Safari Guide to Mahale Mountains National Park 2026
Mahale Mountains National Park is a remote and magical destination of rainforest covered mountains located in the extreme west of Tanzania, the park is one of the most picturesque places in Tanzania bordering Lake Tanganyika, one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world.
Mahale Mountains National Park covers an area of 1,613 square kilometers with a topography dominated by Mahale range, a stretch of the Rift Valley Escarpment that rises sharply from the shores of Lake Tanganyika to the 2,462 m Nkungwe Peak and six other peaks that exceed 2,000 meters in elevation.
The park is named after the Mahale Mountains range that is within its borders, the park teems with rivers, waterfalls and a shore line of Lake Tanganyika and some of the most unspoilt white sandy beaches
Mahale Mountains National Park is probably the best place in the world for chimpanzee safaris hosting a population of a bout 1000 chimpanzees divided across a dozen of communities including habituated Minikere group of around 60 individuals.
Climate in Mahale Mountains National Park
The climate in Mahale Mountains National Park is warm all year – round with temperatures around 27 degrees during day and around 17 degrees during the nights. The higher areas re a bit cooler. The park experiences two seasons that is rain season from November to April and dry seasons, from June to September and October.
Primates in Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the only two protected areas for chimpanzees in the country, the park is a primate haven with more primates in addition to chimpanzees. These include yellow baboons, red colobus, blue monkey, red tailed monkey and vervet monkeys.
Other wildlife in Mahale Mountains National Park include crocodiles, otters, hippos among others.
Birdlife in Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park is a birder’s haven with more than 350 recorded bird species, these birds include forest birds and migratory bird species which make the park one of best sites to visit on a Tanzania birding safari.
Birds found in Mahale Mountains National Park include African fish eagle, Palm-nut vulture, Livingstone’s turaco, Vieillot’s black weaver, Giant kingfisher, Crested guinea fowl, Bamboo warbler, Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Crested guinea fowl, Crested malimbe, Crowned eagle, Livingstone’s turaco, Palm-nut vulture, Ross’s turaco, Scaly francolin, Stuhlmann’s starling, Trumpeter hornbill and Vieillot’s black weaver among others.
Tanzania safari activities in Mahale Mountains National Park
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking/chimpanzee safari is an incredible experience offering visitors a chance to come face to face with chimpanzees in their natural habitat, on this experience you can clearly see how smart and thoughtful chimpanzee area.
Depending on the season, chimpanzees are either high in the mountains or low and close to the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Chimpanzees are very active and trekking through the forest while looking for them can be a bit tiresome. It is important to have a guide who knows where to find the chimpanzees, after locating the group you are trekking you will spend a reasonable amount of time observing the chimpanzees and their behavior.
Bird watching
Mahale Mountains National Park is a great destination for a Tanzania birdwatching tour, the tropical forests host over 350 bird species which you will look for during this excursion. Some of the bird species to lookout for include African fish eagle, Palm-nut vulture, Livingstone’s turaco, Vieillot’s black weaver, Giant kingfisher, Crested guinea fowl, Bamboo warbler, Blue-cheeked bee-eater, Crested guinea fowl, Crested malimbe, Crowned eagle, Livingstone’s turaco, Palm-nut vulture, Ross’s turaco, Scaly francolin, Stuhlmann’s starling, Trumpeter hornbill and Vieillot’s black weaver among others.
Mountain Hiking
Hiking to the highest peak of Mahale Mountains range – Mount Nkungwe of 2,462 meters is a spectacular safari experience to enjoy in Mahale Mountains National Park, this activity is done in company of armed ranger guide and it takes 2 days of ascending and one day of descending with camping midway and again near the peak.
While camping at night, it is possible to see the spectacle of fishing fire as the Kerosene lamps carried by the small fishing boats light up across the lake.
Accommodation in Mahale Mountains National Park
How to get to Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park is accessible by air, road and boat. There are several flights, vehicles and boat options to suite the budget of most travelers.
By air – this is the easiest way to get to Mahale Mountains National Park, there are domestic and chartered flights operated from Arusha Airport to the park. These flights are operated by charter flight companies such as Air Excel, Northern Air and Regional Air among others.
By road – the road to provides access to Kigoma, it can be relatively rough and impassable, most especially during the rainy season. From Arusha it takes 2 to 3 hours to reach Kigoma by car.
The drives of 2 hours, south of Kigoma Via Simbo Village – 160 kilometers crossing Malagarasi river to Herembe Village or drive 122 kilometers to Siginga Village and arrange for a boat transfer to the park by the park’s headquarters.
By Boat – boat trips to Mahale Mountains National Park are done by speedboats or timber boats from Kigoma, the speedboat s take between 4 and 5 hours to reach the park and it takes 15 hours or more in timber boats.
When to visit Mahale Mountains National Park
The best time to visit Mahale Mountains National Park is during the dry season that is May – October, during this period chimpanzees are likely to be seen in big groups. The sunshine illuminates the fish in the lake and the beach is very inviting.
However, the park is accessible all year round. Visiting during the rainy season also offers a memorable experience with remarkable views of the tropical forests and excellent sightings of birds.
