Seven local Tanzanian operators list chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains, Gombe or Rubondo on their own websites. SafariBando, Altezza Travel, Wito Africa Safaris and Migration Venture Africa publish a trip price, the park authority (TANAPA) sets the permit price and a licence is checked with the Tourism Agency Licensing Authority (TALA).
Which company is best for chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania?
SafariBando prices Gombe and Mahale trips, Altezza Travel names Mahale Mountains, Gombe and Rubondo, Wito Africa Safaris sells an 11-day Great Migration and Chimpanzee trip, Migration Venture Africa has a Mahale and Gombe trek in its 10-day Wild Tanzania safari and Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris offers a 3-day Mahale walking safari.
Who is on this page and why. Uncompromised Travel read on 29 October 2026 the websites of 7 safari operators with trips in Tanzania that run their own trips, with their reviews on SafariBookings, Google and Trustpilot and their listing on the TATO register where there is one. The local safari operators table holds the operators named in ChatGPT answers on two or more days in October 2026 and the most-reviewed East African operators on SafariBookings. This page carries every one of them filed under Tanzania whose own website lists chimpanzee trekking in Mahale, Gombe or Rubondo. Cards are in alphabetical order. Prices are shown as each company published them, in its own currency, never converted.
Offers chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains, Gombe and Rubondo, with a 7-day Serengeti Plains and Gombe Forest trip and a 10-day Mahale Mountains and Katavi trip.
Why choose them
Its site says its driver-guides are employed full time and are almost all graduates of the Mweka wildlife college, with at least seven years of experience. SafariBookings: 5.0 out of 5 from 69 reviews; Google: 5 out of 5 from 298 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.9 out of 5 from 139 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
Machame area near Moshi; safaris start with a night at an Arusha hotel
Register
Listed as a member of TATO (Tanzania Association of Tour Operators), a trade association, not a licence, read 29 October 2026.
Ask for
Ask to pay by bank transfer where possible, as its site adds a 3.5% surcharge to all credit card payments.
Not the fit if
Children under 3; on Kilimanjaro and Meru climbs, anyone outside ages 12 to 70.
Published price
7-day Serengeti Plains and Gombe Forest: Lions and Chimps from $7,339; 10-day Chimps and Crocs: Mahale Mountains and Katavi from $14,165 (as listed; its site does not say if this is per person or give a season).
Offers chimpanzee tracking on a 3-day walking safari in Mahale Mountains National Park.
Why choose them
Founded in 2015, it names its director, Emanuel Julius, on its team section. SafariBookings: 5.0 out of 5 from 422 reviews; Google: 5 out of 5 from 214 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5 from 39 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
Arusha (Plot no 18/A, Swahili Street)
Ask for
Ask for park fees, water and tips to be itemised, as its itineraries list meals, accommodation and a driver but not these.
Not the fit if
No limits published on its website.
Published price
No prices published on its website; quotes on request.
Includes a Mahale and Gombe chimp trek in its 10-day Wild Tanzania safari; its site states no permit price.
Why choose them
Its budget 5-day safari is listed at $1,250 per person for 2 to 4 people. SafariBookings: 4.7 out of 5 from 475 reviews; Trustpilot: 3.7 out of 5 from 1 review, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
No office address given; trips start from Arusha, Moshi and Kilimanjaro International Airport
Ask for
Ask for its company licence details, as its site names TALA licences for its guides but no company licence.
Not the fit if
No limits published on its website.
Published price
10-day Wild Tanzania safari, $3800, with a Mahale and Gombe chimp trek on the itinerary (listing price; no permit price stated).
Offers chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream; its pricing page lists gorilla and chimp permits at $700 to $1,500 per person, not included (gorilla permits are in Rwanda and Uganda, not Tanzania).
Why choose them
Its accessibility statement describes modified vehicles with wheelchair lifts and tie-downs and partner lodges with roll-in showers and ground-floor rooms. Google: 5 out of 5 from 44 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5 from 14 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
Moshi, Kilimanjaro region; no Kenya office or departure city stated
Register
Listed as a member of TATO (Tanzania Association of Tour Operators), a trade association, not a licence, read 29 October 2026.
