Chimpanzee Trekking

Overview

Chimpanzee trekking safaris in Tanzania offer a rare and unforgettable experience. These safaris take you deep into the wild, where you can observe chimpanzees in their natural rainforest habitat. Unlike traditional game drives, chimp trekking offers a more intimate and active wildlife encounter.

The best places for chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania are Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe Stream National Park, both set along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. These remote parks feature dense tropical forests, stunning lake views, and incredible biodiversity. Mahale is famous for its large chimpanzee groups and scenic mountain terrain. Gombe is globally known for Dr. Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking chimpanzee research.

Guides lead small groups on forest treks, tracking chimpanzees through steep trails and thick vegetation. Along the way, you may spot monkeys, colorful birds, and butterflies. Once you find the chimpanzees, you’ll observe them as they feed, play, and groom each other—sometimes just a few meters away.

Chimpanzee trekking safaris in Tanzania are perfect for adventurous travelers, nature lovers, and photographers seeking a unique journey. The trek requires moderate fitness, but the experience is deeply rewarding. Each encounter reveals the intelligence and emotional depth of these remarkable primates.

After your trek, relax by the clear waters of Lake Tanganyika. Swim, kayak, or simply enjoy the peaceful surroundings. These safaris offer more than wildlife viewing—they create a deep connection with nature.

If you’re looking for a truly off-the-beaten-path adventure, chimpanzee trekking safaris in Tanzania deliver an unforgettable blend of discovery, beauty, and wild charm.

