Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, Ujiji, Gombe and Mahale Safari
Day 1: Dar es Salaam - Kigoma Town - Kigoma Ujiji City Tour (Afternoon)
Flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma in the morning or afternoon, depending on flight availability. Upon arrival at Kigoma Airport, meet and greet our representative and transfer to Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, set on a remote outcrop among acres of lush gardens overlooking Lake Tanganyika. The hotel is located 15 minutes from Kigoma Airport and five minutes from Ujiji Town.
In the afternoon, enjoy a historical city tour of Kigoma, including Ujiji and the Livingstone Tour. Dr. David Livingstone Museum and Memorial is a reminder of a self-dedicated missionary who went to Ujiji, Kigoma, with the mission of reaching new peoples in Africa, introducing them to Christianity, and helping free them from slavery. He wanted black people to be released from oppression. This is a place where you get the history of the slave trade and the journeys and missionary activities of Dr. David Livingstone. We have guides who know the full history of Dr. David Livingstone, his mission, and his family.
Lake Tanganyika is just a few meters from the museum. You can visit the lake to feel the breeze and enjoy the scenery of Ujiji. In the late afternoon, return to Kigoma Hilltop Hotel for relaxation.
Overnight at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis / Junior Honeymoon Suites.
Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 2: Kigoma Town - Gombe Stream National Park (Guided Cultural Tour & Hike to Waterfalls)
After breakfast, you will have a boat transfer from Kigoma Town to Gombe National Park, a thin strip of ancient forest set in mountainous terrain with steep valleys clinging to the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The park's major attraction is, of course, the chimpanzees that live protected within its boundaries. Tourists to this area will be able to do chimpanzee trekking, a cultural tour to the neighboring fishing village of Mwamgongo / Kazinga, and a hike to the waterfall.
The park is dominated by many steep-sided ridges and valleys. This is where you will be on foot if you have come to see the chimpanzees. The scenery of Gombe is stunning, with most of the 16 major valleys containing swift streams that flow all year. In this park, you can meet the stars of the world-famous chimpanzee community. At Gombe, Jane Goodall's pioneering chimpanzee research began in 1960.
Dinner and overnight at Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge on a full board basis.
Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 3 & 4: Gombe Stream National Park - Chimpanzee Trekking
After breakfast, proceed with chimpanzee trekking. The Gombe chimps are one of the most closely and continuously studied populations. Sharing more than 98 percent of our genes, they offer a look of recognition from our closest animal relative. Most of the mammals in this national park are primates, most of them forest species. Likely to be seen, in addition to the famous chimpanzees, are the colorful red-tail and blue monkeys.
Afternoon and evening relaxation. Dinner and overnight at Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge on a full board basis.
Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 5: Gombe Stream National Park - Kigoma - Mahale National Park (Road & Boat)
After breakfast, take the boat transfer from Gombe National Park to Kigoma. Then continue by road transfer from Kigoma to Lagossa / Mgambo Village, followed by a boat transfer to Mahale National Park. The park lies on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Named after the Mahale Mountains range within its borders, the park has several unusual characteristics.
First, it is one of only two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country. It harbors the largest known population of eastern chimpanzees and, due to its size and remoteness, the chimpanzees flourish. It is also a place where chimpanzees and lions coexist. Another unusual feature of the park is that it is one of the very few in Africa that must be experienced on foot, and the only way in and out of the park is via boat on Lake Tanganyika. Then return to the camp for relaxation.
Dinner and overnight at Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge on a full board basis.
Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 6 & 7: Explore Mahale Mountains National Park
Breakfast, then proceed with trekking around Mahale National Park, which holds and protects the largest known population of chimpanzees, along with the jungle and the mountains. Visiting the park is a gratifying experience, as you have a chance to do chimp trekking, hiking, snorkeling, and birdwatching. The establishment of this park reflected the government's commitment to preserving the chimpanzee population, as well as the efforts of Japanese researchers who pioneered research on primates, including chimpanzees.
Excursions summary: kayaking, 1 chimpanzee trek per day, and 1 boat safari per stay (two hours - Option 1: see the hippos and take a short river cruise and try the local methods of freshwater fishing. Option 2: visit a neighboring fishing village, Katumbi, for a cultural tour. Pay for another boat safari to do both.)
Dinner and overnight at Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge on a full board basis.
Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 8: Mahale Mountains National Park - Kigoma Town (Boat & Road)
After breakfast, take a boat transfer from Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge to Lagossa / Mgambo Village, then proceed with a road transfer to Kigoma Town. Arrival is in the afternoon, followed by check-in at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel for relaxation.
Dinner and overnight at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel on a full board basis / Junior Honeymoon Suites.
Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
Room Category: 1 Double Room
Day 9: Kigoma Town - Kigoma Airport - Dar es Salaam Airport
After breakfast, transfer from Kigoma Hilltop Hotel for a morning flight to Dar es Salaam, arriving at noon for your onward itinerary at the end of your safari. This tour can be extended to the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, Fanjove, etc. for a beach holiday, or with a safari extension to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. That will make the end of your unforgettable wildlife safari in Tanzania.
