Gombe Stream National Park- Travel Tips
What to See, How to Plan & Tours- Natural Scenery
- 5 Reviews
Introduction & Location
Located on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania, Gombe Stream National Park is one of the country’s most intimate and unique protected areas. Although it covers only around 35–52 km² depending on the source, this narrow strip of forest rising from the lake into steep ridges demonstrates remarkable variety of terrain.
The park was upgraded to national park status in 1968 and gained worldwide recognition thanks to the pioneering work of primatologist Jane Goodall, who began her study of wild chimpanzees here.
The setting is distinctive: ancient forest clinging to steep valleys, small streams winding through the terrain, and the neighbouring lake providing a fresh and unexpected lakeshore contrast.
Wildlife & Key Experiences
The central attraction here is chimpanzee trekking. The fully habituated chimp communities in Gombe allow visitors to observe chimp behaviour in natural habitat — feeding, socialising, climbing, resting.
Besides chimps, the park hosts a rich array of other primates: olive baboons, red colobus monkeys, red‑tailed and blue monkeys, vervet monkeys. For bird‑lovers, the park boasts over 200 species of birds and a wealth of butterfly and fish life around the lake shore.
Activities that stand out:
- Guided forest hikes and chimp‑trekking excursions
- Scenic walks along lake‑shore trails, enjoying the remote lake setting and landscape change
- Bird and primate observation, photography opportunities in a less‑crowded reserve
Planning Your Visit
Access & Timing
Because of its remote western location, reaching Gombe Stream requires some planning. The typical route is flying into Kigoma, then travelling by boat to the park. The timing matters: the best chances for chimp sightings tend to be during the drier months (June‑October), when trails are clearer and chimp groups stay lower.
Accommodation & Stay Length
With limited lodge options in‑park and boat access only, many visitors plan 2–3 nights to allow time for trekking and to deal with boat schedules. Budget travellers may mix boat/overnight in nearby village to optimise cost.
Trekking & Visitor Tips
- Book chimpanzee permits ahead; groups are guided
- Dress for humid forest conditions: long sleeves, good hiking shoes, insect repellent
- Respect park rules: keep minimum distance from chimps, don’t feed wildlife, follow ranger guidance
- Expect simpler infrastructure compared to larger northern‑circuit parks; this is part of the appeal
Conservation & Responsible Travel
Visiting Gombe isn’t just about ticking off a safari item — the park plays a key role in chimpanzee research and conservation. Over decades the Jane Goodall Institute’s work at the site has yielded world‑leading insights into primate behaviour. Travellers support conservation by choosing responsible tours, minimising footprint, respecting community links.
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Reviews of Gombe
Lisa Petrtýlová - 4
It's a paradise, for those willing to pay the price. This place is famous thanks to Jane Goodall who still comes every year and continues her research on chimpanzees that she habituated to humans. The best time to come is November/ December when you can see chimps in groups, other times it's harder to track them, IT'S NOT GUARANTEED TO SEE ANY, and if you lucky you spot 2 or three. Logistics : we didn't find much info apart from private boat for around 150$ However there are 2 other options to get there we tried both of them. We took public boat that leaves everyday except Sunday from port at 12h30. Cost was around 1$. Boat is shaded, life jackets were provided, time to Gombe was about 3h. It was ok, because there were good conditions, no waves. Entrance to the park 100$ without VAT! Tracking fee per group 20$ Accomodation 21$ (cheapest option, even if you have your own tent the price is the same) room is average, water pressure terrible Meals 5$ The best thing about this place is that there was noone just baboons and it has a great access to the beach with crystal clear water. Next day after the track we took public boat again leaving around 3pm to Mwagongo (30 min ride for about 0,25$) this time it was a bumpy ride, hard to board the boat, got completely wet :D We camped in the village ( the leaders of the village ended up persuading us to camp inside the village hall cause they were worried about our safety- apparently noone ever camped there before) it was completely free of charge, in the village we bought food ( rive beans chapati ) and water . Next day we hiked for 4h+ (uphill) to Kwa Bibi area from there we took a boda to a nearest road and from there public mini bus back to Kigoma, which was even cheaper than taking the boat again back to Kigoma ( the boat leaves at 7am) THIS IS PROBABLY THE CHEAPEST WAY TO VISIT GOMBE :)
Larisa T - 5
