7-Day Best of Mikumi, Ruaha and Udzungwa Budget Safari

Your driver-guide picks you up in the morning from your hotel or the airport in Dar es Salaam. The road runs west through Morogoro, at the foot of the Uluguru Mountains, and on to Mikumi National Park, about 280 km from the city. After check-in you head out on your first game drive across the Mkata floodplain, the open grassland that gives Mikumi the nickname Little Serengeti. Look for elephants, giraffes, zebras and buffalo. Dinner and overnight at your camp.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi Tented Camp Mid-range

+2 +1

Spend the day exploring Mikumi National Park with morning and afternoon game drives. The Mkata floodplain gives wide, open views, so wildlife is often easy to spot. Your guide searches for lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, wildebeest and impala, and stops at the hippo pools where hippos and crocodiles share the water. Return to camp for lunch and a rest in the heat of the day, then go out again for the softer afternoon light. Dinner and overnight at your camp.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi Tented Camp Mid-range

+2 +1

After a morning game drive in Mikumi, drive west through the Kitonga Gorge and Iringa to Ruaha National Park. The scenery changes from farmland to hills and baobab country, with a lunch stop on the way. You arrive in the afternoon and, time permitting, go on a short game drive along the Great Ruaha River. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge Lodge Mid-range

+5 +4

Spend the day exploring Ruaha National Park, one of the largest and wildest parks in Tanzania. Morning and afternoon game drives take you through river valleys, open woodland and plains dotted with baobab trees. Your guide searches for large elephant herds, lions, leopards and both greater and lesser kudu. Return to the lodge for lunch and a rest in the heat of the day, then go out again in the afternoon light. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge Lodge Mid-range

+5 +4

Enjoy a final morning game drive in Ruaha, then drive back east through Iringa and down towards the Kilombero valley to the foot of the Udzungwa Mountains. It is a long drive through changing scenery, with a stop for lunch. You arrive in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight near the mountains.

Accommodation

Udzungwa Forest Lodge - Hondo Hondo Lodge Mid-range

Outside Park Ruaha National Park

+4 +3

After breakfast, take the short drive to the Udzungwa Mountains National Park headquarters at Mang'ula. With a park guide you hike forest trails to Sanje Falls, where the river drops in a series of cascades through the rainforest. Along the way look for the Udzungwa red colobus and the Sanje crested mangabey, two primates found only in this area, plus forest birds and butterflies. The hike is moderate to steep in places. Return to your lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Udzungwa Forest Lodge - Hondo Hondo Lodge Mid-range

Outside Park Ruaha National Park

+4 +3

After an early breakfast, leave Udzungwa and begin the drive back to Dar es Salaam via Mikumi and Morogoro. This is a long day on the road, so we start early and stop for lunch along the way. You arrive in Dar es Salaam in the evening, and your driver-guide drops you at your hotel or at the airport. We recommend booking onward flights for the next day, as the journey time depends on traffic and road conditions.