Gombe Stream
Jane Goodall's research site. Tanzania's smallest national park and its most famous chimpanzee community.
The Gombe at a Glance
The scale and character of this destination, briefly.
An Gombe Primer
Everything worth knowing before you visit.
Gombe is where Jane Goodall arrived in 1960 and began her revolutionary study of chimpanzees.
The park is tiny — 52 km², the smallest in Tanzania — but historically the most important single site in primatology. Accessed by boat from Kigoma town.
What You'll See
The species you can realistically expect in Gombe — with honest context on season and where.
Inside Gombe
The distinct areas and experiences within Gombe.
The Kasakela community
Goodall's original study group. Roughly 60 individuals. They're deeply habituated and trackable most days. Tracker-led walks into the forest, chimp observation sessions.
Goodall's legacy
The Jane Goodall Institute still operates at Gombe. Visitors can stop at the research centre, see the old observation feeding area (no longer used), and learn about ongoing conservation efforts.
Getting here
Fly Arusha–Kigoma (1 flight per day). Then a 2-hour boat ride up Lake Tanganyika to the park. Small scale — the accommodation is rustic, a handful of beds only.
Accommodations in Gombe
From mid-range classics to ultra-luxury tented camps. Swipe to compare.
Premium
$720 / night
Seven tented suites on the Tanganyika shore. Chimp tracking, swimming in the lake, forest walks. The only accommodation option in the park area.
Mid-range
$180 / night
Your arrival and departure base in Kigoma. 30 rooms overlooking Lake Tanganyika. Easy access to the Gombe boat.
From the Field
A visual sample of what Gombe offers.
What You'll Do
The experiences we build into every Gombe itinerary.
Tracker-led forest walk to find the Kasakela community — Goodall's original study group. When found, you sit 10m away for an hour.
Daily · $125pp permitStop at the Jane Goodall Institute research centre. See the old observation feeding area (no longer used) and learn about ongoing conservation.
Half-day
The lake water is crystal clear, 20m visibility, endemic cichlid fish. Swimming is actively encouraged at camp beaches.
Free at campsTwo-hour boat journey from Kigoma town — itself an experience. Traditional dhows pass by, fishermen at work, cliffs of the Rift Valley.
Access · IncludedWhen to Visit Gombe
Jul–Oct, Dec–Mar
Practical Details
The key info for fitting this destination into your trip.
Safaris That Include Gombe
Our signature trips that feature Gombe on the itinerary.
Mahale
Chimpanzee tracking on the Lake Tanganyika shore. No roads, no vehicles, just the forest and 60 chimpanzees.
Katavi
Tanzania's most remote national park. Buffalo herds in the thousands, hippo pods so dense they stack on top of each other.
Cultural Tours
Maasai bomas, Hadza hunter-gatherers, Chagga coffee farms. Tanzania beyond the wildlife.