Mwanza · Tanzania
Mahale Mountains National Park
Forested mountains falling straight into Lake Tanganyika, and the finest chimpanzee trekking in Africa.
Overview
Mahale is the most remote and, for many people, the most beautiful park in Tanzania: a range of forested peaks rising to 2,462 metres on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, with no roads inside it at all. You arrive by light aircraft and then by boat, and you move around on foot. The reason to make the journey is the chimpanzees. The Mahale mountains hold around a thousand of them, and the M group has been studied continuously by Japanese researchers since 1965, which means they are thoroughly habituated - an hour spent sitting a few metres from a chimpanzee family here is one of the great wildlife experiences anywhere. Trekking is a real hike, often two to four hours of steep, humid forest. Between treks there is the lake itself: some of the clearest freshwater in the world, home to hundreds of endemic cichlid species, and swimming, snorkelling and kayaking straight off a white sand beach with the forest behind you.
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Operators serving Mahale Mountains National Park
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Kigoma Hilltop Hotel
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Tanzania Safari Expertise
Where these are, around Mahale Mountains National Park
60 listings with a mapped location.
Map of 60 listings
- Listed
What Mahale Mountains National Park costs
All-in on the ground, per person per day, excluding international flights. Ranges rather than a single figure, because accommodation and group size move the total more than anything else.
| Style | Per person, per day |
|---|---|
| Camping or budget lodge, shared vehicle | $350 – $500 |
| Mid-range lodge | $500 – $900 |
| Luxury camp, private vehicle | $900 – $1,800 |
Of that, $100 – $160 a day is government fees set by TANAPA. Every operator pays the same, so a quote below this floor is not a better deal — it is a different trip.
Chimpanzee tracking permit, per person: $80
Add this to a whole-trip estimate
Indicative figures checked for 2026. Park fees are revised annually and some are quoted before VAT — confirm current rates with your operator or the park authority before you book.
When to visit Mahale Mountains National Park
Month by month: wildlife, weather and how busy it gets.
October
Short rains — brief afternoon storms, green landscapes, fewer visitors.
- Wildlife
- Wildlife: 4 / 5
- Weather
- Weather: 3 / 5
- Crowds
- Crowds: 2 / 5
- Rainfall
- 90 mm
- Temperature
- 18–29 °C
Show all twelve monthsHide the full table
| Best time to visit | Wildlife | Weather | Crowds | Rainfall | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 130 mm | 18–28 °C |
| FebruaryWet month — expect rain most days, and lush, difficult country. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 130 mm | 18–28 °C |
| MarchLong rains — some tracks impassable and some camps closed. Lowest prices. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 180 mm | 18–27 °C |
| AprilLong rains — some tracks impassable and some camps closed. Lowest prices. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 180 mm | 18–27 °C |
| MayShort rains — brief afternoon storms, green landscapes, fewer visitors. | Wildlife: 4 / 5 | Weather: 4 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 70 mm | 17–28 °C |
| JunePeak dry season — the best game viewing and the highest prices. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 3 / 5 | 10 mm | 16–28 °C |
| JulyPeak seasonChimps range low on the slopes — the shortest treks of the year. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 4 / 5 | 5 mm | 16–28 °C |
| AugustPeak seasonPeak dry season — the best game viewing and the highest prices. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 5 / 5 | Crowds: 4 / 5 | 10 mm | 16–29 °C |
| SeptemberDry season — good roads, thinner bush, animals gathering at water. | Wildlife: 5 / 5 | Weather: 4 / 5 | Crowds: 3 / 5 | 30 mm | 17–30 °C |
| OctoberShort rains — brief afternoon storms, green landscapes, fewer visitors. | Wildlife: 4 / 5 | Weather: 3 / 5 | Crowds: 2 / 5 | 90 mm | 18–29 °C |
| NovemberLong rains — some tracks impassable and some camps closed. Lowest prices. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 160 mm | 18–28 °C |
| DecemberLong rains — some tracks impassable and some camps closed. Lowest prices. | Wildlife: 3 / 5 | Weather: 2 / 5 | Crowds: 1 / 5 | 160 mm | 18–28 °C |