6 days Nyerere, Mikumi & Udzungwa
Three southern parks without the long haul west to Ruaha — river, floodplain and rainforest in six days, with a whole day for the Sanje falls.
Wildlife & Hiking
Mikumi, Ruaha & Udzungwa
Move from open savannah and predator-rich plains into the rainforest trails and waterfalls of the Udzungwa Mountains — three landscapes, one road.
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At a glance
- Destinations
- Mikumi National Park · Ruaha National Park · Udzungwa Mountains
- Best for
- Wildlife safari, Hiking
- Travel style
- Mid-range · Drive
- Activity level
- Moderate — walking days on forest and mountain paths
- Best time to travel
- June to October is usually a good compromise for Mikumi and Ruaha game viewing and the Udzungwa forest walk. The forest remains damp, so expect some slippery footing even while the savannah parks are dry.
- Start and end
- Starts and ends in Dar es Salaam
Why this journey
- Three days at Ruaha, including a walking safari and a night drive
- The Sanje waterfall hike in Udzungwa on the last day
- Udzungwa red colobus and Sanje mangabey — primates found nowhere else
- Mikumi at the start, so the first day is short
- A single road route, with no internal flights to connect
Day by day
A natural route through Southern Tanzania: Mikumi’s floodplain, then Ruaha’s miombo and river, then up into the Eastern Arc forest at Udzungwa, where there are no roads and the only way in is on foot.
Day 1 — Dar es Salaam to Mikumi and a Maasai village visit
Early morning pickup in Dar es Salaam, transfer to the train station for the 09:00 SGR train to Morogoro, arriving 11:40. A driver-guide meets you for the 2-hour drive to Mikumi. After lodge check-in, visit a local Maasai community to learn about their history, their livestock and how the community lives now.
Stay Vuma Hill Tented Camp Meals Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 — Full day game drive at Mikumi Park
A dawn wildlife drive targeting lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras and hippos during peak activity. Midday lunch break at a scenic spot or park lodge. The afternoon includes an optional excursion to the Mkata River Floodplain for water birds and photography.
Stay Vuma Hill Tented Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 — Mikumi to Ruaha and an evening game drive
Early breakfast, then a 6–7 hour road transfer south to Ruaha. Check-in and lunch at the lodge or tented camp. An afternoon and evening game drive offers chances to spot elephants, various antelopes, and active predators, with sunset views before dinner.
Stay Ruaha River Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 — Full day game drive at Ruaha
An early departure for a full-day game drive through Ruaha's rugged expanses, famous for staggering concentrations of elephants, lions, cheetahs, and elusive African wild dogs. Packed picnic lunch under a baobab. The afternoon continues across different habitats and river systems.
Stay Ruaha River Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 — Walking safari and night game drive in Ruaha
Breakfast, then full-day game viewing. The Great Ruaha River features hippos and crocodiles alongside lions, leopards, hunting dogs, waterbuck, impala, giraffe, warthog, eland, zebra, elephants, Grant's gazelle, ostrich and cheetah. Early dinner, then a night game drive from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Stay Ruaha River Lodge Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 — Ruaha to the Udzungwa Mountains
Breakfast, then a 4–5 hour drive to Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Lodge check-in, then rainforest ecosystem exploration. The afternoon includes an optional short trek or birdwatching for rare forest species.
Stay Hondo Hondo Tented Camp Meals Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 — Udzungwa (Sanje Waterfalls hike) and return to Dar es Salaam
Breakfast with a packed lunch, then a 45-minute drive to the Udzungwa gate. The park walk offers chances to see primates — Mangabei and Udzungwa red colobus monkeys. After lunch, swim at the Sanje Waterfalls, then walk to the village. Transfer back to Dar es Salaam, arriving late evening.
Meals Breakfast & Lunch
Stay and travel
Comfortable mid-range lodges and tented camps, inside the parks wherever the route allows.
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
- Boat safari and transfers
- 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.
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Every route here can be changed
Tell us what you would keep, what you would drop and how long you have. We will send back a version that is yours.