Mahale Mountains National Park: Tracking Chimpanzees

Mahale Mountains National Park ranks among Africa's best places to trek wild chimpanzees, and getting there is part of the adventure: no roads lead in, so you arrive by boat along the shore of Lake Tanganyika. A trek here is not a fixed, predictable outing. How hard it is changes from day to day depending on where the chimpanzee community has traveled overnight, so each trek is different and your guide's tracking skill counts for a great deal. May through October is the best time to go, when the trails are drier and far easier to hike than in the wetter months. Mahale is a serious primate-trekking destination rather than a casual add-on, and it rewards travelers who want an encounter with wild chimpanzees instead of a general wildlife safari. Many combine it with nearby Gombe Stream for a dedicated primate itinerary in western Tanzania. Our Gombe Stream guide covers pairing options, or contact us to plan a Mahale trek.