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12-Day Southern Tanzania Safari & Chimpanzee Trekking in Gombe
Tanzania Safari

12-Day Southern Tanzania Safari & Chimpanzee Trekking in Gombe

Safari price
From $4,800
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Safari Escort journey

Trip Overview

The 12-Day Southern Tanzania Safari & Chimpanzee Trekking in Gombe begins in Dar es Salaam and finishes in Gombe. Its route includes Nyerere National Park and Gombe, following the destination order and transfers set out in the day-by-day itinerary.

The journey is shaped around scheduled domestic flights, a boat safari, a walking safari, and chimpanzee trekking, paced for families travelling together.

A memorable mountain journey is about the full route as much as reaching the summit. Explore the daily walking stages, overnight camps and changes in altitude below, then speak with our team about acclimatisation, packing and the pace best suited to your experience and travel window.

Where every day follows the rhythm of the journey
Wildlife viewed on safari in Nyerere National ParkNyerere National Park
Chimpanzee in the forest of Gombe Stream National ParkGombe Stream
Safari boat on the Rufiji River in Nyerere National ParkRufiji River
Elephants beside water at sunset in Nyerere National ParkNyerere Wetlands
Moments along the route
Safari Highlights

Your Journey Highlights

  • Arrival in Dar es SalaamMeet the local team, complete the planned transfer and settle in before the active part of the journey begins.
  • Drive to Nyerere National Park & Boat SafariExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National ParkExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Another Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National ParkExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Walking Safari & Return to Dar es SalaamExplore on foot with an appropriate guide, allowing time to notice the landscape, tracks and smaller details along the route.
  • Flight to Kigoma & Lake Tanganyika ViewsUse the scheduled air connection to link the route efficiently, with transfers coordinated between the airstrip and the next activity or stay.

Your Itinerary

Day 01

Arrival in Dar es Salaam

  • Activity: Arrival & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Dinner

Meet your Safari Escort representative at the confirmed arrival point in Dar es Salaam and transfer to Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel. Check in and use the remainder of the day to rest after your journey; the city’s coast provides a gentle start before the more remote stages of the trip. Your local team will confirm the next departure time, luggage arrangements and any practical details for the southern safari and onward journey to Gombe.

Accommodation

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel is an oceanfront property in the Kawe area of Dar es Salaam. Cottage-style rooms are arranged through tropical gardens, with both garden and coastal settings available depending on the booked category. The hotel’s restaurant combines Mediterranean and Swahili influences and faces the Indian Ocean, making meals part of the coastal stay. Its location provides a relaxed overnight before or after flights and road journeys linking Dar es Salaam with the southern safari circuit.

LocationDar es SalaamStay styleHotel
Day 02

Drive to Nyerere National Park & Boat Safari

  • Activity: Boat Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following an early breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up for the scenic drive to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). In the late afternoon, you'll embark on an unforgettable boat safari, getting an up-close perspective of the park's aquatic wildlife, including vast pods of hippos and basking crocodiles, as the sun dips below the horizon.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 03

Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National Park

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a hearty breakfast, you will spend the entire day exploring the sprawling landscapes of Nyerere National Park in a customized 4x4 safari vehicle. Your expert guide will lead you on game drives, seeking out the park's resident wildlife, which includes large herds of elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, and a variety of antelopes. The park’s diverse terrain, from open savannahs to dense woodlands, makes every game drive a new adventure.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 04

Another Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National Park

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Another full day is dedicated to further exploration of Nyerere National Park. This morning, your guide might take you to different sectors of the park, focusing on areas known for specific wildlife, such as lion prides or cheetah territories. The park is a birdwatcher's paradise, with over 400 species, and your guide will help you spot some of the more spectacular feathered residents. A picnic lunch in the bush keeps you close to the action before you continue your afternoon game drive.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 05

Walking Safari & Return to Dar es Salaam

  • Activity: Walking Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with a thrilling guided walking safari, a unique experience that allows you to feel the pulse of the African bush from a different perspective. Accompanied by an armed ranger, you'll learn about animal tracks, medicinal plants, and the smaller intricacies of the ecosystem. The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel is an oceanfront property in the Kawe area of Dar es Salaam. Cottage-style rooms are arranged through tropical gardens, with both garden and coastal settings available depending on the booked category. The hotel’s restaurant combines Mediterranean and Swahili influences and faces the Indian Ocean, making meals part of the coastal stay. Its location provides a relaxed overnight before or after flights and road journeys linking Dar es Salaam with the southern safari circuit.

LocationDar es SalaamStay styleHotel
Day 06

Flight to Kigoma & Lake Tanganyika Views

  • Activity: Trekking & Fly-in Safari
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a relaxed morning and breakfast before being transferred to Dar es Salaam's domestic terminal for your flight to Kigoma. The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the serene surroundings, marveling at the vastness of Africa's second-deepest lake. Flight and transfer times will be reconfirmed locally, with the day arranged around the confirmed air schedule. Assistance is provided through the handover between the airstrip or airport and the next stage of the journey. From the air, changing landscapes give useful context to the route before you continue on the ground. The team keeps the transition coordinated and allows sensible time for check-in, luggage handling and any operational changes.

Accommodation

Kigoma Hilltop Hotel

Kigoma Hilltop Hotel is set above Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma, providing a fixed hotel base before or after travel to Gombe. Its elevated grounds and lake-facing setting offer a marked contrast to the forest camps used inside the national park. Guest rooms, restaurant service and transfer connections make the property practical around boat schedules and western Tanzania flights. It is best understood as the logistical and restorative stop that supports the more remote chimpanzee-trekking portion of the itinerary.

