8-Day Southern Circuit: Mikumi & Ruaha

Most Tanzania safaris follow the same northern route. This one doesn’t. The Southern Circuit is quieter, wilder, and in Ruaha’s case, operates on a different scale altogether — in terms of landscape, wildlife density, and what it actually feels like to be out there.

This eight-day itinerary combines Mikumi National Park, accessible by road from Dar es Salaam and often underestimated, with Ruaha National Park, Tanzania’s largest and one of the finest predator destinations on the continent. You won’t share game drives with convoys of vehicles. You’ll cover a lot of ground and come back with a very different idea of what a Tanzania safari can be.

Day 1 – Dar es Salaam → Mikumi National Park

Depart Dar es Salaam early morning, heading west on the TANZAM highway through Morogoro and into the Mikumi corridor. The drive takes five to six hours depending on traffic out of the city. The highway passes along the northern boundary of the park — wildlife sightings from the road are not uncommon, and the landscape shifts noticeably as the Uluguru Mountains rise to the north. Arrive in time for a late afternoon game drive and settle into camp with views across the grassland below.

Day 2 – Mikumi National Park

Full day in the park. Mikumi’s Mkata floodplain is the focal point — a wide, open plain that holds some of the highest concentrations of game in southern Tanzania. Elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and giraffe are consistently present. Lions use the floodplain as hunting ground, and Mikumi has a known population of tree-climbing lions that spend time in the fever trees along the floodplain edge. Morning and afternoon game drives, with time at camp midday.

Day 3 – Mikumi National Park

Second full day, exploring different areas of the park. The western sector holds more woodland and is good for leopard and greater kudu — species you won’t encounter on a standard northern circuit trip. Birdlife in Mikumi is serious: over 400 species recorded, including good numbers of European migrants during the shoulder months. Your guide will read the conditions and adjust accordingly.

Day 4 – Mikumi → Ruaha National Park

The transfer day. Overland from Mikumi to Ruaha takes five to six hours on a mix of tarmac and unpaved road. It’s a long drive, but the route passes through the Iringa highlands and the landscape earns its keep. Arrive at camp on the banks of the Great Ruaha River before dark. The lodge sits at a bend in the river with direct game viewing from the terrace — buffalo, elephant, and crocodile are regularly visible without leaving your chair.

Upgrade option: This leg can be flown — a 45-minute charter from Mikumi airstrip to Msembe in Ruaha. Ask us for current rates.

Day 5 – Ruaha National Park

First full day in Ruaha. The Great Ruaha River is the anchor of the dry-season ecosystem — during low water, elephants gather along its banks in extraordinary numbers, digging for water in the sandy riverbed. Ruaha holds an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 elephants. The park sits at the convergence of East and southern African habitats, which means species not found in the Serengeti — greater kudu, roan antelope, sable — appear here regularly. Morning game drive, return to camp for lunch, afternoon drive extending into the golden hour along the river.

Day 6 – Ruaha National Park

Ruaha is lion country. The park hosts some of Tanzania’s largest and best-studied prides, with males carrying notably heavy manes. African wild dogs are resident and regularly encountered — this is one of their strongest remaining strongholds in East Africa. Today focuses on more remote sectors of the park, pushing further from the main river circuits where vehicle traffic is thinnest. A walking safari is possible as an optional add-on from camp.

Day 7 – Ruaha National Park

Final full day. Dawn drive along the river, tracking predator movement from the night. Leopard are present in the riverine woodland and most active at first light. A longer afternoon drive into the Mwagusi drainage covers productive ground for elephant congregation and, in the right season, wild dog den sites. Sundowners in the bush before returning to camp.

Day 8 – Ruaha → Msembe Airstrip → Dar es Salaam

Morning game drive before transferring to Msembe Airstrip for a scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam. Flight time is approximately one hour. Connect with international departures, or extend with a night in Dar or onward to Zanzibar.

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Duration	8 days / 7 nights
Price	From $440 per person per day
Total (2 pax, sharing)	From $3,520 per person
Accommodation	Vuma Hills or Stanley’s Kopje (Mikumi, 3 nights) · Ruaha River Lodge or Mdonya (Ruaha, 4 nights)
Included	Accommodation, all meals, game drives, park fees, Dar–Mikumi transfer, Mikumi–Ruaha overland transfer, Ruaha–Dar scheduled flight, crew
Not included	International flights, travel insurance, visas, gratuities, beverages, optional activities
Best time	June–October (dry season) for wildlife concentration; November–March for green season rates and birdlife
Group size	Private, minimum 2
Upgrade option	Fly the Mikumi → Ruaha leg by charter — ask us for current rates
Extensions	Zanzibar beach stay, extra days in Ruaha, northern circuit safari