7-Day Mikumi, Udzungwa and Nyerere Grand Safari Circuit

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 breakfast, drive south from Mikumi 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 camp in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi Tented Camp Mid-range

+2 +1

After breakfast, enjoy a short morning walk in the forest edge near the Udzungwa Mountains, where birds and monkeys are active early in the day. Then begin the long drive to Nyerere National Park, with a lunch stop on the way. On arrival, time permitting, go on a short afternoon game drive to look for elephants, giraffes and hippos. Dinner and overnight at your camp in Nyerere.

Accommodation

Selous River Camp Tented Camp Mid-range

+6 +5

Spend the full day on game drives in Nyerere National Park, returning to camp for lunch and a rest in the midday heat. The park combines grassland, miombo woodland, palm-lined lakes and channels of the Rufiji River, so each drive shows different habitats. Your guide searches for lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and large groups of hippos. African wild dogs live here, although sightings are never guaranteed. Birdlife is rich, from fish eagles to kingfishers. Dinner and overnight at your camp.

Accommodation

Selous River Camp Tented Camp Mid-range

+6 +5

Start the morning with a guided boat safari on the lakes and channels of the Rufiji River. From the water you get close views of hippo pods, crocodiles basking on the sandbanks and waterbirds such as herons, storks and kingfishers. Elephants and other animals often come down to drink along the banks. Return to camp for lunch, then head out on an afternoon game drive on land. Dinner and overnight at your camp.

Accommodation

Selous River Camp Tented Camp Mid-range

+6 +5

After an early breakfast, leave Nyerere National Park and drive north back to Dar es Salaam. You arrive in the afternoon, and your driver-guide takes you to Julius Nyerere International Airport or your hotel for your onward journey. We recommend booking international flights for the evening or the next day, as road conditions can affect the travel time.