An hour with our closest living relatives
Tanzania holds two of the most important chimpanzee research sites in the world, Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains, both on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Trekking means walking into forest with guides who have followed the group since dawn, then spending a strictly limited period with them.
Trackers locate the group early and radio their position. You walk in, sometimes steeply and often through thick, humid forest, and there is no way to predict whether it takes forty minutes or four hours. When you reach them, the hour is timed. Chimpanzees move constantly, so the hour may be spent following them through undergrowth rather than sitting still.
Photography is difficult: the forest is dark, the animals are fast, and flash is prohibited. Many people find it better to watch than to shoot.
Chimpanzees are susceptible to human respiratory disease, and an ordinary cold can kill members of a habituated group. If you have any respiratory symptoms you will not be permitted to track, and no refund applies. This is enforced by park authorities and is one of the reasons these populations still exist.
Seasons shift year to year. Treat these as a guide and confirm with your operator.
Dry season. Easier walking and most camps open.
Wetter, but chimpanzees often forage lower on the slopes, shortening the walk.
Three nights minimum, to give yourself more than one tracking morning.
Answer a few questions and get a complete day by day plan with a printable route map, matched to a verified Tanzanian operator. Free to plan, no commission on anything you book.