The Southern Circuit Discovery Safari

Drive Time: 4 hours | Activities: Afternoon game drive

Depart Dar es Salaam early morning for the drive to Mikumi National Park via the excellent A7 highway. Arrive at your lodge for lunch and check-in. After a brief rest, head out for your first game drive across the vast Mkata floodplain, often compared to the Serengeti for its open grasslands and wildlife abundance. Look for large herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra, and giraffe gathering around waterholes.

Accommodation: Mikumi Wildlife Camp Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Activities: Morning & afternoon game drives, optional walking safari

Start with an early morning game drive when animals are most active. The park’s diverse habitats support lions, leopards, African wild dogs, and over 400 bird species. Visit the famous hippo pools where you can observe these massive animals alongside crocodiles. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the park before continuing afternoon game drives. Optional walking safari available with armed rangers.

Flight Time: 45 minutes | Activities: Afternoon boat safari

Take a scheduled flight from Mikumi to Selous Game Reserve, now known as Nyerere National Park. This vast wilderness covers 54,600 square kilometers, making it larger than Switzerland. After arrival and lunch at your camp, embark on your first boat safari along the mighty Rufiji River. Spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants drinking at the banks, and incredible bird life including fish eagles and kingfishers.

Accommodation: Rufiji River Camp Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Activities: Morning walking safari, afternoon game drive

Begin with a guided walking safari through the African bush with armed rangers, learning about tracking, plants, and smaller wildlife details you miss from vehicles. After lunch and rest during the heat of midday, head out for afternoon game drives across the vast plains. Selous hosts large populations of elephants, buffalo, and one of Africa’s most important populations of endangered African wild dogs.

Accommodation: Rufiji River Camp Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Flight Time: 1 hour | Activities: Afternoon game drive

Fly from Selous to Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s largest national park covering over 20,000 square kilometers. After arrival and lunch, begin exploring this predator paradise known for having one of the world’s largest lion populations. The park protects around 100 critically endangered African wild dogs and hosts approximately 12,000 elephants that migrate through the greater ecosystem annually.

Accommodation: Ruaha Hilltop Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Activities: Morning & afternoon game drives

Spend the full day exploring Ruaha’s diverse landscapes from open plains to thick woodlands along the Great Ruaha River. Look for massive lion prides that can exceed 20 individuals, making this one of the best places in Africa for lion photography. The park also offers excellent leopard and cheetah sightings, plus rare antelope species like greater kudu, sable, and roan antelope.

Accommodation: Ruaha Hilltop Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Activities: Morning game drive, optional walking safari

Enjoy a final morning game drive in Ruaha, focusing on areas you haven’t yet explored. The park’s vast size means there’s always new territory to discover. Optional walking safari available for different wildlife perspectives. After lunch, relax at your lodge and reflect on your southern circuit adventures while enjoying views over the African wilderness.

Accommodation: Ruaha Hilltop Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Flight Time: 1.5 hours

After breakfast, transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Dar es Salaam, connecting to international flights or onward travel to Zanzibar beaches. Your southern circuit safari concludes with incredible memories of Africa’s largest wilderness areas and some of the continent’s best predator viewing.

Meals: Breakfast