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Tanzania Chimpanzee Trekking Tours
Chimp trekking is a great addition to any safari in Tanzania. Although chimpanzees are our closest relatives, chimp trekking isn’t publicized to the same extent as gorilla trekking. In essence, the experience is quite similar though. Chimps are highly intelligent social creatures, and observing them at close quarters is endlessly fascinating, especially since a lot of their behavior is so recognizable to us. Chimps have very strong personalities and being able to read their facial expressions makes any encounter very emotional. When tracking chimpanzees, the guide will often stop and listen for their calls. Hearing their distinctive pant-hooting close by is a spine-tingling experience you’ll never forget.
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4-Day Gombe Chimps Trekking
$4,180 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp & Hotel
You Visit: Kigoma (Start), Gombe NP, Kigoma (Town), Arusha (City), Kigoma (End)
Tado Travel
5.0/5 – 4 Reviews
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13-Day Wildlife Safari, Chimpanzee Trekking, & Zanzibar
$10,348 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Kigoma (Town), Gombe NP, Stone Town (Zanzibar), Zanzibar (End)
Orege Safari & Tours
5.0/5 – 4 Reviews
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8-Day Gombe Chimpanzee Trekking & Zanzibar Relaxation
$2,294 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & ResortYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Gombe NP, Kigoma (Town), Zanzibar (Beach), Zanzibar Airport (End)
See Endless Adventures Tanzania
5.0/5 – 27 Reviews
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4-Day Budget Tour -Mahale
$1,375 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetBanda
You Visit: Kigoma (Start), Mahale Mountains NP, Kigoma (End)
Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
4.3/5 – 67 Reviews
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3-Day Chimpanzee Tracking in Gombe National Park
$779 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetHotel & Banda
You Visit: Kigoma (Start), Gombe NP, Kigoma (End)
Tanzania Offroad Trips
4.9/5 – 12 Reviews
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19-Day Tanzania Western & Southern Safari & Chimpanzee
$6,800 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & HotelYou Visit: Dar es Salaam (Start), Kigoma (Town), Gombe NP, Katavi NP, Lake Tanganyika, Mbeya (City), Kitulo NP, Ruaha NP, Mikumi NP, Dar es Salaam Airport (End)
Gogiraffe Safaris
5.0/5 – 14 Reviews
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7-Day Chimpanzee Trekking at Mahale and Gombe
$3,135 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetTented Camp & Banda
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mahale Mountains NP, Gombe NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Tiem Tours And Safaris
4.0/5 – 1 Reviews
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6-Day Chimpanzees Hiking, Spotting and Bonding Playful
$2,992 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp & Hotel
You Visit: Dar es Salaam (Start), Gombe NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Green Planet Safaris
5.0/5 – 1 Reviews
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15-Day Uganda- Tanzania Wildlife Circuit
$7,865 pp (USD)
Uganda & Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Mbale (City), Moroto (Town), Kidepo Valley NP, Murchison Falls NP, Kibale NP (Chimps), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Kilimanjaro Airport, Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Pumba Adventures Tours and Travel
5.0/5 – 12 Reviews
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10-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Tanzania Wildlife Tour
$5,500 to $6,160 pp (USD)
Tanzania & Uganda: Private tourBudgetCamping & Lodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth NP), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Mburo NP, Equator (Highlight), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kubwa Five Safaris
5.0/5 – 122 Reviews
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9-Day Uganda-Tanzania Safari
$8,564 pp (USD)
Tanzania & Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & HotelYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Queen Elizabeth NP, Arusha (City), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro Airport, Moshi (End)
Vibrant Holiday Safaris
4.9/5 – 29 Reviews
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7-Day Chimpanzees and Beyond
$8,971 to $9,422 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Dar es Salaam (Start), Rubondo Island NP (Lake Victoria), Ruaha NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Purple Nomad Africa
5.0/5 – 6 Reviews
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17-Day Explore Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania
$8,602 pp (USD)
Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Entebbe Airport (Entebbe), Lake Mburo NP, Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Jinja (Town), Nakuru (City), Lake Nakuru NP, Masai Mara NR, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (City), Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Inno Africa Safaris