Highlights

Ronell Joubert

Reservations Specialist

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Hiked Kilimanjaro (6 days) and went on a Safari (5 days Kilimanjaro Hike was amazing! Our guide (Mollel) and porters were all excellent. They were each knowledgable, encouraging and friendly. They took time to get to know us and understand our needs. They helped us feel comfortable with the challenge and enabled us to enjoy our trek from start to finish!Our Safari was equally outstanding! Again, we had terrific guides (Sam & Tembo). They, too, were knowledgable, accommodating and made each day a super fun adventure for all of us! They were incredible at tracking down all of the Big 5! They even found the black rhinos!The Value for the Money was unreal, as well. I would 100% recommend Soul of Tanzania to anyone who is looking for a once-in-a-lifetime Tanzanian experience!
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Shairanking F
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Unforgettable Safari and experience at its best Journey to Africa My friend and I did a 8 day Safari, starting in Tarangire NP, Serengeti central and South (Ndutu) with big Migration, Ngorongoro crater and Lake Tanganyika. All planning including our wishes and suggestions from Weguide Safari what is best for the time we were traveling were done with WhatsApp. The communication was very easy with very quick respondSo we had an excellent Safari with weguide africa safaris with nice, safe and quite large accommodations and tented camps, including good food.I think our guide Mollel will be the best guide you can find. He has a very good knowledge about animals and their behavior, wildlife and Tanzania culture. Besides he is helpful, friendly and a very good and save driver.We have seen all Big 5 and a great number of other animals living there.He even could find animals hidden under bushes or in trees in a great distance and getting closer we could watch them very, very nearby.My brother with family did the Safari before us with Guide Kennedy. and we all together have the same opinion that this Safari couldn't be topped.It was my best Safari I've done until now and I couldn't imagine getting something better. So much wildlife!!!!I would it recommend to 100%
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GreengatePeter
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SOLO TRIP TO TANZANIA SAFARI WITH WEGUIDE AFRICA SAFARIS ( 100% I RECCOMENDED WEGUID FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS) Tanzania as a safari destination has it all: if this is your first safari and your driving ambition is to get some amazing sightings and to rack up the big 5 as soon as possible then Ngorongoro Conservation Area is probably the best place in the world. Head for the Serengeti, however, if you have time for a longer safari and your goal is to take time to roam – moving as a nomad with the vast herds, or simply skitting across the savannah between the rock outcrops that are the lookout posts of the Serengeti prides. The Serengeti remains for me (alongside Botswana’s Kalahari) as one of the very best places in the world to experience the awe-inspiring vastness of the African wilderness. There is no feeling like being in the middle of the incomparable immensity of the savannah with no other vehicle in sight and a herd of wildebeest stretching as far as the eye can see towards the horizon.
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GoPlaces65996083400
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Tanzanian Romantic Safari for Couple Unforgettable honeymoon - safari & beach holidayOverall, great experience with WeGuide Celia has been extremely helpful in tailoring the itinerary for the safari and has assisted us all along the process.Our guide, Sam, and was always on time and truly did his best to show us all the possible animals within the visited parks. We've had nice lunches (with juice and wine) during the 5 days of Safari and the car was always sparkling clean in the morning when our guide was picking us up :) We would've appreciated our guide to be a bit more involved in the conversation (the answers we got to our questions about birds/animals weren't really detailed and we would've enjoyed talking/getting to know our guide a bit more, especially during our common lunches) but of course this didn't ruin our experience.Our safari was followed by a beach holiday in Zanzibar : Ceci has arranged a pick-up at the airport for us. The hotel (Z hotel in Nungwi) was also great and the honeymoon package made our holiday unforgettable.I can only recommend Soul of Tanzania and Tanzania in general. The safari is a magical experience everyone should have in a lifetime.
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phillip
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Viajero solo en la vida silvestre de Tanzania y safaris de experiencia en Zanzíbar Planeamos nuestro viaje a Tanzania junto con Cecie en weguide Safari. Le hemos dicho aproximadamente lo que queríamos hacer (lago Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti y Zanzibar) y ella sugirió el itinerario y el alojamiento que discutimos y adaptamos juntos. El Serengeti fue probablemente el más impresionante de los parques y tal vez si el tiempo hubiera sido un problema, me habría saltado el lago Manyara para ir directamente al Ngorongoro. (Aunque el alojamiento en el lago Manyara fue increíble, Escarpment Luxury Lodge). Todos los alojamientos tenían algo especial y terminar con un par de días de relax en Zanzíbar fue simplemente perfecto.
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Marion
