7 days / 6 nights
Tanzania Off-the-Beaten-Path Safari: Ruaha & Nyerere
Dar es Salaam · Nyerere National Park · Ruaha National Park
Escape the more-visited safari routes and discover the wild character of Southern Tanzania on this 7-day adventure through Nyerere and Ruaha National Parks. With fewer visitors, vast wilderness areas and diverse habitats, this safari offers a more secluded and authentic wildlife experience.
Combine Rufiji River boat safaris and classic game drives in Nyerere with the dramatic landscapes and exceptional predator viewing of Ruaha for a distinctive Southern Tanzania safari.
Safari highlights
- Experience vast elephant populations in Ruaha
- Excellent opportunities to see lions and other predators
- Search for endangered African wild dogs
- Possibility of spotting elusive leopards
- Explore the Rufiji River by boat in Nyerere
- See hippos and crocodiles along the river
- Discover remote and less-crowded wilderness areas
- See giraffes, buffalo, zebras and diverse antelope species
- Excellent birdwatching opportunities
- Outstanding wildlife and landscape photography
- Experience the contrasting ecosystems of Nyerere and Ruaha
Out on safari
Day by day
7 days, 6 nights
The route below is the standard version. Game drives follow the wildlife rather than a timetable, and your guide adjusts as the animals move.
- 1
Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park
Depart Dar es Salaam and travel toward Nyerere National Park.
After arrival and check-in, enjoy an afternoon game drive through the park's diverse landscapes. Search for elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, antelopes and predators.
- 2
Nyerere: Full-Day Wildlife Experience
Enjoy a full day exploring Nyerere National Park.
Spend the morning on a game drive following wildlife activity, then continue exploring the park's extensive plains, woodlands and wetlands.
Nyerere is particularly interesting for travellers seeking opportunities to see elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles and, with luck, African wild dogs.
- 3
Rufiji River Boat Safari
Enjoy a relaxing Rufiji River boat safari, one of Southern Tanzania's signature experiences.
Cruise along the river and its channels while observing hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and other wildlife from the water.
Later, enjoy another game drive or relax at your lodge depending on the day's schedule.
- 4
Nyerere to Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, depart Nyerere and travel toward Ruaha National Park.
The journey takes you deeper into Southern Tanzania, with changing landscapes and increasingly remote wilderness.
Arrive at your accommodation and relax before your next day's full safari experience.
- 5
Full-Day Ruaha National Park
Spend a full day exploring Ruaha National Park.
Ruaha is renowned for its large elephant population, dramatic baobab landscapes and strong predator presence. Search for lions, leopards, cheetahs, African wild dogs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and numerous antelope species.
- 6
Ruaha: Full-Day Safari
Enjoy another full day of game drives in Ruaha.
Your experienced guide will follow current wildlife movements and explore productive areas around the Great Ruaha River and surrounding plains and woodland.
The extended time in Ruaha provides greater opportunities for wildlife encounters and photography.
- 7
Ruaha to Dar es Salaam
Enjoy a final early morning game drive before transferring to the airstrip or beginning your journey back toward Dar es Salaam.
For greater convenience, a domestic flight from Ruaha to Dar es Salaam can be arranged at an additional cost.
Included
What the price covers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives as outlined in the itinerary
- Rufiji River boat safari
- 6 nights of safari accommodation
- Nyerere National Park entry and conservation fees
- Ruaha National Park entry and conservation fees
- Boat safari fees
- Meals
- Drinking water during game drives
- Transfers as specified
- All applicable government taxes and tourism fees
Accommodation options: Your accommodation will be selected according to your preferred comfort level, travel dates, availability and safari route. Exact properties will be confirmed in your personalised quotation
Not included
What you arrange yourself
- International and domestic flights
- Ruaha-Dar es Salaam flight unless specifically added
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide, boat crew and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Any service not specifically mentioned under Included
Best for
This safari is ideal for experienced safari travellers, photographers, couples, wildlife enthusiasts and adventurous travellers who want to escape the busier Northern Circuit and experience Tanzania's more remote Southern wilderness. The combination of Nyerere's river and wetland ecosystems with Ruaha's vast dry-season wildlife landscapes creates a diverse and highly rewarding safari experience.
Accommodation levels
Choose the level, and we build the trip around it
The same route can be run four ways. The level you pick decides where you sleep, how far you drive to the wildlife each morning, and most of what the safari costs.
Budget
Clean, simple camps and small lodges. Everything you need after a day in the park, and nothing you do not.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps with en-suite bathrooms, pools and full service. Where most safaris sit.
Luxury
High-end lodges and luxury tented camps in prime locations, with the shorter drives to the wildlife that come with them.
Premium
The best addresses in each park. Exclusive-use camps, private guiding and the quietest corners of the reserves.
Why there is no price on the page
A safari price that fits everyone fits nobody. Two people in a premium camp in August and a family of four in a mid-range lodge in April are different trips at different costs, on the same itinerary. Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people reading it, we price each trip properly.
Tell us your dates, your group and the level you want, and you get an accurate quote back with the accommodation named.
What the quote is built from
- Accommodation level and the type of camp or lodge
- Where you sleep: park rates differ, and so do the drives
- Travel dates, since low, high and peak seasons are priced apart
- Group size, and the ages of any children
- Safari style: private, shared, or tailor-made
- Length of the trip, the parks you enter and the activities you add
- Vehicle and transport arrangements
- Anything special: flights, transfers, honeymoon touches, dietary needs
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