01
Day 01
Arrive Dar es Salaam
Airport pickup and an overnight in the city.
- StayHotel in Dar es Salaam
- MealsBed and breakfast
01 · Overview
About this safari
The full southern circuit, with enough nights in each park to stop moving and start looking.
Three nights in Ruaha lets you reach the far side of the river system, where the big lion prides and the kudu are. Three in Nyerere gives you a boat morning, a walking morning and still a full day on the lakes. Mikumi at the end is an easy, busy floodplain and an easy road transfer back to Dar es Salaam.
This is a trip for a second or third visit to Tanzania, or for anyone who would rather see fewer animals with nobody else there.
Tour length10 days / 9 nights
Start / endDar es Salaam → Dar es Salaam
PlacesRuaha, Nyerere, Mikumi
AccommodationHotel, tented camp or lodge, tented camp, lodge or tented camp
Meal planFull board; Bed and breakfast
Vehicle4×4 with pop-up roof
Tour typePrivate, on your dates
Group sizeTo confirm
02 · The price
What the price covers — and what it doesn't
Included 7 items
- Park and conservation-area entry fees for every park listed in the route
- Government taxes and concession fees that apply to those parks
- A 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, fuel and an English-speaking driver-guide
- Accommodation on the basis shown for each night
- Meals as marked on each day
- Drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Transfers between Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha town and your first night
Not included 6 items
- International flights, and internal flights unless a day says otherwise
- Tanzania visa, passport costs and travel insurance
- Tips for your guide, cook and camp or lodge staff
- Drinks, laundry and other personal spending
- Optional extras — balloon flights, night drives, spa treatments, private vehicle upgrades
- Anything not listed as included
03 · At a glance
Itinerary highlights
- Day 1Arrive Dar es Salaam
- Day 2Fly to Ruaha
- Day 3Ruaha
- Day 4Ruaha, in depth
- Day 5Fly to Nyerere
- Day 6Rufiji by boat
- Day 7Walking safari
- Day 8Nyerere to Mikumi
- Day 9Mikumi
- Day 10Back to Dar es Salaam
04 · Prices
Prices and what moves them
Every quote is written for the dates and the number of people travelling, because park fees, season and vehicle sharing move the figure more than anything else. We itemise it: park fees, accommodation, vehicle, meals.
Mid-range
Luxury
Mid-range
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Luxury
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
| Rooms | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3+ |
Children. Child rates depend on age, the camps and how rooms are shared. Child policy to confirm
05 · The route
The route, day by day
02
Day 02
Fly to Ruaha
The morning flight west, then an afternoon drive along the Great Ruaha.
- StayTented camp or lodge, Ruaha
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Ruaha
A full day in the park, pushing away from camp with a picnic lunch.
- StayTented camp or lodge, Ruaha
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
Ruaha, in depth
A second full day — the sand rivers and rocky country further out, where the kudu and the bigger prides are.
- StayTented camp or lodge, Ruaha
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Fly to Nyerere
A morning drive, the flight east, and an afternoon game drive on arrival.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Rufiji by boat
A boat safari at dawn and a game drive in the late afternoon.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
Walking safari
On foot at first light with an armed ranger, then the lakes by vehicle after lunch.
- StayTented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
Nyerere to Mikumi
A last morning in the park, then the transfer north to Mikumi — by air or by road, depending on your dates.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Mikumi
- MealsFull board
09
Day 09
Mikumi
A full day on the Mkata floodplain: buffalo, giraffe, elephant, and lion that hunt in the open here.
- StayLodge or tented camp near Mikumi
- MealsFull board
10
Day 10
Back to Dar es Salaam
A morning drive and the road east to Dar es Salaam, about five hours, for an evening flight or the Zanzibar connection.
- StayNone — the trip ends today
06 · Camps
Where you stay
Each night gives the kind of place and the area. The property itself is chosen for your month and your budget, and named in your quote.
Night 1
Hotel in Dar es Salaam
Bed and breakfast.
Nights 2–4
Tented camp or lodge, Ruaha
Full board.
Nights 5–7
Tented camp beside the Rufiji, Nyerere
Full board.
Nights 8–9
Lodge or tented camp near Mikumi
Full board.
07 · Add-ons
Optional add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
After the safari
Zanzibar beach extension
A short flight to the coast, for days with nothing to track.
08 · The ground
Where this safari takes you
01
Dar es Salaam
The coastal city the southern parks are reached from, by light aircraft or by road.
09 · Season
Best time to take this safari
Jun – Oct
The dry season
Animals gather along the rivers and the bush thins out — the classic months for the south.
Nov – Mar
The green season
Hot, lush and very good for birds. Some tracks become hard going.
Apr – May
The long rains
Many camps in the south close. Ask before planning these months.
10 · Flights
Flights
Arrive
Dar es Salaam
Julius Nyerere International Airport. You are met at the airport on the first day.
Depart
Dar es Salaam
Tell us your flight time and the last day is planned around it.
11 · Extras
Budget for these extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa. What applies to your passport, and how to apply, is on our visas and vaccinations page.
Take a policy that covers medical evacuation from remote areas. More on our travel insurance page.
Tipping is customary but yours to decide. Our tipping guide sets out what is usual for guides, cooks and camp staff.
Water is provided in the vehicle. Other drinks at camps and lodges, laundry and souvenirs are paid locally.
12 · Why us
Why book this with us
01
Every route is a draft
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
02
Every quote itemised
Park fees, accommodation, vehicle and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
03
Private, on your dates
Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof and an English-speaking driver-guide.
04
Planned from Arusha
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Asked about this trip
It is the easiest park in the country to reach and it is genuinely good on the floodplain. It also breaks the journey back to Dar. If your flights suit, it is worth the day.
Two or three short light-aircraft hops. Baggage is limited to soft bags of around 15 kg on most of these flights, and we will confirm the exact allowance with your quote.
Nyerere has one of the best remaining populations in Africa, and Ruaha is also strong. They range enormously, so it is a real prospect rather than a promise.
It can be, if you value solitude over density. Most first-timers are happier in the north.
