9 Day Southern Tanzania Forest And Plains

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

Over 9 days this route takes in Udzungwa, Mikumi, Ruaha and Nyerere, each stop with its own character. There are no game drives, the park is walked, on trails that climb through tall forest. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. 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 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. 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. You settle into camp as the light goes. It is a slower, greener day than a drive.

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. 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. 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. The Sanje Waterfall drops around 170 metres in three stages through the forest. On foot the scale of the place lands differently.

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. 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 Mikumi

A short morning on foot with an armed ranger at first light in Udzungwa, then to the road for the move to Mikumi National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Mikumi in the afternoon. You head out out on game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Mikumi is 3,230 square kilometres and the fourth-largest park in Tanzania, reached on the tar road from the coast. Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. Lilac-breasted rollers sit on every third bush, and the birding is strong year round. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground.

Day 4 Game Drives In Mikumi

A full day in Mikumi 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. Its Mkata floodplain draws comparisons with the Serengeti for the way lion, buffalo and elephant sit out on open grass. The Hippo Pools in the north hold pods you can watch on foot from a viewing point. Zebra, wildebeest, impala and tall Masai giraffe spread across the plain. On most drives you will not pass another vehicle.

Lilac-breasted rollers sit on every third bush, and the birding is strong year round. Mikumi is 3,230 square kilometres and the fourth-largest park in Tanzania, reached on the tar road from the coast. 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. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set.

Day 5 Transfer To Ruaha

A short morning out on game drives at first light in Mikumi, 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 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. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars.

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. Ancient baobabs stand over the sand rivers, glowing gold in the low afternoon light.

Day 6 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. 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. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

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. The park list runs to more than 570 bird speciesso the river fringe stays busy through the day.

Day 7 Transfer To Nyerere

A short morning out on game drives at first light in Ruaha, 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. 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. You swap between boat and vehicle as the day allows.

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 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.

Day 8 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. 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. Sundown over the water, with hippo surfacing, closes the day.

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. 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 9 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. 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. This 9-day trip links Udzungwa, Mikumi, Ruaha and Nyerere, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters.

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 country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves.

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 Should You Consider This Tanzania Safari Itinerary?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. 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. The park holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, good lion and leopard, and a strong wild dog population. Linking Udzungwa, Mikumi, Ruaha and Nyerere in one route means you cover more of Tanzania than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 9 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 9 Day Tanzania Safari Enough for First-Time Visitors?

9 days across Udzungwa, Mikumi, Ruaha 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 9-day trip is balanced and full.

How Much Will You Spend on a Tanzania Safari?

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 2,700 to 5,850 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.