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Great experience at Mara River (Serengeti) So nice to see and read about sam maasai guide. He was my guide when I visited Tanzania. I also had great game driving experiences, and yes, being patient definitely paid off time after time. We experienced elephants crossing the Mara River, and Sam explained how the matriarch makes the decision to cross and how the elephants would not all cross at once, rather cross in small groups of adults, babies, and elders. We stayed and saw group after group cross and come up the bak of the river directly beside our vehicle,. We also saw a group in the river stop and surround each other and then there was trumpeting by the herd on both sides of the river. Sam explained that they must have sensed danger like crockerdiles, and that they would reteat back; that’s exactly what happened and the trumpeting continued on both sides of the river for a while. When we returned to the Mara River Camp that evening, everyone was envious of our experience and commented how much they loved to have heard the elephants communicating. Like you and your son, we had great experiences every day. Love your photos and descriptions. It’s truly the trip of a lifetime
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Whistler
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Mikumi National park and Zanzibar island The Mikumi National Park is located in eastern Tanzania, some 100 kms south of Morogoro and 280 km west of Dar Es Salaam. It is next to the Selous Reserve and a few kilometers from the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. The wildlife includes monkeys, lions, leopards, panthers, elephants, giraffes zebras, hipos, etc. Approximately 360 different species of birds have been spotted. The park is very popular and is easily accessible from Dar Es Salaam. It is specially equipped for bird watching. Greenery includes the miombo forest which is dominated by Brachystegia spp. The Combretum-Terminalia forest is common between the hills and the plains along the river.In this lower part dominated by Acacia spp, Adansonia digitata baobab and Sterculia appendiculata and the top of gallery forest and riparian dense scrub along rivers Mgoda, Kikobogo and Mkata. The ebony Dalbergia melanoxylon, Sclerocarya caffra, Cassia abbreviata flabellifer and Hyphaene Borassus Ventricosa, Balanites aegyptiaca and Ficus spp are all very close to each other. They are common and important to elephants and baboona. A truly unforgettable experience. with weguide afrkca safaris
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ASHLEY P
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"Zanzibar family trip excursion" "This was our first trip with WeGuide Africa Safari - I believe it's no coincidence that the Bradt Africa guides are simply the best ones on the market and that WeGuide Africa are extraordinary in the depth of their knowledge of the situation on the ground and in their capacity to coordinate and synchronise everything to make it an excellent trip for a family with young children In Zanzibar excursion .We stayed Luxury property at Zuri hotel in Zanzibar .I saw some of the most amazing sights and things in Africa, which I would not have found without the guidance of WeGuide Africa Safari . And for the unforseeable and unavoidable occasional hick ups, the team is there to help where they can.I hope WeGuide Africa Safari stays a well kept secret
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Wilton Backer
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conquérir le Kilimandjaro" super 7 jours via machame route Bonjour mes amis de TripAdvisor.Je m'appelle Xavier.Je viens de rentrer d'une randonnée INCROYABLE sur le mont Kilimandjaro avec weguide Africa Safaris. J'y suis allé avec Erick le guide et il était IMPRESSIONNANT. Erick m'a tellement aidé à me sentir à l'aise tout au long du voyage et il m'a fait me sentir plus fort simplement en étant en sa présence.Tout d'abord, weguide Africa Safaris m'a aidé à chaque étape du processus de courrier électronique pour planifier le voyage. Ils sont tellement professionnels et organisés et m'ont fait me sentir vraiment très à l'aise et bienvenu pour voyager dans un pays étranger. (je viens de la FR)Je savais que c'était la bonne entreprise pour moi juste par la manière organisée et professionnelle de leurs e-mails. Ils vous guident à chaque étape.Si vous essayez de décider avec quelle compagnie escalader le Kilimandjaro ou avec quelle compagnie partir en safari, C'EST LA SEULE. WEGUIDE AFRICA SAFARIS est vraiment incroyable avec de très bons prix aussi.J'ai escaladé le mont Kilimandjaro avec Erick The Guide et il était un professeur tellement spectaculaire avec qui partager le voyage. Il avait tellement de connaissances sur la montagne et il a un VRAI amour pour la nature et l'exploration. . Erick The Guide et tout l'équipage qui nous a accompagnés étaient géniaux. L'équipage de porteurs que nous avions avec nous était tellement sympathique et accueillant. Ils m'ont vraiment fait me sentir chez moi pendant tout le voyage.Je sais que beaucoup de gens ont peur de voyager à cause de COVID. Mais je ne pense pas que cela devrait vous empêcher de venir en Afrique.Si quoi que ce soit, je pense que c'est le moment le plus courageux et le plus spontané pour parcourir le monde.J'ai passé un très bon moment avec WEGUIDE AFRICA SAFARIS et je pense que c'est le moment idéal pour explorer le monde. Allez saisir cette chance et VOYAGEZ. Cela pourrait juste changer votre vie.Erick The Guide et weuide Africa Safaris - vous étiez tous les meilleurs et je vous remercie de m'avoir donné l'opportunité d'escalader le mont Kilimandjaro.Quiconque lit ces mots - weguide Africa Safaris est super sympa, super professionnel et super organisé et ils ont des prix imbattables. N'ayez pas peur de suivre votre cœur. Le monde est fait pour être exploré.Merci Erick et toute l'équipe de weguide Africa Safaris qui ont facilité mon voyage. Je suis très reconnaissant de vous avoir trouvé.
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XAVIER
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Tanzania wildlife familiy safari with weguide africa safaris great company in Tanzania The trip was definitely a wonderful experience. The guide was very good, and that is one of the most important parts of a trip like this.Ngorongoro and Serengeti are two fantastic places, and we had the rare privilege of visiting with very little tourism, really feeling and breathing the place.With my current experience, I will change the first part of the trip avoiding lake Manyara and the long transfer of the first day, and planning at least two safaris in the crater
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Where to go in Tanzania on your Chimpanzee Trekking

