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

• Drive Time: Approximately 5-6 hours.
• Highlight: An evening boat safari on the Rufiji River with hippos and crocodiles.

Following an early breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up for the scenic drive to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). Upon arrival, you'll check into the Selous Safari Lodge, a beautiful lodge nestled along the Rufiji River, and enjoy a delicious lunch. 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
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: Game drive within the park.
• Highlight: Experiencing a full day of game drives in the vast wilderness.

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
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: Game drive within the park.
• Highlight: Tracking predators and spotting diverse birdlife.

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
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: Approximately 5-6 hours.
• Highlight: A unique walking safari in the bush.

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. After lunch, you will begin the journey back to Dar es Salaam, returning to the comfort and familiarity of the Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel for a relaxing evening.

• Accommodation: Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: Approximately 20-30 minutes to DAR, then a 2.5-3-hour flight.
• Highlight: Panoramic views of Lake Tanganyika from your hotel.

Enjoy a relaxed morning and breakfast before being transferred to Dar es Salaam's domestic terminal for your flight to Kigoma. Upon arrival at Kigoma Airport, a representative will meet you and drive you to the Kigoma Hilltop Hotel. Perched on a hill, the hotel offers breathtaking views of Lake Tanganyika. The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the serene surroundings, marveling at the vastness of Africa's second-deepest lake.

• Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

• Drive Time: Short drive to the port, followed by a 1.5-2 hour boat ride.
• Highlight: Your first encounter with Gombe's famous chimpanzees.

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. Upon arrival, you'll settle into your camp before an exciting late-afternoon trek to find and observe one of the resident chimpanzee families.

• Accommodation: Gombe Special Tents

• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: Trekking is on foot.
• Highlight: Immersive, full-day chimpanzee encounters in their natural habitat.

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
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: A 1.5-2-hour boat ride back to Kigoma, followed by a short drive.
• Highlight: A final morning in Gombe before a scenic boat ride.

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. Back at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, you can enjoy a relaxing afternoon and reflect on your incredible experiences in Gombe.

• Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Drive Time: A short drive to Kigoma Airport, followed by a 2.5-3 hour flight.
• Highlight: A final evening in Dar es Salaam to relax.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast overlooking Lake Tanganyika before being transferred to Kigoma Airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam. Upon landing at DAR, you will be met and driven back to the Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel. 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.

• Accommodation: Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel
• Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

• Drive Time: Approx. 30-45 minutes to Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR).
• Highlight: Saying goodbye to Tanzania.

After enjoying your last breakfast in Tanzania, your driver will pick you up from the hotel and transfer you to Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) for your international departure flight. You leave with cherished memories of the diverse wildlife and remote beauty of Southern and Western Tanzania.

• Accommodation: None
• Meals Included: Breakfast