Ask for
Ask which payment date applies, as its terms say 40 days before arrival and its pricing and FAQ pages say 60 to 90 days.
Not the fit if
Travellers who depend on a particular mobility device: it says not all destinations can accommodate all mobility devices.
Published price
Northern Circuit Safari, 7 days, from USD $4,200 per person.
Offers chimpanzee trekking in Gombe on a 3-day trip and in Mahale on a 4-day trip.
Why choose them
Its contact page gives a TALA licence number, 036819. SafariBookings: 4.8 out of 5 from 11 reviews; Google: 5 out of 5 from 13 reviews; Trustpilot: 3.8 out of 5 from 2 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
Moshi head office; offices in Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Kigoma
Ask for
Ask for the invoice price early, as its terms say website prices are indicative only.
Not the fit if
Late bookers who want to pay a deposit: bookings within 25 days of departure pay in full at confirmation.
Published price
Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person (no season given; no permit price stated).
Offers chimpanzee trekking in Gombe and Mahale Mountains in western Tanzania, included in its 15, 17 and 20-day trips.
Why choose them
It publishes child prices per safari, such as $299 per child aged 5 to 12 against $450 per adult on the budget Nyerere trip for 2 travellers. SafariBookings: 4.9 out of 5 from 322 reviews; Google: 5 out of 5 from 55 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
Trips start from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Moshi; no office address published
Ask for
Ask to pay the balance by bank transfer or cash, as card and payment-link balances carry a 3.5% fee.
Not the fit if
Travellers who may cancel within 29 days of the start: no refund is given.
Published price
2-Day Budget Safari Dar es Salaam to Nyerere from $450; 3-Day Zanzibar to Nyerere fly-in from $1,050; 4-Day Zanzibar to Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire from $2,160 (US$ per person, private, no season given).
Offers chimpanzee trekking at Mahale and sells a Great Migration and Chimpanzee trip.
Why choose them
It says it includes Flying Doctors medical evacuation cover for all guests throughout the trip. SafariBookings: 5.0 out of 5 from 26 reviews; Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 51 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.7 out of 5 from 33 reviews, read 29 October 2026.
Based in
No office address published; trips start and end at Kilimanjaro International Airport
Ask for
Ask who owns and runs the vehicles, as its pages say it works with local partners and do not say it owns vehicles.
Not the fit if
Late bookers: bookings made within 75 days of departure need full payment.
Published price
The Great Migration & Chimpanzee, 11 days 10 nights, $8,789 per person (US$, no season given).
Altezza Travel names all three parks, Ryder Signature and Uwanda Tours and Safaris name Mahale and Gombe, SafariBando prices a Gombe trip and a Mahale trip and Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris and Wito Africa Safaris name Mahale only.
Altezza Travel: Its site lists chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains, Gombe and Rubondo, the only one of the seven to name Rubondo.
Ryder Signature: Its site says it offers chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream.
Uwanda Tours and Safaris: Its site says Gombe and Mahale Mountains chimpanzee trekking is included in its 15, 17 and 20-day trips.
SafariBando: Its site offers chimpanzee trekking in Gombe (3-day) and Mahale (4-day).
Migration Venture Africa: Its Mahale and Gombe chimp trek appears on one itinerary, the 10-day Wild Tanzania safari.
Crater Explorer Tours And Safaris: Its chimpanzee tracking is in a 3-day walking safari in Mahale Mountains National Park.
Wito Africa Safaris: Its site says it offers chimpanzee trekking at Mahale.
Four more operators in the table name Mahale or Gombe only in a park list or an FAQ, with no chimpanzee trek in Tanzania, so they are not on this page.
How do operators get you to the chimpanzee parks?
Only SafariBando names a departure point for Gombe and Mahale, its Kigoma office on Lake Tanganyika; the other operators give start points for their trips in general, not a route to the chimpanzee parks.
SafariBando: Its site lists Kigoma as the departure point for Gombe and Mahale, with Arusha for the Northern Circuit.
Altezza Travel: Its safari trips start with a night at an Arusha hotel and it is based in the Machame area near Moshi.