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Frequently Asked Question About Chimpanzee Trekking

Tanzania is home to two primary and renowned locations for chimpanzee trekking, both located in the remote western part of the country along Lake Tanganyika:

  • Mahale Mountains National Park: Widely considered one of the best places in the world for chimpanzee trekking due to its large, well-habituated chimpanzee populations (the M-group, studied since the 1960s by Japanese researchers) and stunning setting with sandy beaches on Lake Tanganyika and lush mountains.
  • Gombe Stream National Park: Made famous by Jane Goodall’s pioneering research since 1960. While smaller, it offers a deeply historical connection to chimpanzee research and provides excellent viewing opportunities.

A third, less common option is Rubondo Island National Park in Lake Victoria, where chimps were introduced to the island in the 1970s. Trekking here can be more challenging with a lower success rate for sightings, but offers a unique island safari experience.

Accessing Mahale and Gombe is part of the adventure, as they are truly off the beaten path:

  • By Air: The most common and convenient way is to take scheduled or private charter flights from major hubs like Arusha or Dar es Salaam to nearby airstrips (e.g., Mahale has its own airstrip, while for Gombe, you fly to Kigoma).
  • By Boat: From Kigoma (the main town on the Tanzanian side of Lake Tanganyika), you’ll then take a dhow (traditional sailboat) or speedboat to reach Gombe Stream or Mahale Mountains National Park. This boat journey offers stunning views of the lake and coastline.
  • Dry Season (June to October): This is generally considered the best time for trekking as the trails are less muddy and slippery, and the vegetation is less dense, making it easier to track and view the chimpanzees. The chimps also tend to be closer to the lakeshore during this time, potentially leading to shorter treks.
  • Wet/Green Season (November to May): While trekking can be more challenging due to muddy trails and denser vegetation, the chimps may be easier to find as food is more abundant and they might not range as far. This season also offers fewer crowds and lush, vibrant scenery. Avoid April and May if possible due to heavy rains.

Chimpanzee trekking permits are mandatory and are a significant part of the overall cost.

  • Mahale Mountains National Park: The permit cost is currently around $150 per person per trek.
  • Gombe Stream National Park: The permit cost is currently around $100 per person per trek.

These fees are in addition to park entry fees, accommodation, and transport. It’s crucial to book permits well in advance, especially during peak seasons, as numbers are limited to protect the chimpanzees.

The minimum age for chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania is typically 12 years old in Mahale and 15 years old in Gombe, though this can vary slightly by park regulations. This is for the safety of both the visitors and the chimpanzees, and also due to the often challenging nature of the trek.

Comfortable, practical clothing is key:

  • Sturdy hiking boots: Essential for navigating uneven, potentially muddy, and slippery terrain.
  • Long trousers and long-sleeved shirts: In neutral colors (khaki, green, brown) to protect against scratches, insects, and sun.
  • Rain jacket/poncho: Even in the dry season, unexpected showers can occur in rainforest environments.
  • Gardening gloves: Useful for gripping vegetation and protecting your hands from thorns.
  • Insect repellent: Crucial for protection against mosquitoes and other biting insects.
  • Small backpack: To carry water, snacks, camera, and other essentials.
  • Camera with good zoom lens: No flash photography is allowed.
  • Binoculars: For spotting chimps and other primates high in the trees.
  • Water bottle: Stay hydrated during the trek.
  • Sunhat and sunglasses: For sun protection, especially before and after the trek.
  • Walking stick: Often provided by your guide or available at the lodge, very helpful on steep terrain.
  • Face mask: Often provided by the park/lodge and required when near the chimps to prevent disease transmission.

Strict rules are in place to protect the chimpanzees and ensure a safe and respectful encounter:

  • Maintain distance: Generally, a minimum distance of 7-10 meters (23-33 feet) from the chimps must be maintained.
  • Maximum viewing time: Limited to one hour once you find the chimpanzees.
  • No flash photography: To avoid startling the chimps.
  • Keep voices low: Minimize disturbance to the chimps and other wildlife.
  • No eating or drinking near the chimps.
  • If you feel unwell, do not trek: Chimpanzees are highly susceptible to human illnesses.
  • Always follow your guide’s instructions.

While wildlife sightings can never be 100% guaranteed, the habituated communities in Mahale and Gombe offer very high chances of successful chimpanzee sightings, especially if you plan for a multi-day visit (2-3 days). Researchers and trackers are often in the forest daily, greatly aiding the location process.

Yes, this is a popular option for a comprehensive Tanzanian adventure! However, due to the remote location of the chimpanzee parks in Western Tanzania, it usually involves additional domestic flights and adds a few extra days to your itinerary. Many travelers combine a Northern Circuit safari (Serengeti, Ngorongoro) with a flight to Mahale or Gombe for the chimpanzee trekking, often flying back through Dar es Salaam or on to Zanzibar.