Tanzania · Safari

12-Day Mahale and Katavi Safari from Dar es Salaam with chimp tracking

12 Days Round trip from Dar es Salaam Easy pace
City tour
Chimpanzee in Mahale
Mahale Mountains National Park
Travellers in Park,Tanzania
Mahale Mountains National Park

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Experience the contrasting beauty of western Tanzania
  • 02 Track chimpanzees in their natural forest habitat in Mahale National Park
  • 03 Explore Lake Tanganyika by boat and enjoy fishing in one of Mahale's best fishing areas
  • 04 Discover Katavi National Park on game drives through one of Africa's wildest reserves
  • 05 Spot diverse wildlife and birdlife in the remote landscapes of Katavi

Embark on an adventure through the contrasting beauty of western Tanzania, combining wildlife, natural scenery, and remote safari experiences. Begin in Dar es Salaam before flying to Kigoma and heading to Mahale National Park for chimpanzee tracking in the forest and fishing excursions on Lake Tanganyika. Continue to Katavi National Park for rewarding game drives in one of Africa's wildest and most untouched reserves, with excellent opportunities to spot diverse wildlife and birdlife. The journey ends with your return to Kigoma and onward flight back to Dar es Salaam, with a possible connection to Zanzibar.

This remote national park in western Tanzania is probably the wildest and most untouched reserve in the whole of Africa.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 12 Days
Tour type Private
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Included · Standard
Transport Included
Wheelchair access Not applicable
Cities Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Uvinza, Mpanda, Katavi National Park, Mahale Mountains National Park
Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Arrival in Dar es Salaam

  • Upon arriving in Dar es Salaam, transfer to Royal Mirage.

Overnight stay.

2
Day 02

Flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma

  • Transfer to the airport after breakfast for your flight to Kigoma.

  • Upon arrival, transfer to Kigoma Hotel.

3
Day 03

Transfer to Mahale National Park

  • After breakfast, transfer from Kigoma Hotel to Sunuka, halfway south of Mahale.

  • Board a speedboat for one hour to Mahale National Park for formalities.

  • Proceed to the bandas for afternoon beach safaris.

4
Day 04

Chimpanzee Tracking and Fishing in Mahale

  • After breakfast, enjoy another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.

  • Have lunch at the camp.

  • Spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours. Mahale is one of the best locations on Lake Tanganyika for fishing, so you will be able to catch a lot of fish in only a few hours. Some of the species caught here include sangara (Nile Perch) and kuhe.

5
Day 05

Mahale Forest Tracking and Lake Fishing

  • After breakfast, enjoy another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.

  • Eat lunch at the camp.

  • Spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours. Mahale is one of the best locations on Lake Tanganyika for fishing, so you will be able to catch a lot of fish in only a few hours. Some of the species caught here include sangara (Nile Perch) and kuhe.

6
Day 06

Mahale Trekking and Fishing

  • After breakfast, enjoy another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.

  • Eat lunch at the camp.

  • Spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours. Mahale is one of the best locations on Lake Tanganyika for fishing; hence, you will be able to catch a lot of fish in only a few hours. Some of the species caught here include sangara (Nile Perch) and kuhe.

7
Day 07

Flight from Mahale to Katavi

  • Transfer to the airstrip for a flight to Katavi.

  • Enjoy en-route game drives.

Overnight at Bandas.

8
Day 08

Game Drive in Katavi National Park

  • After breakfast, enjoy a game drive in Katavi National Park with your Tanzania tour guide. This remote national park in western Tanzania is probably the wildest and most untouched reserve in the whole of Africa. Katavi contains one of the highest concentrations of wildlife among the Tanzanian parks. Thousands of buffaloes, antelopes, and elephants roaming around the park provide ample feeding opportunities for the hundreds of prides of lions and other predators sharing the habitat. The park also offers a good opportunity to view rare species such as cheetahs and wild dogs. Other predators include leopards and hyenas. Prominent species include zebras, eland, topi, impala, hartebeest, waterbucks, giraffe, reedbuck, and Defassa.

Dinner and overnight at Bandas.

9
Day 09

Birdlife and Wildlife Viewing in Katavi

  • After breakfast, continue with another early morning game drive with a picnic lunch. Prominent bird species at the rivers include yellow-billed, open-billed, and saddle-billed storks, pink-backed pelicans, African spoonbills, and numerous herons, egrets, and plovers. Raptors include fish eagles, bateleurs, and white-backed vultures. Other species are also found in the woodland and floodplain areas of the park.

Dinner and overnight at Bandas.

10
Day 10

Drive from Katavi to Kigoma

  • Take a private car and drive to Mpanda for breakfast.

  • Drive onwards to Uvinza.

  • Upon arriving in Kigoma in the evening, drop off at Mapinduzi Hotel.

11
Day 11

Flight from Kigoma to Dar es Salaam

  • Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Dar es Salaam Airport, then connect to your flight to Zanzibar.

Mahale National Park chimp forests, Lake Tanganyika shoreline, Katavi National Park floodplains

Where this trip takes you

Mahale National Park chimp forests, Lake Tanganyika shoreline, Katavi National Park floodplains

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Dar es Salaam 6 cities · 12 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Overland transfer from Kigoma to Sigunga and, on the last day, return transfer to Kigoma from Sigunga after Mahale
  • Speedboat from Sigunga to Mahale and return transfer on the last day
  • All park fees
  • All guide fees
  • One litre of water every day
  • Accommodation in a rest house / Bandas in Mahale

What's Not Included

  • Food while in Mahale, approximately USD 30 per person per day
  • Accommodation while in Kigoma
  • Transfers on arrival

Know before you go

  • Different accommodations have different rates on safari.

  • Katavi flight time is 10:15 AM, arriving in Katavi at 11:05 AM.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tour start
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 12 days finish where they began, in Dar es Salaam.

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Estimated room rates

Single Room $3,000.00 — $3,450.00
Double Sharing $3,000.00 — $3,450.00

When

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