This 9-day itinerary links three of western Tanzania's most rewarding and least-visited destinations: Katavi National Park for some of the country's largest elephant and buffalo concentrations, Mahale Mountains National Park for chimpanzee trekking on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and Gombe National Park, the smaller park made famous by Jane Goodall's research, for a second chance at tracking chimpanzees. Shared charter flights and boat transfers along Lake Tanganyika link the three parks, keeping road time to a minimum across a genuinely remote stretch of the country.
Each park brings a different rhythm to the trip: open floodplain game drives at Katavi, forested mountain walking safaris and chimp tracking at Mahale, and a more compact chimp-trekking and waterfall-hiking experience at Gombe. The pace is set by you, with optional walking safaris, boat safaris, and birdwatching available throughout. Travelers who want to focus on Katavi alone should look at our 5-Day Katavi National Park Tanzania Safari.
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$6,409 per person when 1 person travels alone
$4,511 per person when 2 persons travel together
$4,171 per person when 3 persons travel together
$3,941 per person when 4 persons travel together
$3,706 per person when 5 persons travel together
$3,605 per person when 6 persons travel together
For a more accurate estimate, contact us with your specific requirements and budget. We'll send a detailed quote based on your itinerary, group size, and preferred level of comfort.
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Your guide meets you at Julius Nyerere International Airport and transfers you to your hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city. If time allows, a short city tour can take in some of the capital's landmarks before you settle in for the night.
Distance: Airport transfer, plus optional short city tour
Activity: Arrival and optional city tour
Accommodation: Hotel in Dar es Salaam
Meals: Dinner
A shared charter flight (approximately two hours) takes you from Dar es Salaam to Katavi National Park via Mpanda airport. After lunch on arrival, head out for an afternoon game drive and a late-afternoon walking safari, with evening sundowners to close the day.
Distance: Shared charter flight, then afternoon game drive and walking safari
Activity: Afternoon game drive and walking safari
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Spend the day exploring the Katavi floodplain in more depth, with an afternoon game drive toward the park's inner reaches. This is some of Tanzania's most rewarding and least-crowded game viewing, with the chance to see a wider variety of animal and plant life up close.
Distance: Full-day game drive across the Katavi floodplain
Activity: Full-day game drive
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A second full day in the park, with a morning game drive and the option of birdwatching, Katavi records over 400 bird species, including saddle-billed storks, African fish eagles, bateleurs and lilac-breasted rollers, among the richest birdlife of any park in this part of the country.
Distance: Morning game drive and birdwatching
Activity: Game drive and birdwatching
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Katavi (third night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, a one-hour shared charter flight takes you to the Mahale Mountains, followed by a boat transfer along Lake Tanganyika to your lodge. In the afternoon, choose between a walking safari in the mountains or an optional chimpanzee trekking excursion.
Distance: Shared charter flight, then boat transfer along Lake Tanganyika
Activity: Afternoon walking safari or optional chimpanzee trekking
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Mahale Mountains
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
A full day dedicated to chimpanzee tracking and birdwatching in the forested slopes above Lake Tanganyika, with a picnic lunch in the mountain forest. The afternoon brings a further walking safari, followed by leisure time on the beach along the lake shore before dinner.
Distance: Full-day chimpanzee tracking and walking safari
Activity: Chimpanzee tracking, birdwatching and walking safari
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in the Mahale Mountains (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, transfer by boat to Kigoma town, where you stop for lunch before continuing by boat to Gombe Stream National Park, the smaller park made famous by Jane Goodall's chimpanzee research. Arrive in time for dinner and overnight at camp.
Distance: Boat to Kigoma, lunch stop, then boat to Gombe
Activity: Travel day, boat transfers via Kigoma
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Gombe
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
A full day of chimpanzee tracking in the forest, alongside general game viewing and birdwatching. Time permitting, climb to Kakombe Waterfall or hike to Jane's Peak, named for Jane Goodall's original research site, before returning to camp for dinner.
Distance: Full-day chimpanzee tracking, optional waterfall or peak hike
Activity: Chimpanzee tracking and optional hiking
Accommodation: Lodge or tented camp in Gombe (second night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, transfer by boat to Kigoma town for a hot lunch, with time for a short city tour of Kigoma and neighboring Ujiji. Transfer to Kigoma airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam, marking the end of the safari.
Distance: Boat to Kigoma, then flight to Dar es Salaam
Activity: Kigoma and Ujiji city tour, then departure flight
Accommodation: N/A, end of safari
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Most of the trip is vehicle- or boat-based, but chimpanzee tracking at both Mahale and Gombe involves forest walking on uneven, sometimes steep terrain, anywhere from one to several hours depending on where the chimps are that day. Reasonable fitness and sturdy footwear are recommended for the trekking days. Travellers with limited mobility should speak to us in advance, as the forest terrain is not adaptable.
June to October, the dry season, is generally the best time for both Katavi's game viewing and chimpanzee trekking conditions at Mahale and Gombe, with drier trails and easier visibility. The wet season from November to May brings lush scenery and excellent birdwatching but can make some trails muddier and chimp tracking more physically demanding.
Both parks have well-habituated chimpanzee communities tracked daily by park rangers, and sighting rates are generally good, though chimps move through the forest on their own schedule and a trek can range from a short walk to several hours. No operator can guarantee a sighting on any specific day, but the two-park structure of this itinerary gives you two separate chances.
The price covers park fees for non-residents, one chimpanzee trekking permit per person, all activities unless labeled optional, all accommodation unless listed as an upgrade, a professional driver-guide, all transportation and flights during the tour, all taxes and VAT, roundtrip airport transfers, and the meals specified in the day-by-day itinerary. International flights to and from Tanzania, additional accommodation before or after the tour, tips, and personal items such as souvenirs and visa fees are not included. See the full "What's included" and "Not included" sections on this page for the complete breakdown.
All three parks are reached by a combination of shared charter flights and boat transfers along Lake Tanganyika, since road access in this part of western Tanzania is limited. Flights connect Dar es Salaam, Katavi (via Mpanda) and Mahale, while a boat links Mahale to Kigoma and on to Gombe. These connections are all included in the tour price and arranged as part of your booking.
Most nationalities can obtain a Tanzania tourist visa online via the eTA system before travel, or on arrival at major airports. The visa costs USD 50 for most nationalities and USD 100 for US citizens. Yellow fever vaccination is only required if you are arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country. Malaria prophylactics are recommended throughout western Tanzania. Travel insurance covering medical evacuation is strongly recommended given how remote this region is.
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