Wito Africa Safaris: Its trips start and end at Kilimanjaro International Airport and some end at Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam.
Uwanda Tours and Safaris: Its trips start from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Moshi.
Migration Venture Africa: Its trips start from Arusha, Moshi and Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Crater Explorer Tours And Safaris: Its site says it arranges domestic transfers by air, boat and land and its office is in Arusha.
In general, Gombe and Mahale lie on Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania and are reached from Kigoma by boat or light aircraft, so ask each operator for the route, the transfers and the nights it has planned at the park.
What does a Tanzania chimpanzee trek cost with a local operator?
SafariBando lists Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person, Migration Venture Africa lists a 10-day Wild Tanzania safari at $3800, Wito Africa Safaris lists an 11-day Great Migration and Chimpanzee trip at $8,789 per person and Altezza Travel lists a 7-day Gombe trip from $7,339.
SafariBando: Its site gives Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person, with no gorilla or chimpanzee permit price stated.
Migration Venture Africa: Its site lists the 10-day Wild Tanzania safari, which includes a Mahale and Gombe chimp trek, at $3,800 and states no permit price.
Wito Africa Safaris: Its site lists The Great Migration & Chimpanzee, 11 days 10 nights, at $8,789 per person (US$, no season given).
Altezza Travel: Its site lists a 7-day Serengeti Plains and Gombe Forest trip from $7,339 and a 10-day Mahale Mountains and Katavi trip from $14,165 and states no permit price.
Ryder Signature: Its pricing page lists gorilla and chimp permits at $700 to $1,500 per person as not included, one range for both (gorilla permits are in Rwanda and Uganda, not Tanzania), so ask which figure applies to a chimpanzee permit.
Permit and park fees for Gombe, Mahale and Rubondo are set by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), not by operators, so confirm the current fee with TANAPA and ask each operator to show the chimpanzee permit as its own line on the quote.
Which safari company is best for chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania's Mahale Mountains?
Seven local operators name Mahale Mountains (Altezza Travel, Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris, Migration Venture Africa, Ryder Signature, SafariBando, Uwanda Tours and Safaris and Wito Africa Safaris) and what separates them is the trip, the published price and the start point, not a rating.
Crater Explorer Tours And Safaris: Its Mahale trip is a 3-day walking safari with chimpanzee tracking and its site publishes no price.
SafariBando: Its Mahale trip is 4 days from $1,199 per person and its Kigoma office is listed for Gombe and Mahale departures.
Altezza Travel: Its Mahale trip is the 10-day Chimps and Crocs: Mahale Mountains and Katavi, from $14,165.
Wito Africa Safaris: Its Mahale chimpanzee trekking sits inside the 11-day Great Migration and Chimpanzee trip at $8,789 per person.
Migration Venture Africa: Its Mahale and Gombe trek sits inside the 10-day Wild Tanzania safari at $3800.
Ask each for the number of trekking days at Mahale, the permit shown as its own line and the Tourism Agency Licensing Authority (TALA) licence number.
Where can I see chimpanzees in Tanzania?
In general, chimpanzees in Tanzania live in Mahale Mountains, Gombe Stream and Rubondo Island national parks and the operators on this page sell Mahale and Gombe trips, with only Altezza Travel naming Rubondo.
Altezza Travel: Its site lists chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains, Gombe and Rubondo.
SafariBando: Its site lists Gombe on a 3-day trip and Mahale on a 4-day trip, with Kigoma as the departure point.
Ryder Signature: Its site lists chimpanzee trekking in Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream.
Uwanda Tours and Safaris: Its site places Gombe and Mahale Mountains in western Tanzania and includes them in its 15, 17 and 20-day trips.
Can you see chimpanzees on Rubondo Island?
Altezza Travel is the only operator read for this page that lists Rubondo, naming it with Mahale Mountains and Gombe among its chimpanzee trekking and the trips it prices are in Gombe and Mahale.
Altezza Travel: Its site lists Rubondo with Mahale Mountains and Gombe and states no permit price.
