Gombe National Park

Tanzania’s smallest national park (52 km²) sits on the forested shore of Lake Tanganyika, rising steeply up the Rift Valley escarpment. This is where Jane Goodall began her pioneering chimpanzee research in the 1960s — the world’s longest-running study of a wild animal population continues here today.

No roads • Access by boat or on foot only

Lake Tanganyika

Forested shoreline of Africa’s deepest lake

Rift Escarpment

Steep forested slopes of the Great Rift Valley

Jane Goodall Legacy

Home of the longest continuous chimpanzee study

Exclusive Access

Low visitor numbers keep the experience intimate

Wildlife

Chimpanzees

Olive Baboons

Red-tailed Monkeys

Red Colobus

Diademed Monkeys

Leopards

Bushbucks

Buffalo

Fish Eagles

Palm-nut Vultures

Wild chimpanzees are the headline attraction. The park is also rich in other primates and birds, with African fish eagles and palm-nut vultures regularly seen along the lakeshore.

Activities

Chimpanzee Trekking

The main draw. Permit-based treks lasting 2–8 hours, led by rangers, with about an hour spent observing chimps feeding, grooming, and socializing.

Guided Forest Walks

Explore the forest for other primates, birds, and the lush tropical scenery of Gombe’s steep slopes.

Swimming & Snorkeling

Swim or snorkel in Lake Tanganyika, home to around 100 colorful cichlid fish species found nowhere else.

Jane Goodall Sites

Visit the Research Centre and the site of her original 1960s field camp for those interested in the history of primatology.

Getting There

Accessible only by boat from Kigoma town. Kigoma itself is reached by flight from Dar es Salaam or Arusha — part of what keeps visitor numbers low and the experience exclusive.

Good to Know

Group sizes for chimpanzee trekking are strictly limited. Permits should be booked well in advance to secure your place.