Gombe National Park

Gombe National Park, Tanzania's smallest national park at just 52 square kilometers, holds an outsized place in scientific history as the site of Jane Goodall's groundbreaking chimpanzee research that began in 1960. Nestled along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania, the park protects a thin strip of mountainous terrain covered in tropical forest, grassland, and alpine bamboo. The park is home to three habituated communities of chimpanzees, and tracking these remarkable primates through the forest remains one of Africa's most unforgettable wildlife experiences. Beyond chimps, Gombe supports olive baboons, red colobus monkeys, and a variety of forest birds. The crystal-clear waters of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest freshwater lake, provide a stunning backdrop and opportunities for swimming and snorkeling.