Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park, also known as Gombe National Park is located in the western Kigoma Region, Tanzania, 10 miles north of Kigoma. At just 52 square kilometers of a protected fragile strip of land along the hills of the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe Stream National Park is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks and one of its remote parks featuring a similar environment to that of Mahale National Park. It is a sandy beach backed by steep hilly terrain slopes from the shores of Lake Tanganyika to the top of the Rift Valley slopes. Accessible only by boat, Gombe Stream National Park is most famous as a study site for Jane Goodall’s behavioral research of chimpanzee populations which started in the 1960s as part of her landmark study.
This park is a prime destination for chimpanzee tracking. During the dry season, from June to October, the days bring little or no rain. As a result, mosquitoes are fewer, and the chimps stay on the lower slopes. This makes them much easier to find.
In contrast, December to March is ideal for bird watchers. Hundreds of resident and migratory species fill the area. You can spot pelicans, storks, ospreys, vultures and many others in full breeding plumage.
How to Get There — Yoast-Optimized Version
Because the park is remote, most visitors arrive by air. You can fly from Dar es Salaam or other major towns in Tanzania. These flights connect to Kigoma, the closest town to the park.
From Kigoma, the journey continues by boat for about 20 km. This final stretch adds a sense of magic to the entire adventure.
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