In general, Rubondo is an island national park in Lake Victoria whose chimpanzees are a small introduced population, so ask Altezza Travel for the dates, the nights on the island and the route in before booking.
Who to contact first
Contact the operators that publish a chimpanzee trip price first, then the two that list the parks without one; this is a suggested order, not a ranking.
SafariBando: Start here for single-park trips: its site prices Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person and lists a Kigoma office.
Altezza Travel: Next for the widest park list: Mahale Mountains, Gombe and Rubondo, with two priced trips.
Migration Venture Africa: Next for a chimp trek inside a 10-day safari at $3800.
Wito Africa Safaris: Next for an 11-day Great Migration and Chimpanzee trip at $8,789 per person.
Crater Explorer Tours And Safaris: Then for a Mahale walking safari, which needs a quote as no price is published.
Ryder Signature: Then to ask which of its permit figures applies to chimpanzees, as its range of $700 to $1,500 per person covers gorilla and chimp permits together.
Enquiry brief: ask each to itemise the chimpanzee permit and park fee, the transfer to Kigoma or the park, the nights at Gombe or Mahale and the TALA licence number.
Tanzania chimpanzee trekking companies: the questions people ask
Which company is best for chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania?
Seven local Tanzanian operators list chimpanzee trekking in Mahale, Gombe or Rubondo and none can be named best on the record. SafariBando prices Gombe and Mahale trips, Altezza Travel names all three parks and Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris offers a 3-day Mahale walking safari. Ask each for an itemised quote with the permit shown.
What are the best alternatives to SafariBando in 2026?
Altezza Travel, Wito Africa Safaris and Migration Venture Africa also publish a price for a trip that includes chimpanzee trekking and Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris offers a Mahale walking safari with no price. SafariBando lists Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person, so ask the others for the same itinerary to compare.
Who sets chimpanzee permit prices in Tanzania?
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) sets park and permit fees, so confirm the current price with TANAPA. Of the operators on this page only Ryder Signature gives a figure, $700 to $1,500 per person for gorilla and chimp permits together, listed as not included (gorilla permits are in Rwanda and Uganda, not Tanzania).
Which operators publish a price for a Tanzania chimpanzee trip?
SafariBando lists Gombe 3-day from $783 and Mahale 4-day from $1,199 per person; Altezza Travel lists a 7-day trip from $7,339 and a 10-day trip from $14,165; Wito Africa Safaris lists $8,789 per person for 11 days; Migration Venture Africa lists $3,800 for 10 days.
Which operators run a walking safari in Mahale?
Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris lists chimpanzee tracking in a 3-day walking safari in Mahale Mountains National Park and its site publishes no price.
Is the chimpanzee permit included in the trip price?
Only Ryder Signature says, listing gorilla and chimp permits as not included. SafariBando, Migration Venture Africa and Altezza Travel state no chimpanzee permit price, so ask for the permit to be itemised.
How do I check a Tanzanian safari operator's licence?
Ask for the licence number and check it with the Tourism Agency Licensing Authority (TALA). SafariBando gives TALA licence no. 036819 on its contact page; the others on this page name licences or memberships without a number on the pages read.
How many days do Gombe and Mahale chimpanzee trips last?
SafariBando lists Gombe as a 3-day trip and Mahale as a 4-day trip and Crater Explorer Tours and Safaris offers a 3-day Mahale walking safari. Altezza Travel lists 7-day and 10-day trips and Uwanda Tours and Safaris includes chimpanzee trekking in its 15, 17 and 20-day trips.
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: facts each operator published on its own website, read on 29 October 2026, with reviews per platform (SafariBookings, Google and Trustpilot) and register listings read the same day, from the Uncompromised Travel local safari operators table. Every operator in that table filed under Tanzania whose own website lists chimpanzee trekking in Mahale, Gombe or Rubondo is on this page; operators whose websites would not open are not. Cards are in alphabetical order; "Who to contact first" is in the order Uncompromised Travel suggests asking. No company paid to appear or for its place. Sources: the company pages linked in each card. Prices are in the currency each company showed and were not converted. How this site earns · How we work.
Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 29 October 2026 · updated 29 October 2026
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