Southern Tanzania Game Parks Lodge Safari

The 10-day Best Tanzania Parks Safari starts and ends in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This is a 3 to 4 Star luxury lodge safari focusing on game viewing in Southern Tanzania’s top wildlife areas, namely:

• Selous Game Reserve
• Mikumi National Park
• Ruaha National Park

The Best Tanzania Parks Safari takes you on game viewing drives in 4X4 safari vehicles, bush walk safaris, a game viewing boat cruise and bird watching.

Day 01: DAR ES SALAAM – TANZANIA

Upon arrival at the Dar es Salaam Airport in Tanzania you will be met by your safari guide and transferred to your luxury Dar es Salaam hotel. On the first night of the Tanzania Game Parks Safari you have dinner and stay overnight at a 4 Star hotel in Dar es Salaam. Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast.

Day 02: DAR ES SALAAM TO SELOUS GAME RESERVE – TANZANIA

After breakfast on the first day we take a short city tour of Dar es Salaam visiting Nyumba ya Sana arts and culture hub, Kariakoo Market, the harbour and the Askari Monument.

After our city tour of Dar es Salaam we drive to the Selous Game Reserve, about a 6-hour drive. We pass through a scenic Tanzanian countryside area, with coconut plantations and local villages along the drive.

In the afternoon we arrive at the overnight safari lodge and spend the afternoon relaxing and resting before dinner. Our overnight stay is at a 3 Star luxury camp bordering the vast Selous Game Reserve. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner.

Day 03: SELOUS GAME RESERVE – TANZANIA

After early breakfast on day three of the Tanzania safari you can choose to take a game-viewing bush walk with an armed game ranger. This two-hour guided walk is at your own expense (costing US$50 per person).
 
After the bush walk back you return to the lodge for leisure time, enjoying bird watching from the safari lodge followed by lunch.

In the afternoon there is the option of taking a game viewing boat safari on the Rufiji River at your own expense (costing US$50 per person). We return to the safari camp in the evening in time for dinner and stay overnight at the same 3 Star luxury camp as the previous night. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 04: SELOUS GAME RESERVE – TANZANIA

The Selous Game Reserve is the largest game reserve in Africa, covering 54,600 sq km (21,081 sq mi), making it larger than Switzerland. Selous is home to Africa’s big game and boasts the greatest population of elephants in Tanzania, as well as an incredible abundance of giraffes. This untouched wilderness area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hosting staggering numbers and an impressive diversity of wildlife species.

The untamed Selous Game Reserve is home to large numbers of wild dog, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippo and impala, as well as 350 bird species. This pristine wilderness area uniquely includes a wide variety of habitats, ranging from forests and woodlands to lagoons and lakes that support its rich wildlife.

After breakfast on day four of the 10-day Tanzania safari we embark on an exciting morning game drive in 4X4 safari vehicles until midday.  We return to the safari lodge for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive en route to our next stop on this Tanzania wildlife safari. The game drive takes us north for 80km, reaching the Beho Beho area in the afternoon. We enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at a 4 Star mountain lodge in the Beho Beho area. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 05: SELOUS GAME RESERVE TO MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK – TANZANIA

After breakfast we leave the Selous Game Reserve via Matembwe gate and drive to Mikumi National Park. The drive to Mikumi National Park is about five hours long and takes us through the African villages of Kisaki and Matombo. We stop for refreshments in the town of Morogoro, and travel on to Mikumi National Park arriving in time for lunch.

The Mikumi National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including elephants, zebras, giraffes buffaloes, impalas, elands, kudus, baboons, wildebeest and other antelopes. Predators, such as tree-climbing lions, leopards, wild dogs and black-backed jackals, also inhabit the park. Mikumi National Park hosts over 400 bird species and hippos can be found nearby.

In the afternoon we take a game drive in Mikumi National Park returning to the safari lodge for dinner. We overnight at a 4 star lodge in the Mikumi National Park. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 06: MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK – TANZANIA

After breakfast we take a morning game drive and again in the afternoon after lunch we head off into Mikumi National Park.

We have dinner and stay overnight at a 4 Star lodge in the Mikumi National Park. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 07: MIKUMI NATIONAL PARK TO RUAHA NATIONAL PARK – TANZANIA

After breakfast we leave Mikumi National Park, driving to Ruaha National Park via the Great Ruaha River and Kitonga Hills. We arrive at our next stop, Iringa Town, in the late afternoon and relax at the safari camp. We have dinner and spend the night at a 4 Star tented or river camp. One of the safari camp options offers a night game drive at extra cost (extra US$50per person). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 08: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK – TANZANIA

After breakfast we head off on a morning game drive in  Ruaha National Park, followed by lunch and an afternoon game drive.

We enjoy dinner and sleep at a 4 Star riverside or tented safari camp for the night. One of the safari camps offers a night game drive at extra cost (extra US$50per person). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 09: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK – TANZANIA

On day nine of the Tanzania Game Parks Safari we take a morning and afternoon game drive in Ruaha National Park. In the evening we have dinner and stay overnight at a 4 Star tented or river safari camp. An optional night game viewing drive is available at one of these camps at extra cost (US$50per person). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Ruaha National Park is the second largest National Park in Tanzania, covering about 10,300 sq km of rugged, semi-arid terrain in central Tanzania. Ruaha is part of a large network of parks protecting an extensive ecosystem in Tanzania. 

Ruaha National Park is best known for its large population of elephants as well as buffalos and also hosts an abundance of endangered wild dog, lion, leopard and cheetah. Ruaha is home to an estimated 475 bird species, sable and roan antelope species, and both the greater and lesser kudu.

Day 10: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK TO DAR ES SALAAM – TANZANIA

On the last day of the Tanzania Game Parks Safari we bid farewell to Ruaha National Park and head back to Dar es Salaam. The drive takes about seven hours, passing through farming areas, villages, towns and offering game viewing along the way. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Hot Lunch or Picnic Lunch. The rewarding 10-day Tanzania safari comes to an end in Dar es Salaam.

An optional flight from Ruaha to Dar es Salaam is available at extra cost (US$330
plus US$12 Tax).