Skip to content 
Safari Overview
This amazing 10 Days Explore Tanzania Southern Safari Circuit will treat you to an amazing adventure in Tanzania’s southern wildlife top parks of Nyerere, Mikumi, Ruaha, and the Udzungwa Mountains National Parks. With some of our professional drivers acting as your guide, experience thrilling adventures on full-day and half-day wildlife drives, boat safaris, and walking safaris boat safaris with enthralling vistas of wildlife, birds, and incredible ecosystems. From Dar-es-salaam, travel to Nyerere (Selous) Game Reserve, which is home to elephants, wild canines, gigantic crocodiles, and superb bird life, before continuing to Mikumi National Park.
Then travel via the Ruaha National Park where you may go on a walking safari and see the big four and large cats, as well as crocodiles, zebras, impalas, and many other animals. Udzungwa Mountains National Park on the other hand offers adventurous trekking paths as well as bird and primate viewing. This 10-day explore Tanzania southern circuit safari starts and ends in Dar-es-salaam. Aside from fantastic game-viewing adventures, enjoy affordable and comfortable lodgings chosen to your tastes in superb wildlife viewing areas.
10 Days Explore Tanzania Southern Safari Circuit Itinerary
Day 1: Dar-es-Salaam to Nyerere (Selous) National Park
Meet and greet at Dar-es-salaam Airport with our company representative and drive to Nyerere National Park, which will take about 3 hours to get there. Arrive in the afternoon and check into your campsite, after which you will have lunch and relax a little. Later, go for a boat cruise along the Rufigi River and enjoy the exciting sights of hippos, crocodiles, and other land mammals by the river banks. Nyerere National Park is one of the world’s largest animal sanctuaries, covering 30,893 square kilometers. The park is more distant and pristine, allowing for some magnificent game-watching and the opportunity to shoot wildlife shots without the intrusion of many more safari vehicles pressing in on the scene.
The huge Rufigi River, which flows to the Indian Ocean, flows through the park and is the park’s and its flourishing wildlife’s major source of survival. On the boat cruise, you will also encounter several aquatic birds. Return to your camp after. Dinner and overnight stay at Rufigi River Camp (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 2: Nyerere National Park
Wake up early at 06:30 am, and have a brief cup of coffee/tea before embarking on full-day 4×4 game drives across the vast Nyerere National Park. Nyerere National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 UNESCO after being recognized as one of Africa’s greatest intact wilderness regions with few indications of human interference. This vast reserve has a wide range of terrains and ecosystems, including mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and plains which offer refuge to the hundreds of animal and bird species. The park is home to several huge animals, including Africa’s Big 5: Elephants, buffalos, lions, and leopards which are more elusive. The rhinos on the other hand can be found in the park’s southern portion.
While on your game drives, also look out for giraffes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeest, kudus, hippos, crocodiles, spotted hyenas, jackals, bushbucks, oryx, duikers, and elands to mention but a few. You will make a return to your camp after the morning game drive for relaxation and lunch while enjoying the sights of animals drinking water by the banks. In the evening, enjoy the African bonfire under the stars with dinner. Overnight stay at Rufigi River Camp. (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3: Nyerere National Park
After breakfast, you will depart for another day of wildlife viewing and start with a morning game drive where there is a good possibility of seeing many more predators. Return to your lodge and have lunch. You can choose to spend the afternoon at leisure, chilling by the river banks, or head back for another game drive. Overnight stay at Rufigi River Camp. (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4: Nyerere to Mikumi National Park
Have breakfast and depart for Mikumi National Park in Tanzania’s Morogoro Region, east of Dar es Salaam. On arrival, check into your lodge and have lunch. In the afternoon, begin your adventure in Mikumi with an afternoon game drive. You will witness a variety of bird species, zebras, hippos, hartebeests, wildebeests, impalas, warthogs, elands, antelopes, giraffes, buffalo, and elephants while on safari. If you’re lucky, you could even see lions, leopards, and African wild dogs. The game drive will last about 3 hours and you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight. Overnight stay at Mikumi Adventure Lodge (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5: Mikumi National Park
