Join our pioneering wildlife adventure to Central Africa’s little-explored Gabon. Offering exceptional wildlife encounters, Gabon is especially thrilling for primate lovers. This adventure is timed to coincide with the extraordinary mating display of the endangered mandrill, and also offers superb opportunities to see western lowland gorilla in their natural rainforest habitat. Don’t be too surprised, either, if you encounter beachcombing elephants, hippos in the Atlantic surf and humpback whales breaching offshore.
Small group journey dates: 4th – 15th July 2026.
Dates of travel for 2026 small group journey: 4th - 15th July
The price is based on a group size of 8 people travelling for 11 nights, and includes a dedicated English-speaking tour guide, local guiding, accommodation, transportation and most meals, as well as all permits. The price does not include international flights, but we can arrange these for you on request.
1 night in Libreville, 4 nights in Lopé National Park, 1 night in Lambaréné, 4 nights in Loango National Park, 1 night in Libreville.
What makes your Gabon safari special?
- Explore one of Central Africa’s best-kept secrets—a pristine natural paradise still largely undiscovered by Western travellers.
- Gabon is a nirvana for primate lovers: witness the gathering of up to a thousand mandrill in full mating colours; trek to western lowland gorilla troops in the rainforest; and look for rarities such as the recently discovered sun-tailed guenon and the pretty red-capped mangabey.
- Feel like a nineteenth-century explorer as you voyage by speedboat down the Ogooué River.
- With luck, encounter rarely observed species and behaviours such as red river hog, sitatunga, beachcombing elephant and surf-loving hippo.
- Take a marine safari in the Gulf of Guinea to search for migrating humpback whales.
Highlights of your exclusive Gabon safari
Welcome to Gabon
Libreville
Arriving in Gabon’s lively and surprisingly cosmopolitan capital Libreville, settle into the comfortable beachfront Hotel de la Sabliere before exploring the city. While modern Libreville’s oil wealth is clear to see, it’s still Gabon’s cultural hub and the best place to explore the country’s extraordinary cultural traditions with your expert guide.
From the huge range of masks and ceremonial artefacts of the National Museum of Arts and Traditions, to the hand-carved wooden columns in L’Eglise Saint-Michel, and workshops where painters and wood sculptors will share their techniques with you, you’ll gain a wonderful insight into how the Gabonese express themselves creatively. If you wish to purchase a unique piece directly from the source, this is the place to do so. After lunch, board the Trans-Gabon Railway for the scenic journey to Lopé and the heart of Gabon.
Primate central
Lopé National Park
Nowhere in Central Africa holds greater importance for primates than Lopé National Park—the region’s oldest and one of its most extraordinary biospheres. Home to Africa’s largest population of endangered mandrills, the park is also a sanctuary for western lowland gorilla, chimpanzee, black colobus and the recently discovered and extremely rare sun-tailed guenon for starters, along with forest elephant, golden cat, red river hog and sitatunga.
Every July, over a two-week window in the park’s northern region, up to 1,000 mandrills converge to mate, the males arriving in electric blue and red display colours. Lopé is the only place on Earth that allows such an observation in the wild. To minimise disturbance to these incredible primates, only one group of four visitors—the maximum permitted— will accompany a researcher each morning, while a second group will visit in the afternoon.
Healing perspectives
Lambaréné
Leaving Lopé, your destination is Lambaréné, a colonial river island town famous for its beautiful lakes, home to a variety of endemic bird and fish species, and its association with the somewhat controversial German humanist and ‘medical missionary’ Albert Schweitzer, who founded a hospital here in 1913 to treat leprosy, elephantiasis and other tropical diseases.
Today, the hospital’s medical research unit is leading the way in the fight against malaria, and plays a key role in training African doctors and scientists. During your visit, you’ll explore the hospital grounds, visit Schweitzer’s former residence and enjoy Lambarene’s tranquil beauty.
Forest gorillas and surf-loving hippos
Loango National Park
Boarding a speedboat, step back to the time of Central Africa’s early explorers as you travel through primeval rainforest down the Ogooué River. Eventually you’ll arrive in stunning Loango National Park, renowned for its western lowland gorillas, beachcombing elephants and the rare sight of hippos wading into the surf.
You’ll divide your five days here between two camps as you explore its beaches, mangrove lagoons, forests and open savannahs — all picture-perfect settings for thrilling observations of buffalo, red river hog, sitatunga and chimpanzees, while hundreds of bird species sweep across the skies. The highlight of your time in Loango, though, is undoubtedly the chance, on a guided trek, to come face to face with a troop of habituated western lowland gorillas, thriving in one of the most pristine habitats on Earth.
Migrating humpbacks
Libreville
Back in Libreville, you’ll have one last thrilling wildlife experience to look forward to before heading home or onwards. Every year between June and September, the waters off Gabon welcome humpback whales who return to breed in the warm waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
Heading out in a privately chartered boat, you’ll have the opportunity to observe their behaviour as they breach and fluke. Tail patterns are unique to each whale and provide researchers with a chance to identify individual whales, and therefore to calculate their population size and study behaviours. Playful bottlenose dolphins often glide alongside or beneath the vessel, providing an altogether exhilarating and unforgettable experience.
Where you'll stay on your Gabon safari
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Customise your Gabon safari journey
All of our journeys are fully bespoke, and can be customised to meet your needs, interests and preferences. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
With direct flights from Libreville to São Tomé and Príncipe, why not add a few days of relaxation at the gorgeous tropical beach sanctuary of Sundy Praia?
Continue your primate experience in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, where mountain gorillas are just the main stars of over a dozen different primate species.
With good flight connections to Libreville from Casablanca, how about pairing Gabon with Morocco for an unusual and wonderful desert and forest adventure?
Looking for more inspiration?
We have a huge range of inspiring private experiences and pioneering safari options available. Get in touch with our Africa specialists.
ENQUIRELearn more about our luxury holidays, or call our expert Africa team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) to discuss how we can turn your dreams into something truly magical.