4.8/5 – 13 Reviews
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15-Day Kenya Tanzania & Rwanda Safari
$8,762 pp (USD)
Kenya, Rwanda & Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Amboseli NP, Lake Natron, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Lake Victoria, Akagera NP, Volcanoes NP (Gorillas), Musanze (City), Kigali Airport (End)
Primate Journeys Africa
4.8/5 – 15 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
9-Day Luxury Western Tanzania Chimp Trekking and Safari
$12,532 to $13,995 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Katavi NP, Mahale Mountains NP, Arusha (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 149 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Chimp Trackking Safari
$1,430 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetBanda
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Kigoma (Town), Gombe NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Tanzania Mwangaza Safari
4.8/5 – 292 Reviews
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7-Day Gombe & Mahale Chimpanzee Trekking
$4,025 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & HotelYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Gombe NP, Mahale Mountains NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
See Endless Adventures Tanzania
5.0/5 – 27 Reviews
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8-Day Incredible Safari and Gombe Chimpanzee Trekking
$4,818 to $4,829 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Dar es Salaam (City), Gombe NP, Dar es Salaam Airport (Dar es Salaam), Zanzibar (End)
Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
4.3/5 – 67 Reviews
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10-Day Chimps Paradise at Gombe - Mahale -Katavi Park
$4,389 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetHotel & Banda
You Visit: Dar es Salaam (Start), Gombe NP, Mahale Mountains NP, Katavi NP, Mbeya (City), Dar es Salaam Airport (End)
Gogiraffe Safaris
5.0/5 – 14 Reviews
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10-Day Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda & Tanzania
$6,050 to $6,270 pp (USD)
Tanzania & Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Kibale NP (Chimps), Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo NP, Kampala (City), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Kubwa Five Safaris
5.0/5 – 122 Reviews
6 Questions About Tanzania Chimp Trekking Tours
Answered by
Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert. She and her husband form a team who write and update many Bradt guides, including the guide to Tanzania. She first visited Tanzania 25 years ago. She has been privileged to track chimps in Tanzania many times.› More about Ariadne
6 Questions About Tanzania Chimp Trekking Tours
How does chimp trekking in Tanzania compare to other countries?
“Tanzania arguably offers the best chimp trekking in Africa. Two parks in Tanzania offer this incredible experience: Gombe and Mahale Mountains National Parks. Both parks have an idyllic location on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Rift Valley. Mornings are spent tracking chimps and afternoons are best for relaxing on the lakeshore, sailing or fishing. While you couldn’t invent a better set-up, getting here is time-consuming or very expensive. For these reasons alone, chimp trekking in Tanzania is very exclusive, mostly enjoyed on high-end luxury tours. Chimp trekking in Uganda is overall more accessible and affordable, and therefore more popular. As there are several places in Uganda offering chimp trekking, this experience is easily slotted into any Uganda tour. Chimp trekking in Kibale National Park is very reliable, but visitor numbers can get high. In Rwanda, you can go chimp tracking in Nyungwe Forest National Park. This is a very worthwhile destination as it is home to 13 primate species with lovely forest trails and a canopy walk, but chimp sightings are less predictable than in Uganda and Tanzania. You can also track chimps in Virunga Mountains National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is usually visited as an add-on from Rwanda.”
1Can I add a chimp trek in Tanzania to a safari?
“Most visitors to Tanzania won’t come to the country for chimp trekking alone, so it makes total sense to add a chimp trek to a classic safari. Chimp trekking in Mahale Mountains is often combined with a stay in Katavi, a remote national park offering superb wildlife viewing with huge numbers of lion, buffalo and elephant, and rivers packed with hippos. This Western safari circuit combo is mostly done as a fly-in safari, and regular flights between the two parks make it an attractive option. While this is a winning combination, there is nothing stopping you from adding your chimp trek to a safari in the Serengeti either, especially if you’re aiming to see the wildebeest migration. Chimp trekking in Gombe is just as good, but getting here is even more tricky, especially as an add-on to a safari. A charter flight is your best bet, but it is also possible to take a motor boat from Kigoma.”
2What fitness level is required?
