7 days
Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania – Transfer to Hotel
Upon arrival at Dar es Salaam, you will be met by your safari representative and transferred to your hotel. You will receive a full briefing about your 7-day western Tanzania safari, including flight schedules, trekking guidelines, and park information. The rest of the day is for relaxation and preparation.
Day 2: Fly to Gombe Stream National Park – Arrival & First Forest Walk
After breakfast, you take a flight from Dar es Salaam to western Tanzania, followed by a scenic boat transfer across Lake Tanganyika to reach Gombe Stream National Park. Upon arrival, you check in at your lodge and enjoy lunch.
In the afternoon, you take a light introductory forest walk to explore the chimpanzee habitat. This first walk gives you a chance to spot chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, baboons, and rich birdlife while learning the forest trails. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 3: Full-Day Chimpanzee Trekking Experience
After an early breakfast, you begin a full-day chimpanzee trekking experience deep in the rainforest. Guided by expert rangers, you track chimpanzee groups using calls, nests, and movement signs until you locate them.
Once found, you spend extended time observing their natural behaviors such as grooming, feeding, playing, and social interactions. A picnic lunch is enjoyed in the forest or at the lodge depending on trekking distance. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 4: Final Chimpanzee Trek – Transfer to Katavi National Park
In the morning, you enjoy a final short chimpanzee trek or forest walk for one last wildlife experience in Gombe. After lunch, you transfer by boat and flight connection toward Katavi National Park.
Upon arrival in Katavi, you are transferred to your lodge or tented camp. Dinner and overnight in the wilderness.
Day 5: Full-Day Game Drive in Katavi National Park
Today is dedicated to a full-day safari in Katavi National Park. You explore vast open plains, seasonal rivers, and floodplains filled with wildlife. Expect to see massive buffalo herds, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, and predators such as lions.
You enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush while continuing your game drive until sunset. Dinner and overnight at the camp.
Day 6: Katavi Wildlife Exploration
After breakfast, you head out for another full-day game drive exploring deeper sections of Katavi. You visit hippo pools, river systems, and remote wilderness areas where wildlife gathers in large numbers, especially during the dry season.
This day offers excellent photography opportunities and close encounters with untouched African wilderness. Dinner and overnight at the camp.
Day 7: Morning Game Drive – Return to Dar es Salaam
After breakfast, you enjoy a final short game drive in Katavi, depending on time. Later, you transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Dar es Salaam.
Upon arrival, you are transferred to your hotel or airport, marking the end of your unforgettable 7-day Gombe and Katavi safari adventure.
Return domestic flights (Dar es Salaam – western Tanzania – Dar es Salaam)
Airport and airstrip transfers in all destinations
Boat transfers across Lake Tanganyika (airstrip – Gombe Stream National Park – airstrip)
Park entry fees for Gombe Stream National Park
Accommodation (6 nights in lodge or forest camp)
All meals during safari (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Gombe Stream National Park
Professional English-speaking safari guide and park ranger services
Bottled drinking water during activities
Government taxes and conservation fees
Full safari briefing and 24/7 on-ground support during the trip
International flights to and from Tanzania
Tanzania visa fees
Travel insurance
Personal expenses (laundry, souvenirs, phone calls, etc.)
Alcoholic and soft drinks
Tips and gratuities for guides, rangers, boat crew, and lodge staff
Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Accommodation before and after the safari in Dar es Salaam unless requested
Why Choose This 7-Day Gombe Stream & Katavi National Parks Safari
This 7-day safari combining Gombe Stream National Park and Katavi National Park is a rare and powerful western Tanzania adventure that blends chimpanzee trekking with classic, untouched African wilderness.
One of the main reasons to choose this safari is the unique combination of two completely different ecosystems—the lush rainforest of Gombe and the vast savannah plains of Katavi. This gives travelers two distinct and unforgettable wildlife experiences in a single journey.
Another key advantage is the opportunity to experience both primate and big game wildlife. In Gombe, you track wild chimpanzees in their natural habitat, while in Katavi you witness massive herds of buffalo, elephants, hippos, and predators in one of Tanzania’s most remote and untouched national parks.
This safari is also ideal because of its exclusive and off-the-beaten-path nature. Both parks receive far fewer visitors compared to northern circuits, offering a more private, authentic, and crowd-free safari experience.
It is perfect for adventure travelers, photographers, researchers, and wildlife enthusiasts who want a deeper, more meaningful safari combining rainforest trekking and classic African game viewing in one unforgettable itinerary.
Best Time to Visit 7 Days Gombe Stream and Katavi National Parks
The best time to visit this 7-day safari covering Gombe Stream National Park and Katavi National Park is during the dry season from June to October.
During these months, wildlife viewing conditions are excellent in both parks. In Katavi, animals concentrate around shrinking water sources, creating dramatic scenes with large herds of buffalo, elephants, hippos, and predators such as lions and crocodiles. This makes game viewing very intense and rewarding.
In Gombe, the dry season makes chimpanzee trekking much easier because forest trails are less slippery and chimpanzees are easier to track as they move through more accessible parts of the forest.
Weather conditions are generally sunny and stable, which makes travel, trekking, and photography more enjoyable, with clear views across Lake Tanganyika.
The green season from November to May offers lush scenery and fewer tourists, but heavy rains between March and May can make forest trails and remote park roads more challenging.
