10-Day Southern Tanzania Safari. Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Wildlife Adventure

Explore Tanzania’s Southern Circuit on this 10-day safari: Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Game Reserve wildlife highlights, expert guide, diverse ecosystems, and daily game drives.

Overview of the 10-Day Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Safari | Southern Tanzania Wildlife Tour.

Discover the heart of Tanzania’s Southern Safari Circuit on this 10-day journey through Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, and Selous Game Reserve (now Nyerere National Park), three of the country’s most wildlife-rich ecosystems. You’ll experience classic game drives, varied landscapes from open floodplains to miombo woodlands and expansive riverine wilderness, and exceptional wildlife viewing away from the northern crowds.

Our 10 Days Southern Tanzania Safari is a safari tour that will let you explore two of Africa’s largest game havens in this Southern safari circuit of Tanzania: Ruaha National Park and Selous Game Reserve, with a pass for an overnight and shallow game drive in between the parks at Mikumi National Park. On your 10-day Mikumi–Ruaha–Selous experience, expect incredible wildlife sightings, with some of the big game in these national parks easily spotted.

Quick Safari Details

Safari Starts and stops: Dar es Salaam

Duration: 10 days

Number of people: Tailored

Availability: All year round

Places to Visit: Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, Selous Game Reserve

Safari Highlights of the 10-Day Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Safari | Southern Tanzania Wildlife Tour.

Day 1:  Dar es Salaam

Day 2:  Mikumi National Park

Day 3:  Ruaha National Park

Day 4-5:  Ruaha National Park

Day 6:  Mikumi National Park

Day 7:  Transfer to Selous Game Reserve

Day 8-9:  Selous Game Reserve

Day 10:  Dar es Salaam

Detailed itinerary for the 10-Day Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Safari | Southern Tanzania Wildlife Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Dar es Salaam

Touch down in Dar es Salaam. You’ll meet your safari guide/company representative, settle in, and have a relaxed orientation dinner.

After long flights, we will keep this day light since it’s the first day. The next day starts early while going to Mikumi National Park.

Meals: Lunch & dinner included.

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Or Slipway Hotel

Day 2: Transfer to Mikumi National Park (Game drive en route)

After breakfast, depart Dar es Salaam by safari vehicle (~5–6 hr drive), winding into Mikumi’s floodplain landscape, a scene often likened to a miniature Serengeti with elephants, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, and plains game cruising the Mkata Plain.

10-Day Southern Tanzania Safari. Mikumi, Ruaha & Selous Wildlife Adventure

Since it’s midday, enjoy a picnic lunch en route/at the lodge. In the afternoon, embark on your first game drive into Mikumi, which offers a wonderful introduction to safari immersion, particularly during the golden hour.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Stanley’s Kopje Camp Or Mikumi Wildlife Camp

Day 3-5: Mikumi & transfer Ruaha National Park (Long transfer + Afternoon drive)

For your day three of this safari, we head to Ruaha National Park, where you will stay for your other two days of this safari. You will kick-start it with a game drive in the afternoon after your arrival.  This reserve is a more extensive ecosystem, which includes Rungwa Game Reserve, Usangu Game Reserve, and several other protected areas.

Ruaha National Park | Luxury Safaris Tanzania

Ruaha National Park

The name of the park is derived from the Great Ruaha River, which flows along its southeastern margin and is the focus for game-viewing. Ruaha is believed to have a higher concentration of elephants than any national park in East Africa. Visitors can easily spot magnificent mammals like kudu, sable, and roan antelopes in the Miombo woodland. The park is also a habitat for endangered wild dogs. Other animals in the park include lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, elands, impalas, bat-eared foxes, and jackals.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

Accommodation: Jabali Ridge Or Ruaha River Lodge

Day 6: Ruaha Transfer Through to Mikumi (Game drive en route)

Return to Mikumi via a scenic route. You’ll do an en-route game drive as the landscape transitions toward Mkata’s floodplain.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Stanley’s Kopje Or Mikumi Wildlife Camp

Day 7-9: Transfer & Explore to Selous (Nyerere National Park)

After breakfast, you will head towards the Selous Game Reserve through Matemwe Gate. You will spend your other two days exploring this vast game reserve before you leave.

14 Days Ultimate Tanzania Safari

Selous Game Reserve is the biggest wildlife conservation area in Africa, and, together with the bordering Mikumi and Udzungwa National Parks, it forms an area that is as big as Switzerland! Today, you drive through the northern part of the reserve, which is open for photo safaris. On the way, you have plenty of time for unique wildlife encounters in this unspoiled environment. Up to 400 different bird species can be seen in addition to the usual inhabitants of the African bush. However, it is not always straightforward to see animals and birds because of the dense vegetation. Optional activities such as walking in the wilderness or boat cruises can be arranged at extra cost.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Accommodation: Sand Rivers Selous Or Roho ya Selous

Day 10: Transfer to Dar es Salaam for Departure

Morning transfer from Selous all the way back to Dar es Salaam. You’ll have lunch en route, finish with farewells, and connect with your flight home or onward destination.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

What’s Included?

Park fees

 All accommodation as stated in the itinerary

 A professional driver/guide

 All transportation (unless labeled as optional)

 Round-trip airport transfer

 All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)

 Drinking water on all days

 Camping Equipment

Safari excludes

International flights

 Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

The government imposed an increase in taxes and/or park fees

Alcoholic drinks

 Rescue Fee

 Climbing Gear

 Sleeping Bag

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