Yes, it's expensive to visit and awkward to get to, but this results in fewer visitors and makes Gombe Stream a peaceful and uncrowded place and hopefully will help protect and preserve these magnificent primates. I chose to stay 1 night at one of the four or so lakeside tents ($59 pp) but cheaper rest house accommodation was also available. The tent was great, with a comfortable bed, white bedlinen, hot shower, toilet, deck with chairs, power outlet (no power cuts during my stay). There were no bugs and I didn't drop down the anti-mozzie net. I did one long trek in the morning with Ahadi who was a fantastic guide. We saw two families, followed them first on a path, then through the bush and were able to stay with and observe them for quite a long time (until they decided to take off) on a few occasions. It was pure joy watching the chimps, especially the youngsters and babies! They are so fascinating! The trek was everything I hoped to get from this trip. Very lucky with the weather - sunny and dry - even though it rains now almost every day. The trails were not really muddy (it rained the day before) or too slippery. The scenery was fantastic. I organised the trip on my own: booked return Dar to Kigoma flights with Air Tansania, hotel in Kigoma for one night and researched the park fees in advance (these I believe are available on the TANAPA website, also blogs and forums. They haven't changed in a while.) What was not clear was how to arrange a boat transfer from Kigoma and its price with prices mentioned on the internet to be anywhere from $150 to $300 for the return journey. In the end, I managed to contact the Gombe visitor center in Kigoma and the super helpful Iddi aranged a TANAPA boat and a transfer from the airport to the TANAPA boat dock via WhatsApp. The costs are as follows: approx. $90 cash for the fuel (I paid TZS) payable to the boat captain, and $23.6 per boat + $23.6 per night waiting time to the park by card when you arrive in the park. The boat was very nice and the ride to the park very scenic and took approx. 1 hour 15 minutes one way. Tipping (park guide, chimp finder / checker, boat captain) is expected, appreciated and well-deserved - all the park staff were great and a pleasure to deal with. Even though Air Tanzania cancelled one of my flights and messed my park visit plans, it all worked very well for me in the end, and I had a superb experience in the park.
Sadashiv N - 5
Gombe National Park was an incredible experience. We stayed for two days and one night there. The park ranger Mr. Saanane was very cordial and got our entry permits sorted quickly. We had a guide assigned who took us around on both days. We were lucky to have sighted chimpanzees within 15 minutes of arriving in the park. On the second morning, we hiked across the island to see several breathtaking views (Jane's Peak) and refreshed ourselves at a waterfall, besides sighting more chimps (this time they weren't closeby and were on the trees). We stayed in a luxury tent which was on the lakeside and had great amenities (there are cheaper options such as guesthouse rooms also available). Our trip was arranged by Roaring Tours and Safaris, who were very good and affordable overall. Amos, our chef who accompanied us, was a creative genius with his culinary skills!
Lydie C - 5
It was one of the best experience of my whole life. We were two. We made a day trip and it was enough for us. We left Kigoma at 7am with a private boat (around 140$ for the day). We arrived after 2 hours at Gombe National park. People there were very welcoming. We paid entrance fees 118$ per person plus guide fee 23,6$ for the group (max 6 people). You don't have the choice to pay fees by card and there is 1,5% additional taxes. It could be interesting to go to Gombe National park office in Kigoma to prepared the trip. We didn't, but if you don't have any contact it will be easier. Paulo the ranger who guided us there give us a lot of explanations during the trek, we learned a lot. After only two hours of trekking in a stunning, but sometimes challenging, landscape, we met three chimps. A mother and her children. It was incredible to see them eating, jumping and relaxing on the trees. We stayed one hour close to them (it is the maximum you can stay with chimps, to a 10 meters distance). The trek was not really hard, but you have to take good hiking shoes and water. We also saw waterfalls and Jane's peak. After the trek, we did go down for lunch. The meal is provided for 10$ per person. Try the local fish it is delicious ! We left the park around 3pm because the weather was not the best, but you can stay for others activities like swimming, kayaking, snorkelling...
Jamie Hunt - 5
Gombe was an incredible park. Loads of Chimpanzees to meet very close to the park gate, we were able to get super close to the wild animals. Knowledgeable guide who knew exactly where we found the chimps and knew them all by name. We also met the Vice President of Tanzania who happened to be visiting that day! Made selfies & nice chat with him. 😃