LocationKigomaStay styleHotel
Day 07

Depart to Gombe & Evening Chimp Trekking

  • Activity: Departure & Trekking
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you'll embark on a unique adventure. After a short transfer to the port, a boat will take you across the beautiful waters of Lake Tanganyika to Gombe Stream National Park. This remote park is accessible only by boat and is the site of Dr. Jane Goodall's groundbreaking chimpanzee research.

Accommodation

Gombe Special Tents

Gombe Special Tents provide simple, park-based accommodation for visitors spending time in Gombe National Park. The emphasis is on proximity to the forest, Lake Tanganyika and the starting points used for guided chimpanzee trekking rather than resort-style facilities. Sleeping and meal arrangements are organized around park logistics and the supplies brought in for the stay. This setting suits a western Tanzania itinerary where access, trekking schedules and time in the forest are the main priorities.

LocationGombeStay styleTented safari camp
Day 08 & 09

Full-Day Chimpanzee Trekking in Gombe

  • Activity: Trekking
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

These two days are dedicated to the extraordinary experience of chimpanzee trekking. Guided by the park's expert rangers, you will venture into the dense forest, tracking different chimpanzee communities. The treks can be challenging, but the reward is immense: observing these highly intelligent and social primates in their wild home. You’ll witness their unique behaviors, from grooming and playing to feeding and family dynamics, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Accommodation

Gombe Special Tents

Gombe Special Tents provide simple, park-based accommodation for visitors spending time in Gombe National Park. The emphasis is on proximity to the forest, Lake Tanganyika and the starting points used for guided chimpanzee trekking rather than resort-style facilities. Sleeping and meal arrangements are organized around park logistics and the supplies brought in for the stay. This setting suits a western Tanzania itinerary where access, trekking schedules and time in the forest are the main priorities.

LocationGombeStay styleTented safari camp
Day 10

Transfer Back to Kigoma

  • Activity: Trekking & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, you may have one last opportunity for a short trek to see the chimps or simply enjoy the peaceful morning on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Following a farewell lunch, you'll board the boat for the return trip to Kigoma. The journey is planned with realistic time for road conditions, comfort stops and the confirmed route between destinations. Your guide will explain how the landscape changes along the way and will adjust the pace where traffic or access conditions require it. Breaks are taken at appropriate points so the day remains comfortable rather than rushed. On arrival, the next activity and pickup details are reconfirmed before the program continues.

Accommodation

Kigoma Hilltop Hotel

Kigoma Hilltop Hotel is set above Lake Tanganyika in Kigoma, providing a fixed hotel base before or after travel to Gombe. Its elevated grounds and lake-facing setting offer a marked contrast to the forest camps used inside the national park. Guest rooms, restaurant service and transfer connections make the property practical around boat schedules and western Tanzania flights. It is best understood as the logistical and restorative stop that supports the more remote chimpanzee-trekking portion of the itinerary.

LocationKigomaStay styleHotel
Day 11

Flying Back to Dar es Salaam

  • Activity: Fly-in Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast overlooking Lake Tanganyika before being transferred to Kigoma Airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam. The rest of the day is free for you to relax, enjoy a final meal by the coast, or do some last-minute souvenir shopping. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel is an oceanfront property in the Kawe area of Dar es Salaam. Cottage-style rooms are arranged through tropical gardens, with both garden and coastal settings available depending on the booked category. The hotel’s restaurant combines Mediterranean and Swahili influences and faces the Indian Ocean, making meals part of the coastal stay. Its location provides a relaxed overnight before or after flights and road journeys linking Dar es Salaam with the southern safari circuit.

LocationDar es SalaamStay styleHotel
Day 12

Departure

  • Activity: Departure & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast

You leave with cherished memories of the diverse wildlife and remote beauty of Southern and Western Tanzania. The day is paced around your confirmed onward schedule, leaving enough time for final preparations and the planned transfer. Your guide will reconfirm the departure point, expected travel time and check-in requirements before setting out. Keep essential documents and valuables accessible during the journey, while the team assists with luggage and routing. The service concludes after you reach the agreed airport, ferry terminal or city drop-off for the next stage of your travels.

Plan your safari
Your Safari Package

Included & Excluded

Included

Included in the published itinerary

  • All Park and conservation fees
  • Private 4x4 safari vehicle with expert driver-guide
  • Game drives as per itinerary
  • 11 nights in hand-picked safari accommodations
  • All meals as stated
  • Drinking water during game drives and transfers
  • Airport/hotel transfers in Dar es Salaam and Kigoma
  • Return flights between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma
Not included

Additional costs

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Optional activities
  • Personal expenses
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Before you go

Safari Questions,
Simply Answered

Ask our safari team

Advertised as 12 days; 11 itinerary days are currently listed. Please confirm the complete schedule. The day-by-day itinerary shows where each overnight falls. Check arrival and departure flight times before arranging onward travel, and ask us if you would prefer a slower pace or an extra night.

From $4,800 per person. Ask for a quote for your dates and group size. The final quote depends on travel dates, group size, room choice and any flights or extras. Request a written breakdown of park fees, accommodation, meals, transfers and exclusions before you book.

Dar es salaam, Nyerere National Park, Kigoma, Gombe Stream National Park. Use the day-by-day route above to see the order of visits. Ask for estimated road or flight times between stops for your chosen dates; that is often more useful than counting destinations alone.

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel, Selous Safari Lodge, Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, Gombe Special Tents, None. Exact properties and room types depend on availability. Ask us to confirm each stay, its location, meal plan and any proposed alternative in writing before paying a deposit.