Rubondo Island National Park, entirely surrounded by Lake Victoria, is one of Tanzania’s most unusual protected areas — a forested island with reintroduced chimpanzees, sitatunga antelope and exceptional birdlife, reached only by boat or light aircraft and seeing genuinely few visitors.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1
Your driver-guide arranges the scheduled light aircraft flight to Rubondo’s own airstrip, typically routed via Arusha or Mwanza, followed by a short transfer to your lodge on the lakeshore.
Fly to Rubondo Island
Accommodation Options
LuxuryRubondo Island Camp
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
DAY 2
A guided walk through the island’s forest tracking chimpanzees reintroduced here in the 1960s and 70s by Frankfurt Zoological Society researchers, now genuinely wild and self-sustaining — sightings require patience given the dense forest, but the setting, forest meeting lake on every side, is unlike anywhere else in Tanzania.
Chimpanzee Tracking and Forest Walk
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3
A boat safari along the island’s shoreline for hippos and abundant birdlife, plus an attempt to spot the shy, semi-aquatic sitatunga antelope in the papyrus swamps, its splayed hooves adapted for walking on soft, waterlogged ground.
Boat Safari and Sitatunga Tracking
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4
An optional sport-fishing excursion for Nile perch on Lake Victoria — some of the largest freshwater fish in the world, occasionally exceeding 100kg — or simply relaxing at the lodge, the island’s isolation making for a genuinely quiet final full day.
Fishing Excursion and Free Time
Accommodation
As above
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5
A light aircraft transfer connecting to your onward international flight.
Fly to Arusha, Departure
Meals: Breakfast
Permits & Costs
| Rubondo Island park entry | ~$30 per person per day |
| Light aircraft transfers | Required, quoted separately |
Who This Itinerary Suits
Experienced travellers seeking genuine remoteness and a distinctly different landscape from mainland savannah parks.Tour Includes
- Professional English-speaking guide
- All accommodation per itinerary
- Meals as specified
- Boat safaris & forest walks
Tour Excludes
- Light aircraft fares
- International flights
- Visas
- Tips & gratuities
- Travel insurance