7-Day Track & Trek Mahale Mountain Chimpanzee Safari

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Dar es Salaam - Fly to Kigoma

Your adventure begins the moment you board your flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma the gateway to the western wilderness. Upon arrival, your Bahati Safaris representative will welcome you and transfer you to the
Sunset Vista Hotel, a comfortable retreat perched with views over Lake Tanganyika. This is your evening to settle in, enjoy a quiet dinner, and let the spirit of the journey ahead sink in.
Overnight: Sunset Vista Hotel, Kigoma
Meals: Dinner.

Main Destination:

Kigoma (Town)

Accommodation:

Sunset Vista Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigoma (Town)

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Kigoma to Mahale

After a hearty breakfast, your overland journey begins a scenic 7–8 hour drive from Kigoma deep into western Tanzania. The road itself is part of the adventure: winding mountain passes, sweeping views of Lake Tanganyika's glittering shoreline, lush palm-nut plantations, and the remote Malagalasi River crossing at Ilagala all unfold before you in a pageant of wild beauty.
On arrival at Mahale headquarters, complete your park registration and transfer by boat to Kasiha your forest basecamp for the days ahead. As the lake breeze carries the scent of the forest, settle into the Kasiha Tanapa Bandas and enjoy a well-earned dinner.
Evening Guide Briefing:
Your ranger guide will gather the group for an essential evening session covering chimpanzee behaviour, trekking etiquette, what to expect in the forest, and how to make the most of your encounters. This is a key part of your preparation.
Overnight: Kasiha Tanapa Bandas, Mahale Mountains
Meals: Breakfast - Lunch (packed) - Dinner.

Main Destination:

Mahale Mountains National Park (Chimps)

Best Time To Visit August to October (Chimp trekking is easiest)

High Season August to October (Mahale is never crowded)

Best Weather June to October (Almost no rainfall)

Wildlife in Mahale Mountains NP

ChimpanzeeCommon

HippoOccasional

ElephantRare

GiraffeRare

LeopardRare

ZebraRare

Show more

LionVery Rare

BuffaloRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

WildebeestNone

Accommodation:

Kasiha Tanapa Bandas

• Budget banda located inside Mahale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Chimpanzee Trekking - Into the Heart of the Forest

Breakfast is served at 08:30 AM, fuelling you for the day ahead. Your tracker team leads the way into the forest, reading the signs broken branches, knuckle prints, fresh nests until the moment you hear them. The calls. The rustling. Then, contact.
You will spend a full hour in the company of Mahale's wild chimpanzees observing, photographing, and listening as your guide shares decades of accumulated knowledge about these remarkable primates: their social hierarchies, their tools, their personalities. It is a profoundly moving experience.
Afternoon:
Return to camp for a leisurely lunch followed by an afternoon of rest well deserved after the morning's trek. As the day cools, walk to the Kasiha forest pool for a refreshing swim beneath the trees.
Overnight: Kasiha Tanapa Bandas, Mahale Mountains
Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner.

Main Destination:

Mahale Mountains National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kasiha Tanapa Bandas

• Budget banda located inside Mahale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

The Skyway Challenge experience & fitness required

Today belongs to the mountain. Starting from the low point at Kasiha, your trail winds through a series of forest paths, crossing the Kasiha River and steadily ascending through layers of increasingly dramatic vegetation. The route climbs through distinct forest zones each with its own sounds, light, and character before emerging onto the Skyway, the highest horizontal ridge in the park.
Wildlife on the Skyway Route possible but not guaranteed on this route are Red Colobus Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Chimpanzees possible but not guaranteed, and tropical flora throughout.

From the Skyway ridge, the panorama opens dramatically Lake Tanganyika stretches to the horizon, the Tanapa bandas and lodges are visible below, and the scale of this wild, This is a view that few visitors ever see.
Overnight: Kasiha Tanapa Bandas, Mahale Mountains NP
Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner.

Main Destination:

Mahale Mountains National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kasiha Tanapa Bandas

• Budget banda located inside Mahale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Chimpanzee Trek & Sunset Boat Cruise

A second morning in pursuit of Mahale's celebrated chimpanzees. With the knowledge and rhythm gained from Day 3, today's trek often brings an even deeper sense of connection — more time to observe, more patience in the forest, more moments that stay with you long after you leave.
Sunset Boat Cruise:
As the afternoon light turns golden, board your boat for a sunset cruise on Lake Tanganyika — one of the world's oldest and deepest lakes. With the Mahale mountains behind you and the sun sinking over the Congo on the far shore, this is a moment of rare, unhurried beauty.
Evening Bonfire:
Gather around a bonfire on the beach with your guide team. Stories flow freely — about the chimps, the forest, the lake, and the people whose lives are intertwined with this remarkable place. This is the soul of the safari.
Overnight: Kasiha Tanapa Bandas, Mahale Mountains NP
Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner.

Main Destination:

Mahale Mountains National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kasiha Tanapa Bandas

• Budget banda located inside Mahale Mountains NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Farewell Mahale - Return to Kigoma

After a final breakfast at Kasiha, say your farewells to the staff and boat crew who have made your time in Mahale so special. Transfer by boat back to park headquarters, where your vehicle awaits for the return overland journey to Kigoma.
Arrive in Kigoma for your last night at Sunset Vista Hotel — a comfortable end to an extraordinary few days in the wilderness.
Overnight: Sunset Vista Hotel, Kigoma
Meals: Breakfast - Lunch (packed) - Dinner.

Main Destination:

Kigoma (Town)

Accommodation:

Sunset Vista Hotel

• Mid-range hotel located in Kigoma (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kigoma - Flight Back to Dar es Salaam

Your final day is flexible, shaped by your flight time.
Morning Flight:
After an early breakfast, transfer directly to Kigoma Airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam.
Afternoon or Evening Flight:
Your morning is free to explore Kigoma town — visit the historic Ujiji Museum (site of the famous Stanley & Livingstone meeting), and the iconic Tazara Railway Station, a fascinating piece of Cold War–era African history, before heading to the airport.

Main Destination:

Dar Es Salaam (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.