About This Journey
The 10 Day Nyerere Mikumi Udzungwa and Ruaha Circuit 2026-2027 is a complete Southern Tanzania adventure combining four very different destinations: Nyerere National Park, Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Ruaha National Park.
Begin in Nyerere with classic game drives and a boat safari along the Rufiji River ecosystem. Continue to Mikumi for open-plains wildlife viewing before changing pace with rainforest hiking and waterfalls in the Udzungwa Mountains.
The journey finishes in remote Ruaha National Park, known for elephants, lions, leopards, baobab landscapes, the Great Ruaha River, and excellent predator viewing.
This itinerary is ideal for travelers who want wildlife, walking, scenery, birdlife, rivers, mountains, and a deeper exploration of Southern Tanzania.
What Makes This Trip Special
Explore Nyerere National Park
Rufiji River boat safari
Search for African wild dogs
Game drives in Mikumi National Park
Explore the Mkata floodplain
Hike in Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Visit Sanje Waterfalls
Walk through tropical rainforest
Opportunity to see endemic primates
Explore Ruaha National Park
Beautiful baobab landscapes
Great Ruaha River wildlife viewing
Opportunity to see lions and leopards
Nine nights accommodation
Professional safari and hiking guides
Meals and drinking water included
A Look at the Journey
Itinerary
Depart Dar es Salaam in the morning and travel south toward Nyerere National Park.
Pass through rural villages and changing landscapes before reaching the Nyerere area.
Depending on your arrival time, enjoy lunch followed by a short afternoon game drive or relax at your lodge.
Possible wildlife includes elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, lions, hippos, and numerous bird species.
After breakfast, spend the day exploring Nyerere National Park.
Drive through woodland, grassland, lakes, and riverine areas while searching for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lions, hyenas, and antelopes.
Nyerere is also an important habitat for African wild dogs, although sightings depend on natural wildlife movements.
Enjoy lunch during the safari before continuing your afternoon game drive.
Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Begin the day with breakfast followed by a boat safari along the Rufiji River or connected waterways, depending on local arrangements.
Look for hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and wildlife visiting the riverbanks.
After the boat safari, begin the journey toward Mikumi National Park.
The drive passes through rural Southern Tanzania landscapes before reaching your lodge near Mikumi.
After breakfast, enter Mikumi National Park for a full day of wildlife viewing.
Explore the Mkata floodplain, open grasslands, woodland, and seasonal water areas.
Possible wildlife includes elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, warthogs, hippos, lions, and many bird species.
Enjoy lunch during the safari before continuing your afternoon game drive.
Return to your lodge in the evening.
After breakfast, leave Mikumi and travel toward Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
The landscape changes from dry savannah to greener foothills, farmland, forest, and mountain scenery.
Arrive near the park, enjoy lunch, and later take a short guided walk or relax at your lodge.
Your guide will introduce you to the Udzungwa ecosystem, known for tropical forest, waterfalls, birds, butterflies, and several primate species.
After breakfast, meet your hiking guide and enter Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
Begin the hike toward Sanje Waterfalls, one of the best-known natural attractions in the park.
Walk through tropical forest while learning about plants, birds, insects, and primates.
Depending on the trail and conditions, you may encounter monkeys such as the Udzungwa red colobus and other forest species.
Reach scenic viewpoints and the waterfall area before returning through the forest.
After breakfast, begin the overland journey toward Ruaha National Park.
Travel through the Southern Highlands, rural settlements, farmland, and the Iringa region before continuing toward the park.
Arrive at Ruaha and, depending on timing, enjoy wildlife viewing on the way to your lodge.
Ruaha immediately offers a different environment with baobab trees, open plains, miombo woodland, and riverine landscapes.
Spend the full day exploring Ruaha National Park.
Follow wildlife-rich areas around the Great Ruaha River, seasonal streams, open plains, and baobab woodland.
Search for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, greater kudu, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and other wildlife.
Ruaha is well known for its remote atmosphere and excellent predator viewing.
Enjoy lunch during the safari before continuing your afternoon game drive.
Enjoy another full day in Ruaha, allowing more time to explore areas not visited on the previous day.
Early morning and late afternoon can be especially rewarding for wildlife activity.
Look for lions resting near river systems, elephants moving between feeding areas, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, and possible leopard or cheetah sightings.
The extra day provides greater flexibility to follow wildlife movements and enjoy Ruaha at a relaxed pace.
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge followed by a final short game drive depending on your flight schedule.
Transfer to the Ruaha airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Dar es Salaam.
Enjoy aerial views of Southern Tanzania before arriving in Dar es Salaam.
Continue to your hotel, international flight, or Zanzibar extension according to your travel plans.
Included & Excluded
Included
- Private safari transport during the overland circuit
- Professional safari driver guide
- Local Udzungwa hiking guide
- Nyerere National Park fees
- Mikumi National Park fees
- Udzungwa Mountains National Park fees
- Ruaha National Park fees
- Nyerere boat safari
- Game drives according to the itinerary
- Sanje Waterfalls hiking experience
- Nine nights accommodation
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water
- Scheduled flight from Ruaha to Dar es Salaam
- Government taxes
- Airport and lodge transfers according to the itinerary
Excluded
- International flights
- Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance
- Dar es Salaam accommodation unless requested
- Zanzibar extension
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips for safari and hiking guides
- Personal expenses
- Laundry unless included by the lodge
- Optional activities
- Additional accommodation
- Items of personal nature
Frequently Asked Questions
The itinerary includes Nyerere National Park, Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Ruaha National Park.
It combines classic wildlife safaris with a boat safari and rainforest hiking, giving travelers a wider variety of landscapes and activities.
Possible sightings include elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, antelopes, African wild dogs, and numerous birds.
Yes. A boat safari in the Nyerere ecosystem is included, subject to local operating conditions
Possible sightings include elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos, warthogs, lions, antelopes, and many bird species.
Udzungwa is known for tropical rainforest, waterfalls, hiking trails, endemic species, primates, birds, and beautiful mountain scenery.
The hike is moderately demanding because of elevation gain, forest trails, humidity, and some steep sections. Normal fitness and suitable footwear are recommended.
Several primate species occur in the Udzungwa Mountains, including the Udzungwa red colobus, although sightings depend on forest conditions and animal movements.
Ruaha is known for elephants, lions, leopards, greater kudu, baobab landscapes, the Great Ruaha River, and remote wilderness.
Yes. It is one of the longer transfer days, usually requiring most of the day depending on road conditions, stops, and lodge location.
Yes. The scheduled domestic flight listed on Day 10 is included in the standard itinerary, subject to confirmed routing.
Yes. Zanzibar can be added after the safari for a beach extension, with onward travel arranged from Dar es Salaam according to the final itinerary.
