Our Gabon holidays & tours
Mandrills, giant pangolins, gorillas, and hippos who like to play in the surf; when it comes to wildlife, Gabon is Africa’s main event. Our holidays put wildlife-watching front and centre – travelling with naturalists, scientists or researchers, you’ll see Gabon's flora and fauna through expert eyes in a country which is 80 percent forested and full of protected parks, and witness fascinating ecosystems at work in Loango National Park and the Ogoue River. At night, listen to folklore tales from one of the country’s many communities; Babongo, Puno and Fang communities offer fascinating insight into rainforest life, and guided visits to cities like the capital, Libreville, give the story of Gabon – including its former colonial occupation, and its modern oil wealth.
Gabon wildlife tour
Track mandrills, black colobus and gorillas in Gabon
From
£8195
10 days
ex flights
Gabon tour
Africa's last Eden, a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts
From
£4149 to £4499
10 days
ex flights
Gabon wildlife holiday, mandrills and gorillas
Track Mandrills, Gorillas, Elephants in the forests of Gabon
From
£8150
10 days
ex flights
Cameroon and Gabon holiday
A pioneering journey through the heart of Central Africa
From
£8299 to £8499
13 days
ex flights
Trans Africa overland expedition, 23 weeks
Overland camping adventure: Gibraltar,West Africa to Cape Town
From
£7995 to £8495
164 days
ex flights
Complete Africa overland expedition, 47 weeks
The ultimate Trans African overland camping adventure
From
£10995
300 days
ex flights
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
Call us until 6pm
Calling from outside the UK
Gabon map & highlights
Most tours of Gabon begin in the laid-back capital, Libreville; although if combining with a tour of Cameroon, you will cross the border from the north and travel down. Although Gabon measures little more than 600km from north to south, and east to west, it is largely covered in dense forest with plenty of mountains and wetlands, so it’s not as easy to cross it as you might think. It doesn’t help that it has just 800km of paved roads, plus brutal rains and flooding. As a result, holidays lasting seven to 10 days tend not to stray too far inland, to keep the lengthy, uncomfortable journeys to a minimum. You don’t need to travel too far, though, to find yourself out in what has been described as ‘Africa’s last Eden’; ancient tribes, lowland gorillas and even ‘surfing’ hippos can be encountered within just a few hours of the capital.
1.
Baka Pygmy village
2. Lambaréné
3. Libreville
4. Loango National Park
5. Mitshogo Village
6. Oguemoue Lake
2. Lambaréné
3. Libreville
4. Loango National Park
5. Mitshogo Village
6. Oguemoue Lake
Baka Pygmy village
1. Baka Pygmy village
Voyage up the Ivindo River, deep into the rainforest, to reach a Baka village. The Baka are a pygmy tribe indigenous to the jungles of Gabon and southern Cameroon, and one of the most ancient communities on earth. Their lifestyles are still largely traditional, and you can spend time with them here, as they demonstrate hunting techniques, gather food, and perform traditional music and dances.
Lambaréné
2. Lambaréné
The Ogooué River flows through the town of Lambaréné, slicing it into three districts and providing habitat for a number of endemic bird species. Lambaréné is a cultural hub, with residents of Fang, Eshira and Bapounou origin, amongst others. It is also home to the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, founded here in 1913 and now a centre for malaria research. Schweitzer was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
Libreville
3. Libreville
Around a third of Gabon’s population lives in its pleasant, peaceful capital, Libreville. This modern city is a demonstration of Gabon’s oil money, with tall, almost futuristic buildings, fancy, gated villas and a sculpture lined stretch of beach. A handful of older, colonial mansions remain, but Libreville’s soul is to be found in its busy markets, piled high with exotic fruits and colourful fabrics.
Loango National Park
4. Loango National Park
This coastal national park is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Central Africa, with lagoons, mangroves, savannah and forest. It is famous for its ‘surfing’ hippos and, astonishingly, its gorillas, elephants, leopards, buffalo and more can occasionally be seen wandering across the white sand beaches, too. Head into the forest with an experienced guide to track habituated lowland gorillas and chimpanzees.
Mitshogo Village
5. Mitshogo Village
The Mitshogo people of Gabon’s forested interior are largely subsistence farmers, who practice traditional ancestor worship and animism. Visiting a Mitshogo village gives you the chance to experience a unique initiation ceremony of the Bwiti belief system, during which the young males are spiritually reborn. The initiates ingest bark to conjure hallucinogenic visions, while musicians play harps and drums.
Oguemoue Lake
6. Oguemoue Lake
Part of a large network of lakes that together comprise a Ramsar wetland site, Oguemoue Lake shelters an extraordinary variety of wildlife, including rare bird colonies, hippos and manatees. The surrounding forests are home to forest elephants and buffalo, chimps and lowland gorillas. You’ll be hosted by a local community, accompanied by local guides and can visit nearby villages to learn about their traditions.
Our Gabon holidays reviews
4.3
4Gabon holidays reviews
Kevin Pearcy16 Jan 2024
Loves the food, lovely people, great landscapes, forest animals to view, nesting turtles […] elephants on the beach. The landscape of Loango Park. read more
