Mikumi & the Chizua Waterfall

A game drive on the floodplain and a walk into the Uvidunda hills behind it, where the Chizua falls come down through the forest.

2 days · Starts and ends in Dar es Salaam · Budget · Private journey

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A zebra standing in golden grass in Mikumi National Park

At a glance

Destinations: Mikumi National Park · Uvidunda Mountains
Best for: Wildlife safari, Hiking
Travel style: Budget · Drive
Activity level: Moderate — walking days on forest and mountain paths
Best time to travel: June to October usually gives drier footing for the Chizua waterfall walk and easier Mikumi game drives. Waterfall flow depends on recent rain; a wetter visit can mean more water but muddier mountain paths.
Start and end: Starts and ends in Dar es Salaam

Why this journey

A full game drive in Mikumi on the first day
The Chizua falls, reached on foot through the Uvidunda hills
Two landscapes that sit next to each other and look nothing alike
Road transfers only — no flights, no train connection to miss
Short enough for a weekend from Dar

Day by day

Two days that pair the open Mkata plain with the mountains that edge it. The Uvidunda range is hardly walked at all, and the path to the Chizua waterfall climbs through farmland into forest.

Day 1 — Dar es Salaam to Mikumi National Park

Depart the Dar es Salaam hotel for the 06:00 SGR train, arriving Morogoro at 07:40 after a 1 hr 40 min journey. A driver-guide transfers visitors in a private 4×4 to Mikumi National Park, entering around 10:30. The afternoon features game drives across the Mkata Floodplain, home to zebra, giraffe, buffalo, elephant and lion. Lunch in the park, then more afternoon exploration before returning to the lodge.

Stay Camp Bastian Meals as listed

Day 2 — Chizua Waterfall hike and return to Dar es Salaam

After breakfast, trek into the Uvidunda Mountains for a guided nature walk featuring lush green countryside, tropical flora, and local villages leading to the cascading Chizua Waterfalls. Time to relax at the natural pools and take in the mountain views before hiking back for lunch. An afternoon transfer to Morogoro station for the 16:25 return train, arriving Dar es Salaam 18:15 with hotel or airport drop-off.

Meals Breakfast & Lunch

Stay and travel

Camping and simple lodges or park bandas, with a cook travelling with the group.

A 4×4 with a roof hatch and a window seat for everyone, driven by your guide throughout.

Camps fill, and roads change with the rains. Where something has to change we substitute at the same level and tell you before you travel, not after.

Included and excluded

What is included

Every activity named in the day-by-day
Accommodation as listed, or a similar alternative if a camp is full
Meals as noted against each day
Transfers between the agreed pick-up and drop-off points
Park, reserve and conservation area fees
An English-speaking Tanzanian driver-guide
A 4×4 with a roof hatch, or the vehicle the route calls for
Drinking water through the day
Government taxes
TANAPA armed ranger where the park requires one

Not included

International flights, airport taxes and visa fees
Travel, medical and baggage insurance
Personal spending — drinks, laundry, telephone
Tips for your guide and crew
Anything not listed as included

Practical information

Activity level: Walking days on forest and mountain paths, some of them steep and often wet underfoot. Ordinary walking fitness is enough.
Visas, insurance and tipping: A visa is arranged before travel or on arrival. Travel and medical insurance is a condition of booking. Tipping is customary and we will suggest a range rather than set one.

Related journeys

Every route here can be changed

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