3-Day Chimpanzee Trekking in Gombe Stream National Park

Pick-up from Kigoma Airport or your hotel, followed by transfer to Kibirizi Port for the private boat crossing of Lake Tanganyika to Gombe Stream National Park (approximately 1.5 hours). After park entry formalities and check-in, you relax by the shores of the lake before lunch. In the afternoon, your ranger guide leads the first chimpanzee tracking session through the forested slopes of the Gombe Mountains. Trek distance varies depending on where the chimpanzee families are located. Along the way you may also encounter colobus monkeys, baboons, and red-tailed monkeys.

Distance: Approximately 1.5 hours by boat from Kigoma to Gombe

Activity: Boat transfer; afternoon chimpanzee tracking

Accommodation: Accommodation inside Gombe National Park

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

After an early breakfast, your second chimpanzee tracking expedition takes you through the valleys of Gombe. Park regulations allow up to one hour of observation with the chimpanzees at a safe minimum distance of 10 metres, to prevent disease transmission. An optional hike to Jane Goodall's Peak offers panoramic views across Gombe National Park and Lake Tanganyika for those with the energy and interest. After returning for lunch, the afternoon is spent at the Jane Goodall Research Centre, where you learn about the ongoing chimpanzee conservation research that has continued at Gombe since 1960. The remainder of the afternoon is free for relaxation by the lake.

Distance: Trekking within Gombe National Park

Activity: Morning chimpanzee tracking; optional hike to Jane Goodall's Peak; afternoon Research Centre visit

Accommodation: Accommodation inside Gombe National Park

Meals: Full Board

An early morning chimpanzee tracking session gives one final opportunity to observe the chimpanzee families in their natural environment. A guided nature walk through the park follows, with your ranger explaining the flora, fauna, and ecological significance of Gombe's forest ecosystem. After brunch, you board the boat back to Kigoma and transfer to the airport or your hotel.

Distance: Approximately 1.5 hours by boat back to Kigoma

Activity: Morning chimpanzee tracking; guided nature walk; boat return to Kigoma

Accommodation: N/A – return to Kigoma

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Extend your trip

Combine Gombe with a visit to Mahale Mountains National Park further south along Lake Tanganyika for a second chimpanzee trekking opportunity in a more remote wilderness setting. Contact us for combined Kigoma itineraries.