6 Day Udzungwa And Ruaha Safari

Deckchairs on a lawn facing a forested mountain ridge, Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Destinations: Tanzania, Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Ruaha National Park

Over 6 days this route takes in Udzungwa and Ruaha, each stop with its own character. The Sanje Waterfall drops around 170 metres in three stages through the forest. Ruaha is one of Africa’s last strongholds for the endangered African wild dog.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Udzungwa

You set out from Dar es Salaam after breakfast and drive to Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the country changing as the kilometres pass, reaching camp with time to settle in and take a first look before dark. Udzungwa is part of the Eastern Arc range, one of the richest patches of forest life in Africa. The Sanje Waterfall drops around 170 metres in three stages through the forest. The mountains hold primates found only here, including the Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey. You settle into camp as the light goes. It is a slower, greener day than a drive.

There are no game drives, the park is walked, on trails that climb through tall forest. Birders come for the Eastern Arc endemics among the park’s more than 400 bird species. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

Day 2 Walking Safari In Udzungwa

A full day in Udzungwa Mountains National Park. You are on foot with an armed ranger, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. The mountains hold primates found only here, including the Iringa red colobus and Sanje crested mangabey. There are no game drives, the park is walked, on trails that climb through tall forest. Birders come for the Eastern Arc endemics among the park’s more than 400 bird species. On foot the scale of the place lands differently.

Udzungwa is part of the Eastern Arc range, one of the richest patches of forest life in Africa. The Sanje Waterfall drops around 170 metres in three stages through the forest. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground.

Day 3 Transfer To Ruaha

A short morning on foot with an armed ranger at first light in Udzungwa, then to the airstrip and a light aircraft for the move to Ruaha National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Ruaha in the afternoon. You head out out on game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. The park holds around ten percent of the world’s lionsin prides that can top twenty animals. As the dry season bites, the shrinking Great Ruaha River pulls elephant, buffalo and antelope down to drink. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

Ruaha is one of Africa’s last strongholds for the endangered African wild dog. Ancient baobabs stand over the sand rivers, glowing gold in the low afternoon light. The park list runs to more than 570 bird speciesso the river fringe stays busy through the day. Ruaha is the largest national park in Tanzania at over 20,000 square kilometresand it sees a fraction of the vehicles the northern parks do.

Day 4 Game Drives In Ruaha

A full day in Ruaha National Park. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. As the dry season bites, the shrinking Great Ruaha River pulls elephant, buffalo and antelope down to drink. Greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan show themselves here in ways they rarely do up north. Ruaha is one of Africa’s last strongholds for the endangered African wild dog. On most drives you will not pass another vehicle.

Ancient baobabs stand over the sand rivers, glowing gold in the low afternoon light. The park list runs to more than 570 bird speciesso the river fringe stays busy through the day. Ruaha is the largest national park in Tanzania at over 20,000 square kilometresand it sees a fraction of the vehicles the northern parks do. The park holds around ten percent of the world’s lionsin prides that can top twenty animals.

Day 5 Game Drives In Ruaha

A full day in Ruaha National Park. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan show themselves here in ways they rarely do up north. Ruaha is one of Africa’s last strongholds for the endangered African wild dog. Ancient baobabs stand over the sand rivers, glowing gold in the low afternoon light. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars.

The park list runs to more than 570 bird speciesso the river fringe stays busy through the day. Ruaha is the largest national park in Tanzania at over 20,000 square kilometresand it sees a fraction of the vehicles the northern parks do. The park holds around ten percent of the world’s lionsin prides that can top twenty animals. As the dry season bites, the shrinking Great Ruaha River pulls elephant, buffalo and antelope down to drink.

Day 6 Departure

A final morning out on game drives before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then your light aircraft flies you back toward Dar es Salaam. Greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan show themselves here in ways they rarely do up north. Ruaha is one of Africa’s last strongholds for the endangered African wild dog. This 6-day trip links Udzungwa and Ruaha, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters.

What’s Included

All internal flights and road transfers on the route
Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
Park entry fees for the days shown
Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

International flights and any visa
Travel insurance
Drinks, tips for guides and staff
Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Choose This Tanzania Safari Itinerary?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. Udzungwa is part of the Eastern Arc range, one of the richest patches of forest life in Africa. The Sanje Waterfall drops around 170 metres in three stages through the forest. The park list runs to more than 570 bird speciesso the river fringe stays busy through the day. Linking Udzungwa and Ruaha in one route means you cover more of Tanzania than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 6 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Is a 6 Day Tanzania Safari Too Short?

6 days across Udzungwa and Ruaha is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 6-day trip is balanced and full.

How Much Does This Safari in Tanzania Cost?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Tanzania, park fees run from USD 35 to 70 per adult per day depending on the park, with the Ngorongoro Crater charged higher. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 1,800 to 3,900 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.