“You need to be reasonably fit to go chimp trekking in Tanzania. The terrain in both chimp trekking parks (Gombe and Mahale Mountains) is very hilly, so expect to do some climbing. However, every trek is different and the chimps might be far away or very close by. If you’re lucky, they might even walk through camp. When you find the chimps, you get to spend an hour with them. No two sightings are the same. They might be feeding up in the trees or they might be on the ground, resting and grooming each other. Occasionally they are on the move, and following these fast creatures is always strenuous. Whether you’re fit or not, you should always come prepared. Wear good hiking boots, long trousers and a rainproof jacket. You’ll be offered a wooden walking stick, which can be very useful on slippery slopes. Also consider hiring a porter to help you carry your daypack. Not only will that make the experience more enjoyable for you, but it also creates much-needed job opportunities for local people.”
3Is chimp trekking in Tanzania safe?
“Chimp trekking in Tanzania can be considered very safe. You’ll visit a habituated chimp community and incidents are extremely rare. The chimps are used to humans and they know we are no threat to them. As long as you maintain a safe distance from the chimps (as instructed by your guide), you have nothing to worry about. You’ll also get a safety briefing before your trek. In our opinion, Tanzania as a country is a very safe destination. Crime in any of the parks or reserves is very rare. As is the case all over the world, there is some crime in the cities, but as long as you book with a reputable operator, you’ll be shielded from any potential problems.”
› More about Tanzania Safety & Security 4How much will this trip cost?
“The chimp trekking fee in Mahale Mountains and Gombe consists of a park entrance fee of US$100 per person per day and US$20 per person for the guided walk. This doesn’t include your accommodation or other costs. When booking an organized tour, the park fees are included in the overall price. Due to the remote location of the parks, most people stay at least a couple of days. The price of a 4-day budget package to Gombe is about US$1,100 per person and to Mahale about US$2,600. Most people will include a stay at Mahale or Gombe in a larger tour. An 8-day luxury fly-in tour combining Mahale with the Serengeti or Katavi starts at around US$7,000 per person.”
5Are chimp sightings guaranteed?
“Chimp sightings in Gombe and Mahale Mountains are almost guaranteed. They can’t ever be completely guaranteed though. The chimps are wild and they live in huge territories. These nimble primates move big distances in search of food, and at the end of the day they make a nest for the night. So their whereabouts are always unpredictable. The trackers work hard to find them daily for the guests. They leave early in the morning, and by the time you leave for your trek, your guide might already have been notified of the chimps’ location. If the chimps are on the move, it can be more challenging as their location keeps changing and in that case it might be up to your fitness level and ability whether you can catch up with them. However, most packages to Mahale and Gombe include chimp treks on several days, which hugely increases your chances of excellent chimp watching.”
6Tanzania Reviews
Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
Much More than a Migration Destination
For me, Tanzania is a country of two halves. Both hemispheres have been richly endowed with natural beauty and plentiful wildlife, but there are some big differences when it comes to the type of safari experience you’re looking for. The...
Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.
The perfect safari destination
With almost a quarter of this vast country dedicated to wildlife reserves and national parks, Tanzania is justifiably regarded as Africa’s premier safari destination. It’s one of my favourite countries, not just for the bush, beaches...
Worthy of being the first choice for an African visit
Tanzania is one of Africa’s main centres for wildlife safaris and from our short experience it deserves to be on everyone’s list. We went in February and there was plenty of wildlife and the weather wasn’t too hot. The parks manage...
The best experience in my life, a dream come true
Safari was amazing, we took a lot of photos, we saw lions, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, buffalo's, Thompson gazelles, a lot of birds and much much more. Makundi is a very good driver and knows a lot about the animals living in the savanna....
My clients were very pleased with the safari trip: the scenery, hotel, and wildlife were incredible.
My clients were very pleased with safari tour. The scenery was great; the hotel was very nice, the food was good, and the wildlife was incredible. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. It was a very good experience.
Beautifully
From February 11th to February 16th, 2024, we booked a safari in Tanzania with Ngekewa. Joshua was our contact person and did everything to satisfy us. Joshua is very reliable and was almost available around the clock if we had any...