat and the lake that day.
Midday
Land on the beach at Gombe, settle in and meet your park guide.
Afternoon
The first trek, up one of the valleys. It can be short, or a steep climb of several hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are.

With the chimpanzees

Time with them is limited on each visit, usually to about an hour. Masks are worn to protect them from human illness, and a minimum age applies (Minimum age).

GombeADD IMAGE · A mother chimpanzee with her infant in the Gombe forest

03/ 04

A second trek, and the rest of the day on the beach.

04°41′S 29°38′EDay 3 · The Gombe valleys

A full day at Gombe

Travel: No transfer
Game viewing: ~3 h
Meals: B · L · D
Sleep: Same place, second night

Morning
A second trek, often to a different group or a different valley. The guides know the chimpanzees by name.
Afternoon
A walk to a waterfall or a viewpoint if you still have the legs, or the beach, where olive baboons are often about.
Evening
Sunset over the lake, and the lights of the fishing boats coming out.

Do not trek if you are ill

Chimpanzees catch human colds and infections. If you are unwell on the day, the guides will ask you to stay behind; please do.

Dar es SalaamADD IMAGE · Chimpanzee footprints in the sand of the beach at Gombe, the lake beyond

04/ 04

The boat back down the lake, then the flight to Dar es Salaam.

06°52′S 39°12′EDay 4 · Gombe → Kigoma → Dar es Salaam

Back to Kigoma and home

Travel: ~2 h flight + ~1½ h boat
Game viewing: No game drive
Meals: B · L
Sleep: Homeward

Morning
An early boat back along the shore to Kigoma.
Afternoon
The scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam, timed to the day’s schedule.

Not flying home today?

A night in Dar es Salaam, or a short hop on to Zanzibar, takes the pressure off this day.

IVRates

Priced by group size, because the vehicle is shared.

Park fees, accommodation, vehicle, guide and meals as listed — per person, no booking fees. Rates move with the month and lodge availability; your quote is fixed once you book.

Midrange · price per person, sharing
Group size	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people
From year	rate	rate	rate	rate	rate	rate

Single supplementamount

Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

Luxury · price per person, sharing
Group size	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people
From year	rate	rate	rate	rate	rate	rate

Single supplementamount

Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

What moves the price

What changes itHow much

The flights
The scheduled flights to Kigoma are priced per person, so they do not fall as the group grows.
Where you sleep
The choice at Gombe is small; what is open for your dates sets much of the price.
The boat
The boat to Gombe costs the same for one person or several, so it is cheaper per head in a group.
The month you travel
The dry months are the busiest.
Park fees
Fixed per person per day by the authorities, and the same whoever you book with. We show them as their own line.

Not sure which level suits you? Tell us your dates, group and budget and we will send an itemised quote with named properties.

Request a free quote →

On request

VWhere you sleep

Two places in three nights, both on the water.

Each night is described by type first, because the right camp depends on your month. The properties we normally use at each level are listed below; your quote confirms them against availability.

Night 11×

Kigoma

Hotel on the lake shore

One night to arrive, so the boat to Gombe can leave in the morning.

Midrange here means: En-suite room, hot water, mains power.
Step up: There is little above midrange in Kigoma; the step up is at Gombe.

Nights 2–32×

Gombe

Simple camp or rest house on the beach

Sleeping in the park puts you on the trail as soon as the chimpanzees are found.

Midrange here means: Simple rooms or tents; the choice inside the park is very small. We will tell you honestly what is open for your dates.
Step up: A tented camp on the beach, where one is operating.

The properties we use

Where	Midrange	Luxury
Kigoma, on the lake shore	property	property
Gombe, on the beach	property	property

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

Simple at Gombe. Places to stay inside the park are few and plain whatever the budget.
Power. Limited at Gombe. Bring a power bank.
Kit. Good walking shoes, long trousers, a light rain jacket and a small daypack.
Food. Full board at Gombe. Tell us about diets early.

VIThe fine print

What is in the price, and what isn’t.

