River Gambia National Park Hippos Chimpanzees

Gambia

2 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

This tour is a great opportunity to see some of the Gambia's wildlife up close. You'll get the chance to see hippos and chimpanzees in their natural habitat, and also get to learn about the ecology of the River Gambia from a guide from The River Gambian National Park authority. Plus, spending a night at the Janjanbureh camp will give you a taste of life in the Gambian countryside. Avoid the tourist traps and book this tour for a truly authentic experience.

This private tour ensures individual attention from your guide
No surprise costs: transport and accomodation included
Don't rush your wildlife experience on this two-day adventure
Lucky visitors may also see baboons in their natural habitat

What's Included

Private transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Operating hours
.7:30 am

Itinerary

River Gambia National Park

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.8

based on 6 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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TLDR: Great two days,...

Oscar_W, Jul 2025

TLDR: Great two days, very hot, Didn't see hippos but great chimp sightings. Good food. Amazing swim in River Gambia by hotel. Senna was a great guild. I was picked up by my guide, Senna in the mourning and we drove inland in the car. Senna was very accommodating so I could ask him to make stops on the way for pictures and buy from stalls. There were pretty mosques and markets and views of the country. We had a wee picnic by the roadside then crossed the trans Gambia bridge. The stone circles were really cool. Unfortunately we didn't see any hippos on the boat trip (I got the impression that they are seen far more often than not) but I understand these are wild animals and can't be garunteed. The boat trip didn't take us to the Chimp rehabilitation centre itself but along the south side of the largest 'Baboon island'. We saw several chimpanzees, including a young one playing and then being held by its mother and a large male on a submerged branch waste deep in the river. They were incredible sightings, so human like. We proceeded to Janjanbureh, taking a short ferry onto the island, a great way to arrive. You have some free time in the evening so you can explore the town. The accommodation was on the riverbank so I chose to swim instead, with some local kids. It's much hotter inland so I spent about 90 minutes in the tepid water, floating, swimming and jumping off the dock. Don't let the muddy colour put you off. It was very special and a highlight of my whole trip. (There is a current that gets stronger further from the bank so use your judgement). There was no AC in the room (or in the car) but there is a fan and cold drinks from the bar. The chicken and rice with onion/herb mix was delicious and the breakfast spread was good too. After a stop at the freedom tree, we drove West, I slept for most of the journey so we didn't make many stops (besides the police/army checkpoints which we were typically waved through). All of the meals/drinks and tickets/tips were included and sorted by Senna from the price of the tour, however Senna was a volunteer and great guild so be prepared to tip him for his service. He was kind enough to invite me to his house in West Gambia for an amazing meal and to meet his family. He dropped me off at my guesthouse and I had great two days. (When I had finished in Gambia he also picked me up and drove me to Seleti bus station. This wasn't included in the tour but very much appreciated)