5 Brilliant Ways To Get To Gombe National Park-Access Routes

Get To Gombe National Park in western Tanzania through an adventure that blends air travel, road or rail journeys, and an unforgettable boat ride across Lake Tanganyika. The park’s remote setting on the rugged lakeshore means there is no direct road access, so every visitor must eventually arrive by water. The journey itself is part of the experience, revealing wild landscapes, scenic lake views, cultural encounters, and the untouched charm that has defined Gombe since Jane Goodall first began her pioneering research there.

Main Ways to Get to Gombe National Park

Flying to Kigoma, then taking a boat to Gombe

This is the fastest and most convenient method of getting to Gombe National Park. In case you wish to travel by flight, this is how your movement will go.

• Fly from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, or other major Tanzanian cities to Kigoma Airport.
• Transfer from the airport to Kigoma town or Kigoma Port.
• Board either a local lake taxi, scheduled boat service, or a private speedboat for the 30–60-minute journey to Gombe.

Do you want to minimize transit time and maximize your time in the park? Then this route is ideal and well crafted for you.

Travelling by Train to Kigoma, then boat transfer

Travelers who prefer a scenic, immersive journey across Tanzania are not excluded in the ways in which to get to Gombe National Park In Tanzania. The rail travel is convenient and more pocket friendly. This is because the average price of a train ticket from Dar Es Salaam to Kigoma is $19. To get to Gombe National Park, this is how you get to Kigoma via Dar Es Salaam.

• Board the historic Central Railway Line from Dar es Salaam or stations along the route.
• Arrive at Kigoma Railway Station, which sits close to Kigoma town.
• Proceed to Kigoma Port and take a boat to Gombe.

Rail travel offers sweeping views of Tanzania’s countryside and is perfect for travellers who enjoy slow, experiential journeys.

Travelling by Road to Kigoma, then by boat to Gombe

This is another more adventurous but rewarding option on how to get to Gombe National Park. To get Gombe National Park by road, this is how it will go.

• Take a long-distance bus or drive from major towns such as Dodoma, Mwanza, or Dar es Salaam.
• Arrive in Kigoma town, and head to the port area.
• Take either a speedboat or lake taxi to Gombe.

Road travel allows you to experience rural Tanzania, small towns, and dramatic landscapes, though the journey can be long and tiring.

Boat transfer from Kigoma to Gombe Stream – the mandatory final step

Regardless of how you reach Kigoma, the last stretch of the journey in order to reach Gombe is always by water.

• Charter boats, speedboats, or public lake taxis operate daily depending on weather.
• Transfers range from 30 minutes to over an hour depending on boat type.
• Travelling on Lake Tanganyika offers one of the most scenic experiences in East Africa, with forested escarpments, fishing villages, and mirror-calm waters.

Special Attractions Along the Routes

Travelling to Gombe is more than transport; it is an unfolding landscape of culture, nature, and lake-shore beauty.

From Dar es Salaam or Arusha to Kigoma

Whether by air, road, or rail, the journey exposes you to shifting environments—from bustling coastal cities to the quieter, greener western frontier. Travellers on the train or road routes encounter rolling highlands, rural settlements, and the authentic rhythms of Tanzania’s countryside.

Kigoma Town and the Shores of Lake Tanganyika

Once you arrive in Kigoma, the atmosphere changes dramatically. The town sits on the ancient shores of Lake Tanganyika, one of the world’s deepest and oldest lakes. Here you can enjoy vibrant fish markets, historical sites like the MV Liemba ship, and sweeping views of the lake’s cobalt waters.

The boat journey to get to Gombe National Park is one of the most memorable segments; white-sand coves, steep forested slopes, fishing canoes, and clear waters shimmering under the equatorial sun.

Inside Gombe National Park

After getting to Gombe National Park, the park welcomes you with a blend of tropical forest and lake scenery found nowhere else in East Africa. The highlight remains tracking the famous chimpanzees, descendants of the communities studied by Jane Goodall. The park also hosts olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, forest birds, butterflies, breathtaking hiking trails, waterfalls, and tranquil lakeshore viewpoints.

The remoteness of the park makes each moment feel intimate and untouched, adding to the magic of the journey.