2-Day Mikumi Safari from Dar es Salaam
Lions and elephants from Dar - road or hop, one night, full days.
From $700
Tanzania | 7 days | classic
7-day Ruaha safari
Five Ruaha days plus forest hiking - predators and primates.
Duration7 days
Styleclassic
StartsArusha
EndsArusha
Green season from$3,400 pp
Peak season from$4,150 pp
Fly-in Ruaha expedition: huge lion prides, wild-dog packs and 570 bird species with a fraction of northern visitors. The sweet spot: depth plus a buffer day for weather, herds and rest. Route: Ruaha - Udzungwa over 7 days. Season logic: June-October dry season and January-March calving; camp zone follows the herds.
Highlights
- Private throughout - own vehicle and guide, departing on your dates, with no group to join.
- Parks covered - Ruaha, Udzungwa.
- Season-smart routing - camp zone set by your month, not by a fixed template.
- Honest pricing - park and concession fees line-itemed on every quote.
- Ruaha - huge lion prides, African wild-dog packs and 570 bird species with almost no other vehicles.
- 4 nights in Udzungwa - it is a walking destination, and walking days want an unhurried morning after them.
- No backtracking - the route runs one way, so the driving between parks is spent once.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Arusha
Morning: Land at Arusha; meet your private guide for a full safari briefing.
Midday: Lunch and gear check; rest after the flight.
Afternoon: Introductory game drive in Ruaha where routing allows, else lodge pool and early rest.
Evening: Dinner and overnight near Arusha. (Add a pre-night after long-haul arrivals.)
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge near Arusha.
Day 2 - Ruaha
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Ruaha: Wild southern circuit: huge lion prides, wild dogs and 570 bird species, almost no crowds.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Fly-in tented camp on the Great Ruaha River.
Day 3 - Udzungwa
Morning: Briefing and trek: meet trackers, draw walking sticks, hire a porter, and hike forest trails to the habituated group.
Midday: The wildlife hour plus packed lunch on the trail: one regulated hour with the group, then the walk out.
Afternoon: Return to the lodge: hot lunch or late picnic, rest, optional community walk. Forest hiking, waterfalls and endemic primates for active add-on days. Transfer from Ruaha (a scenic road transfer).
Evening: Certificates, hot shower, early dinner and an early night - trek days start before dawn.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Forest lodge at the Udzungwa foothills.
Day 4 - Udzungwa
Morning: Briefing and trek: meet trackers, draw walking sticks, hire a porter, and hike forest trails to the habituated group.
Midday: The wildlife hour plus packed lunch on the trail: one regulated hour with the group, then the walk out.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Forest hiking, waterfalls and endemic primates for active add-on days.
Evening: Certificates, hot shower, early dinner and an early night - trek days start before dawn.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Forest lodge at the Udzungwa foothills.
Day 5 - Udzungwa
Morning: Briefing and trek: meet trackers, draw walking sticks, hire a porter, and hike forest trails to the habituated group.
Midday: The wildlife hour plus packed lunch on the trail: one regulated hour with the group, then the walk out.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Forest hiking, waterfalls and endemic primates for active add-on days.
Evening: Certificates, hot shower, early dinner and an early night - trek days start before dawn.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Forest lodge at the Udzungwa foothills.
Day 6 - Udzungwa
Morning: Briefing and trek: meet trackers, draw walking sticks, hire a porter, and hike forest trails to the habituated group.
Midday: The wildlife hour plus packed lunch on the trail: one regulated hour with the group, then the walk out.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Forest hiking, waterfalls and endemic primates for active add-on days.
Evening: Certificates, hot shower, early dinner and an early night - trek days start before dawn.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Forest lodge at the Udzungwa foothills.
Day 7 - Depart
Morning: Final sunrise activity around Udzungwa with bush breakfast.
Midday: Brunch, then transfer to Arusha for onward connections.
Afternoon: Day rooms available on late flights; souvenir stop if time allows.
Evening: End of safari services at Arusha airport.
Meals: Breakfast and brunch.
Accommodation: Departure day - no overnight stay.
Why this 7-day Tanzania safari itinerary
7 days on the Tanzania circuit: Ruaha, Udzungwa. Every day below is a real day on the ground, not a transfer with a game drive attached.
Why Ruaha comes first
It is Tanzania's biggest park and it needs its own fly-in extension rather than a slot on the northern loop - and that is where the route opens.
Udzungwa gets 4 nights
Udzungwa holds 4 of the 7 days, and that is deliberate: it is a walking destination, and walking days want an unhurried morning after them.
What 7 days buys
7 days moves past the point of rushing: whole days rather than stops, and enough slack that weather or wildlife can bend the plan without breaking it.
Getting around Tanzania
The northern circuit runs by road out of Arusha: Tarangire, the crater and the Serengeti sit in a line north of the city, so the route follows the line instead of doubling back. Ruaha and Nyerere are different - both are fly-in only, and road transfers to Ruaha are full-day expeditions.
Accommodation
Hand-picked lodges and tented camps matched to your tier - mid-range comfort or luxury suites, always positioned for short game-drive starts. Family rooms, honeymoon suites and triple options on request.
Safari vehicle and guide
Extended 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge, charging ports and window seats for all. Your English-speaking driver-guide averages a decade in these parks and is assigned by specialty - Migration positioning, photography, birding or family pacing.
Who this safari is best for
First-time safari travelers and anyone wanting the essential parks done properly.
