Western Tanzania
Where Jane Goodall Met the Chimpanzees
Gombe Stream is Tanzania’s smallest national park — a narrow band of steep, forested valleys tumbling down to the sapphire shore of Lake Tanganyika. Despite its size of just around 35 km², it is one of the most famous patches of forest on Earth: the place where Jane Goodall began her ground-breaking study of wild chimpanzees in 1960.
Today, trekking to spend an hour with a habituated chimpanzee community is the reason travellers make the remote journey west — an intimate, humbling wildlife encounter quite unlike a savannah safari.
- Trek habituated chimpanzees in their forest home
- Walk in the footsteps of Jane Goodall's research
- Swim and snorkel in clear Lake Tanganyika
- Red colobus, baboons and over 200 bird species
Good to Know
Gombe Stream at a Glance
Wildlife You May Spot
Best Time to Visit
The dry season (July–October), when forest trails are easier and chimps are simpler to track.
Size
About 35 km² — Tanzania’s smallest national park, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika.
Famous For
Wild chimpanzee trekking and Jane Goodall’s research, ongoing since 1960.
Getting There
Fly to Kigoma, then reach the park by boat along Lake Tanganyika — a true expedition.
- Chimpanzee
- Red colobus
- Olive baboon
- Vervet monkey
- Blue monkey
- Bushpig
- 200+ bird species
Things to Do
How You'll Explore
Days at Gombe combine forest trekking with the gentle pleasures of one of Africa’s great lakes — expect early starts in search of the chimps, followed by afternoons on the water.
- Guided chimpanzee trekking on foot
- Forest and waterfall walks
- Birdwatching along the lakeshore
- Boat trips, swimming and snorkeling on Lake Tanganyika
Orientation
Where Gombe Sits
Gombe is a narrow strip of forest on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, just north of Kigoma in the far west of the country. There is no road: you fly to Kigoma, then continue by boat along the lakeshore.
Meet Our Closest Relatives
Add a Gombe chimpanzee trek to a wild western-Tanzania adventure — we’ll arrange every leg.