✓Included

Scheduled domestic flightsDar es Salaam to Kigoma and back, economy
Boat transfersKigoma to Gombe and back
Chimpanzee trekkingWith the park’s guides, as described above
All park and conservation feesItemised on your quote
Three nights’ accommodationAs described above
Meals as listed each dayFull board at Gombe
Airport transfers in Kigoma

–Not included

International flights
Tanzanian visaApply online before you travel
Travel insuranceRequired. It must cover medical evacuation
Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
A night in Dar es SalaamBefore or after the trip; we can book it

VIIAdd-ons & changes

The plan is a starting point, not a package.

The changes people ask for most, each with what it costs you in days or hours. Not in the standard price — arranged on request, and most can be combined.

+2 nightsprice

Mahale instead

The larger, remoter chimpanzee forest further south, reached by light aircraft and boat. Longer, more expensive, and wilder.

Makes senseIf the forest itself matters as much as the chimpanzees

Mahale Chimpanzees →

+1 nightprice

A third night at Gombe

A third trek, or a slower day on the beach and the lake.

Makes senseIf the chimpanzees are the whole reason

Gombe →

+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

Fly from Dar es Salaam to the island the next morning. Rest after the forest.

Makes senseEveryone, most of the year

Zanzibar →

+6 nightsprice

A savannah safari as well

Add a week in the northern parks for the game drives Gombe does not have.

Makes senseA first visit to Tanzania

The Great Midrange Journey →

VIIIWhen to go

Rated for this route, not for the country.

The dry months, roughly July to October, are the easiest: the trails are firmer and the chimpanzees are often lower down the valleys. In the wet months they can be higher and the walks steeper and muddier, and the lake can be rougher for the boat. It works most of the year, but not equally.

Jan

Wet, chimps often high

Feb

Wet

Mar

Long rains

Apr

Long rains, camps may shut

May

Long rains

Jun

Drying out

Jul

Dry, easier trails

Aug

Dry

Sep

Dry, chimps often lower

Oct

Dry, hot

Nov

Short rains

Dec

Wet

Three bars — the route at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and quiet

IXFlights & extras

Getting there.

Arrive

Julius Nyerere International, Dar es Salaam (DAR)

Scheduled domestic flights to Kigoma leave from Dar es Salaam, and on some days from other cities — ask us. A late international arrival means a night in Dar first.

Domestic

Kigoma Airport (TKQ)

A scheduled domestic flight; check the airlineA scheduled domestic flight, not a light aircraft, so the usual bag allowance applies.rsquo;s bag allowance, which is usually less generous than an international one. Schedules change by season; ask us which days suit.

Depart

Julius Nyerere International (DAR)

Day four reaches Dar in the afternoon or evening, depending on the Kigoma flight. Ask us before booking an international flight the same day.

What else to budget.

Not part of the safari price, in order of how much they matter.

Tanzanian visaApply online before travel
Current fee
Travel insuranceMust cover medical evacuation
Typical cost
TipsGuide and camp staff, per day
Guideline
DrinksAt lodges and camps
Typical range
Personal spendingLaundry, crafts, extras
Varies

XWhy book with us

Only what we can prove.

Arusha, since 2010

A Tanzanian company, locally owned, running safaris and climbs from Arusha for more than fifteen years.

Licensed and registered

TALA-licensed through the Tanzania Tourist Board and registered with BRELA. Ask us for the numbers; we will send them.

Guided by people who live there

At Gombe you trek with the park’s own guides, who follow the chimpanzees every day. We arrange the flights, the boat and your nights around them.

Every fee on its own line

Park, conservation and concession fees are shown separately on your quote, so you can see exactly what goes to the authorities.

XIQuestions

6 days · Western chimpsMahale ChimpanzeesRead the plan →

7 days · Northern circuitThe Great Midrange JourneyRead the plan →

3 days · Northern circuitTarangire, Ngorongoro & Manyara ExpressRead the plan →

5 days · Northern circuitMidrange Best of TanzaniaRead the plan →

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Ten parks, three circuits.

Where the trip lands.

The roof of Africa.

The people behind the journey.

How you see it.

Honest reasons a trip costs less.

Out and back before dark.