Pricing
| Season | Per person (2 travelers) |
|---|---|
| Green season | from $3,400 |
| Peak season | from $4,150 |
| Tier | What you get |
|---|---|
| Budget | Camping and simple camps, with departures in the green season to hold the rate down. The private vehicle, your guide and the park fees stay exactly the same - the cut is beds and season, never guiding or positioning. |
| Mid-range | Comfortable lodges and tented camps with full board, positioned for short game-drive starts. This is the standard the from-price on this page assumes. |
| Luxury | Top-end suites and private villas in the best position in camp, private guiding throughout and flexible meal times. The highest season surcharge applies. |
Best time to book
Tanzania runs on two seasons. The one you pick changes what you see, what the camps cost and how far ahead you need to commit.
Dry season
Tanzania's cooler, drier high season is the easiest window for wildlife. Water shrinks to the Tarangire River and the remaining pools, vegetation thins and animals gather where they can still drink, so sightings come faster and the crater floor is at its most open. It is also peak price and peak crowd: July and August are the busiest weeks in the parks, and the better camps go first.
Green season
Short rains begin in November and the landscape greens within weeks, with rates down and the parks nearly empty. January to March is calving season on the southern Serengeti, where predators concentrate around the newborn herds and the photography is at its sharpest. March and April bring the long rains, when lodges cut hardest, visitor numbers fall to their lowest and the light is superb for photography. Outside the Christmas and New Year window, this is where the value sits.
What actually drives the timing
The migration moves all year: southern Ndutu for calving from January, the central Seronera through the green months, and northern Mara from July to October. Camp zone follows the herds rather than a fixed map, which is why your month matters more than your itinerary length.
How far ahead to book
June to August and the peak migration months want six to twelve months of notice for the camps worth choosing. Green-season departures usually go through on two to four months. Christmas, New Year and Easter compress early whatever the season.
What is included and excluded
Every price on this page is a full-cost quote. Park and concession fees are line-itemed, so the total you compare against another operator is the total you pay.
Included
- Transport and guiding - private extended 4x4 safari vehicle with a dedicated driver-guide for your group only.
- Park and conservation fees - entry to Ruaha, paid on your behalf and shown as line items on the quote.
- Accommodation - 6 nights in lodges, tented camps or seasonal camps matched to your tier.
- Meals - most meals as listed day by day: breakfast at camp, a picnic or lodge lunch, and dinner, with bottled water in the vehicle throughout.
- Transfers - every road transfer in the day-by-day, including airport pick-up and drop-off.
- Game drives - morning and afternoon drives in your own vehicle, on no schedule but yours.
- Taxes - government taxes and VAT on everything quoted.
Not included
- International flights - into Kilimanjaro International (JRO); we route the connections but do not issue tickets.
- Visas - Tanzania sells visas on arrival for most passports, US$50 and US$100 for United States citizens, or by eVisa in advance. Six months of passport validity covers it.
- Travel insurance - required, and it must include medical evacuation.
- Premium drinks - premium wines, spirits and cocktails at lodges and camps.
- Tips - driver-guide and camp staff gratuities.
- Optional extras - balloon or scenic flights, extra nights, luxury camp tier, beach or trekking extensions.
Parks and guides
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FAQs
What is the best month for this trip?
Dry-season months give the easiest wildlife viewing; green-season months cut cost 20 to 35 percent. Tell us your window and we confirm the wildlife logic.
What vaccinations and malaria prevention do we need?
Yellow fever certificates are required when arriving from endemic countries; malaria prophylaxis is recommended for most safari regions - discuss options with your doctor 6 to 8 weeks out. We brief every trip on water, sun and insect precautions.
CDC guidance for the region is precise. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for all safari travelers and becomes a certificate requirement when you arrive via an endemic country such as Rwanda or Uganda. Routine boosters, hepatitis A, typhoid and hepatitis B round out the travel clinic list. Malaria transmission covers every game park below roughly 2,500 meters, the parasite is chloroquine resistant, and the preventatives that work are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine or tafenoquine, started before arrival and finished after. Book the clinic six to eight weeks out, and pack repellent with 20 percent DEET plus long sleeves for dusk.
What photography gear should we bring?
A 100 to 400mm zoom covers 90 percent of sightings; add a wide second body for landscapes. Beanbags beat tripods in vehicles. We provide charging setups and dust management briefings - tell us your kit and targets.
How do internal flights and luggage limits work?
Bush flights allow 15 to 20kg in soft duffels; lodges store hard cases free. We route connections with realistic margins and meet you at every airstrip - missed-connection cover is built into fly-in trips.
Is this trip private?
Yes - every itinerary here runs with your own vehicle and guide. No Mixed-group compromises unless you ask for a join-in price.
How fit do we need to be?
Game-drive safaris need no fitness. Trekking trips state their grade honestly - ask for the training notes.
What is NOT included that surprises first-timers?
International flights, visas, travel insurance (required), premium drinks, the balloon flight where offered, and tips. Our quotes line-item park fees and permits so the total you compare is the total you pay.
What happens if it rains?
Game drives run rain or shine - vehicles have roofs and ponchos, animals remain active, and green-season light is superb for photography. Only true downpours pause activity, and camps flex schedules around them.
What insurance do we need?
Comprehensive travel insurance is required, including medical evacuation (AMREF/Flying Doctors cover, about 30 dollars, is recommended for remote circuits). Bring policy details - camps and operators ask for them.
Request this safari
Your dates, your camp tier - reply within 24 hours.