Tanzania · Safari

12-Day Safari from Dar es Salaam to Mahale and Katavi

12 Days Round trip from Dar es Salaam Easy pace
Local Football game
Game drive
The Maasai Mara Game Reserves
Mahale Mountains National Park

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Experience mesmerising chimpanzee encounters in Mahale's lush forests
  • 02 Enjoy exciting fishing expeditions on Lake Tanganyika, with chances to catch Sangara and Kuhe
  • 03 Explore Katavi's untouched wilderness on thrilling game drives
  • 04 Embrace the tranquillity of Mahale Mountain National Park's serene landscapes

Embark on a 12-day adventure through Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Mahale National Park, and Katavi National Park in western Tanzania. This journey combines mesmerising chimpanzee tracking in Mahale's lush forests with fishing by boat on Lake Tanganyika and game drives in the wild, untouched landscapes of Katavi. Along the way, travel by road, speed boat, and flight as you explore some of Tanzania's most remote safari destinations before returning to Dar es Salaam.

This journey combines mesmerising chimpanzee tracking in Mahale's lush forests with fishing by boat on Lake Tanganyika and game drives in the wild, untouched landscapes of Katavi.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 12 Days
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Included · Budget
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
Cities Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Uvinza, Mpanda, Zanzibar, Katavi National Park, Mahale Mountains National Park
Languages Arabic, English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Arrival in Dar es Salaam

  • Arrive in Dar es Salaam.
  • Drive to Royal Mirage for an overnight stay.
2
Day 02

Flight from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma

  • Have breakfast, then head to the airport for your flight to Kigoma.
  • Drive to the hotel.
3
Day 03

Journey to Mahale National Park

  • After breakfast, drive from your hotel in Kigoma to Sunuka.
  • Board a speed boat and continue to Mahale National Park.
  • Proceed to the Banda for afternoon beach safaris.
4
Day 04

Chimpanzee Tracking and Lake Fishing

  • After breakfast, set out for an early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.
  • Have lunch at camp, then spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours. Mahale is one of the best locations on Lake Tanganyika for fishing, so you will be able to catch a lot of fish in only a few hours. Some of the species caught here are Sangara (Nile Perch) and Kuhe.
5
Day 05

Chimpanzee Tracking in Mahale

  • After breakfast, enjoy another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.
  • Have lunch at the camp, then spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours.
6
Day 06

Forest Viewing and Fishing by Boat

  • After breakfast, enjoy another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.
  • Have lunch at the camp, then spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours.
7
Day 07

Another Day in Mahale Mountains

  • After breakfast, proceed for another early morning game viewing experience with chimpanzee tracking in the forest.
  • Have lunch at the camp, then spend the rest of the afternoon fishing by boat on the lake for 2-3 hours.
8
Day 08

Transfer from Mahale to Katavi

  • Transfer to the airstrip.
  • Take the SAL flight to Katavi.
9
Day 09

Game Drive in Katavi National Park

  • After breakfast, go on a game drive in Katavi National Park. This remote national park in western Tanzania is probably the wildest and most untouched reserve in the whole of Africa.

Dinner and overnight stay at Bandas.

10
Day 10

Wildlife and Birdlife of Katavi

  • After breakfast, continue with another early morning game drive with a picnic lunch. Prominent bird species at the rivers include yellow-billed, open-billed, and saddle-billed stork, pink-backed pelican, African spoonbill, and numerous herons, egrets, and plovers. Raptors include fish eagle, bateleur, and white-backed vulture. Other species are also found in the woodland and floodplain areas of the park.

Dinner and overnight stay at Bandas.

11
Day 11

Overland Journey to Kigoma

  • Drive by private car to Mpanda for breakfast.
  • Continue the drive to Uvinza.

Evening drop-off at Mapinduzi Hotel.

12
Day 12

Return to Dar es Salaam

  • Drive to the airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam airport. Tourists will catch connecting flights to Zanzibar.
Mahale National Park chimpanzees, Lake Tanganyika fishing, Katavi National Park game drives

Where this trip takes you

Mahale National Park chimpanzees, Lake Tanganyika fishing, Katavi National Park game drives

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Dar es Salaam 7 cities · 12 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Professional safari guide
  • Overland transfer from Kigoma to Sigunga
  • On the last day after Mahale, you will be picked up from Sigunga and taken back to Kigoma
  • Speed boat from Sigunga to Mahale, then on the last day from Mahale back to Sigunga
  • All park fees
  • All guide fees
  • 1 litre of water every day
  • Accommodation in a rest house/bandas in Mahale

What's Not Included

  • The price excludes food while in Mahale (this might cost approximately USD 30 per person per day)
  • Accommodation while in Kigoma
  • Transfers on arrival

Know before you go

  • This tour can start from:

    • Arusha by bus for one day through Kahama to Kigoma

    • From Mwanza

    • From Sumbawanga

  • Katavi contains one of the highest concentrations of wildlife among the Tanzanian parks. Thousands of buffaloes, antelopes, and elephants roam around the park. The park provides a good opportunity to view the rare species of cheetah and wild dogs. Other predators include leopards and hyenas. Prominent species include zebras, eland, topi, impala, hartebeest, waterbucks, giraffe, reedbuck, and Defassa.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tour start
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 12 days finish where they began, in Dar es Salaam.

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Starting from

USD 1,725 /person
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Estimated room rates

Single Room $1,725.00 — $3,450.00
Double Sharing $1,725.00

When

Travellers

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