7 Day Burundi and Tanzania for Chimpanzees and Big Five

Upon arrival at Bujumbura International Airport, you will be welcomed by your safari guide and transferred tour lake side hotel, after check in enjoy a city tour, visit Bujumbura Central Market (when open), where colourful stalls display fresh produce, traditional crafts and local fabrics, providing an authentic glimpse into everyday Burundian life. Later, head back to your hotel at the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest freshwater lake and the second deepest on Earth.

After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours to Kibira National Park. Join an experienced ranger for a guided forest hike beneath towering indigenous trees, look out for chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons and different bird species. In the afternoon drive 1.5hours to Gishora Royal Drum Sanctuary, Discover the Royal Drummers whose performances once accompanied the coronation of Burundian kings and major national ceremonies. Enjoy a vibrant live drumming performance and learn about the craftsmanship behind these iconic ceremonial drums.

After breakfast, visit Karera Waterfalls, a beautiful series of cascading waterfalls in southeastern Burundi. Take a guided walk around the falls, admire the tranquil setting and enjoy excellent photography opportunities. Later, continue your journey across the Burundi-Tanzania border to Kigoma, a historic port town situated on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Leave early in the morning for a scenic 2-hour boat cruise across Lake Tanganyika to Gombe National Park, internationally renowned for Dr. Jane Goodall's groundbreaking chimpanzee research. Upon arrival, meet your park ranger and begin a guided forest trek in search of the park's habituated chimpanzee families. Once located, spend one hour observing their natural behaviour as they feed, groom, communicate and interact within the forest. After the chimpanzee experience, continue your hike to Jane's Peak, where Jane Goodall conducted much of her pioneering research, before visiting one of Gombe's picturesque forest waterfalls. Return to the lakeshore for lunch before boarding your boat back to Kigoma later in the afternoon

After breakfast, depart Kigoma for a 5-hour remote drive through Western Tanzania to Mpanda, the gateway town to Katavi National Park. Enjoy scenic views of traditional villages, miombo woodlands and fertile farmlands. Arrive in Mpanda in the afternoon and check in at your hotel. Spend the remainder of the day relaxing before tomorrow's full-day safari in one of Africa's most remote and wildlife-rich national parks.

After an early breakfast, enter Katavi National Park with packed lunch for a full day exploring one of Tanzania's most spectacular yet least-visited safari destinations. Katavi offers an authentic wilderness experience with outstanding wildlife and very few safari vehicles. Explore the expansive floodplains, seasonal lakes and woodlands while searching for elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, impalas, reedbucks, waterbucks and numerous bird species. Visit the famous Katuma River, the park's permanent water source, where wildlife gathers in remarkable numbers during the dry season. Katavi is especially renowned for its enormous hippo concentrations, with up to 200 hippos crowded into a single shrinking pool during the driest months. Massive Nile crocodiles bask nearby, while lion prides, spotted hyenas and occasionally African wild dogs patrol the floodplains in search of prey. Return to your lodge in the evening for dinner and your overnight stay.

After breakfast, transfer to Mpanda for your scheduled domestic flight to Dar es Salaam, where you will connect with your onward international flight or continue with the next stage of your East African safari.