7 Day Udzungwa And Nyerere Safari

Thatched dining banda and lawn chairs at sunset, Udzungwa Mountains National Park

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

Over 7 days this route takes in Udzungwa and Nyerere, each stop with its own character. Birders come for the Eastern Arc endemics among the park’s more than 400 bird species. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger.

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. 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. Udzungwa is part of the Eastern Arc range, one of the richest patches of forest life in Africa. You settle into camp as the light goes. It is a slower, greener day than a drive.

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. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars.

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. 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. On foot the scale of the place lands differently.

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. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Day 3 Transfer To Nyerere

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 Nyerere National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Nyerere in the afternoon. You head out out on a boat safari and game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. The Rufiji, the largest river in Tanzaniafans out through the park into channels, sandbanks and lakes. A boat safari puts you at water level with hippo pods and big crocodiles hauled out on the banks. The birding from the water is the best of the trip.

Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. Nyerere is 30,893 square kilometresgazetted in 2019 from the northern Selous and a UNESCO World Heritage area. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set.

Day 4 Boat Safari In Nyerere

A full day in Nyerere National Park. You are out on a boat safari and 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. A boat safari puts you at water level with hippo pods and big crocodiles hauled out on the banks. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. You swap between boat and vehicle as the day allows.

Nyerere is 30,893 square kilometresgazetted in 2019 from the northern Selous and a UNESCO World Heritage area. The Rufiji, the largest river in Tanzaniafans out through the park into channels, sandbanks and lakes. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count.

Day 5 Boat Safari In Nyerere

A full day in Nyerere National Park. You are out on a boat safari and 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. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. Nyerere is 30,893 square kilometresgazetted in 2019 from the northern Selous and a UNESCO World Heritage area. Sundown over the water, with hippo surfacing, closes the day.

The Rufiji, the largest river in Tanzaniafans out through the park into channels, sandbanks and lakes. A boat safari puts you at water level with hippo pods and big crocodiles hauled out on the banks. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves.

Day 6 Boat Safari In Nyerere

A full day in Nyerere National Park. You are out on a boat safari and 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. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. Nyerere is 30,893 square kilometresgazetted in 2019 from the northern Selous and a UNESCO World Heritage area. The Rufiji, the largest river in Tanzaniafans out through the park into channels, sandbanks and lakes. The birding from the water is the best of the trip.

A boat safari puts you at water level with hippo pods and big crocodiles hauled out on the banks. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

Day 7 Departure

A final morning out on a boat safari and 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. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. This 7-day trip links Udzungwa and Nyerere, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters.

Nyerere is 30,893 square kilometresgazetted in 2019 from the northern Selous and a UNESCO World Heritage area. The Rufiji, the largest river in Tanzaniafans out through the park into channels, sandbanks and lakes. A boat safari puts you at water level with hippo pods and big crocodiles hauled out on the banks. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good.

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

What Makes This Tanzania Safari Itinerary Worth It?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. 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. Unlike the parks up north, Nyerere lets you walk with an armed ranger. Linking Udzungwa and Nyerere in one route means you cover more of Tanzania than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 7 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 Seven Days Enough to See Tanzania’s Wildlife?

7 days across Udzungwa and Nyerere 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 7-day trip is balanced and full.

What Is the Price of a Safari in Tanzania?

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 2,100 to 4,550 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.