Enjoy a full day of game viewing at Mikumi National Park with a picnic lunch at midday and have the opportunity to view more of the park’s wildlife. Elephants, buffalos, and lions (three of Africa’s huge 5) are common animal sightings in Mikumi Park, as well as wildebeests, crocodiles, jackals, hippos, elands, giraffes, bushbucks, and other antelope species. Mikumi National Park also provides outstanding birding encounters with over 400 recorded bird species. Among many others, expect to spot species such as the lilac-breasted roller, marabou storks, oxpeckers, bateleur eagles, guinea fowls, black-bellied bustards, African fish eagles, straw-tailed whydahs, etc. Overnight stay at Mikumi Adventure Lodge (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 6: Mikumi to Ruaha National Park
Today after breakfast, we depart for the secluded Ruaha National Park. Which is roughly 320 kilometers from Mikumi (a 5 to 6 hours drive). You will be driving through the countryside, going through gorgeous valleys and mountains. Following your arrival, you will proceed to your lodge and have lunch; after which you will go for an afternoon wildlife drive. The game drive will take about 3 hours and return to your lodge for dinner. Overnight stay at Ruaha Hilltop Lodge (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7: Ruaha National Park
Wake up early at 06:30 am, and depart for your full day of game viewing with the early morning game drive, which is the best time to witness wildlife. Ruaha is one of Tanzania’s biggest national parks, with around 20 226 km2 of pristine wilderness. Although the park receives fewer visitors throughout the year, Ruaha is naturally endowed with a diversity of wildlife. The park boasts large populations of lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and elusive leopards, among other big cats and predators.
You will also encounter big herds of elephants and buffaloes as well as a range of giraffes, zebras, impalas, hippos, greater and lesser kudus, sable antelopes, roan antelopes, etc. After the morning game drive, have your packed breakfast in the bush and relax. Later, enjoy a picnic lunch and embark on more game viewing. You will return to your lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight. Overnight stay at Ruaha Hilltop Loge (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8: Ruaha to Udzungwa Mountains National Park
From Ruaha, we continue east to the alpine forests of Udzungwa Mountains National Park on our Tanzania which will take about 4 hours to get there. On arrival, check into your camp which is nestled in beautiful green grounds of virgin rainforest with fantastic views of the forest canopy. Being part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, Udzungwa Mountains National Park is well-known for being home to a variety of monkey species including the rare Udzungwa Red Colobus, the amazing Sanje Crested Mangabey, and the Black and White Colobus, among others. After lunch, choose between spending the afternoon at leisure or going on a short trek. Overnight stay at Udzungwa Forest Camp (Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 9: Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Following an early breakfast, we go on a full-day walk to the Sanje Waterfalls. The track is 6 kilometers long with a 450-meter elevation increase, making a 6-hour round trek. Sanje Waterfall is divided into three portions that are 30 meters, 70 meters, and 170 meters tall. The waterfall is surrounded by gorgeous scenery of forest cover and the Kilombero floodplains. The trek will take you through deep trees with breathtaking sights of the park’s unique primates, birds, reptiles, and other creatures. Baboons and vervet monkeys are frequently encountered, and two of the six primate species found here are unique to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. These include the Iringa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey.
Udzungwa is also home to around 400 bird species, including six that are unique to the Eastern Arc Mountains and four that are unique to Udzungwa. You will come across species such as crowned eagles, malachite and woodland kingfishers, Marabou storks, Ruppell’s vultures, the African hoppy, Rufous-winged Sunbird and both silvery-cheeked and trumpeter hornbills, among others.
Day 10: Udzungwa back to Dar-es-salaam
Today, your 10-day Tanzania safari comes to an end. After breakfast at your lodge, embark on a 6 to 7-hour journey back to Dar-es-salaam with en-route lunch.
SAFARI INCLUSIONS
- Accommodation on a full-board basis
- Ground transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle (choose between safari land cruisers and safari vans)
- A professional English-speaking safari driver guide
- All park entry fees
- Safari game drives
- Safari boat cruises
- Safari walks
- Hike in Udzungwa Mountains National Park
- Bottled mineral water in the 4×4 safari vehicle.
- Fuel and driver allowance
SAFARI EXCLUSIONS
- Tips to guides
- Travel insurance
- All optional activities excluded from the itinerary
- Expenses on alcoholic drinks, laundry, visa fees, etc.
- International air tickets
