5 Days Luxury Women-Only Safari: Mikumi, Ruaha & Iringa

6:00 AM–12:30 PM: Private Departure from Dar es Salaam
Your women-only Southern Circuit adventure begins with a morning collection from your Dar es Salaam hotel. After meeting your professional safari guide, you will settle into your private safari vehicle and begin the journey inland towards Mikumi National Park. The private nature of the safari means the group can travel at a comfortable pace. Rather than working around the timetable of a shared tour, your guide can accommodate reasonable requests for refreshment, stretching and photography stops along the way. As Dar es Salaam gradually disappears behind you, the landscape changes into rural countryside, farmland and increasingly open scenery. During the drive, your guide will introduce you to the regions you are travelling through and explain what to expect from the first game drive.

12:30 PM–2:30 PM: Luxury Lodge Arrival and Lunch
Arrive at your selected luxury accommodation near Mikumi and settle into your rooms. A freshly prepared lunch will provide time to relax after the road journey. This midday pause also allows everyone to freshen up, recharge and prepare for the afternoon wildlife experience. The accommodation will provide a comfortable base for the evening, with time to enjoy the surroundings before or after the game drive.

3:00 PM–6:00 PM: Afternoon Game Drive in Mikumi National Park
In the afternoon, enter Mikumi National Park for your first safari drive. Your guide will explore the park's open grasslands, woodland areas and wildlife-rich surroundings while explaining animal behaviour, tracks and the ecology of the Southern Circuit. The Mkata Floodplain and surrounding habitats can offer opportunities to see elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, wildebeest and various antelope species. Birdwatching will also be part of the experience, with your guide helping the group identify colourful and distinctive species. The private vehicle creates a relaxed environment for photography and conversation, allowing the group to enjoy sightings without the pressure of other travellers waiting to leave.

6:00 PM–8:00 PM: Evening at the Lodge
Return to your luxury accommodation as the day cools. After freshening up, enjoy dinner and time to relax with the other women in the group. The evening can be used to share photographs, discuss the day's wildlife encounters and prepare for the journey towards Ruaha.

6:30 AM–7:30 AM: Breakfast and Morning Preparation
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before checking out. Your guide will brief the group about the day's road journey from Mikumi towards Ruaha National Park, passing through the highland landscapes around Iringa.

7:30 AM–12:30 PM: Scenic Road Transfer Towards Iringa
Leave Mikumi behind and begin the scenic journey towards Tanzania's southern highlands. The route gradually rises into an area characterised by changing elevations, cultivated land, rural communities and impressive countryside. The journey provides a different perspective of Tanzania beyond the national parks. Your guide will explain the areas you pass through and arrange suitable comfort stops during the drive. For women travelling together, the private road transfer creates a pleasant opportunity to talk, photograph the landscape and enjoy the journey without the constraints of a larger group.

12:30 PM–1:30 PM: Lunch Stop
Stop for lunch and take time to stretch before continuing towards Ruaha. Your guide will monitor the day's timing carefully to maintain a comfortable balance between the road journey and the possibility of an evening wildlife activity.

1:30 PM–5:30 PM: Continue Towards Ruaha National Park
Continue through the highland region towards Ruaha National Park, one of Tanzania's most distinctive wilderness areas. As you approach Ruaha, the landscape becomes increasingly rugged and wild. Large baobab trees, dry woodland and open areas begin to create the unmistakable character of the park. After reaching the Ruaha area, check into your luxury accommodation and take some time to refresh.

5:00 PM–6:30 PM: Evening Game Drive if Time and Conditions Permit
If the road journey allows sufficient time and park regulations permit, enjoy a short evening game drive. This introductory drive offers the group a first glimpse of Ruaha's distinctive landscape and wildlife. Your guide will make the decision according to actual arrival time, daylight and prevailing conditions rather than rushing the group simply to add another activity.

Evening: Dinner and Relaxation
Return to your luxury lodge or camp for dinner. Enjoy a peaceful evening surrounded by the sounds of the African bush before your full Ruaha safari day tomorrow.

6:30 AM–7:00 AM: Breakfast
Enjoy an early breakfast before departing for a full day inside Ruaha National Park. Your professional safari guide will brief the group on the day's route and discuss wildlife interests, photography preferences and any particular species the group hopes to encounter.

7:00 AM–11:30 AM: Morning Wildlife Exploration
Set out across Ruaha while temperatures are still relatively cool and wildlife is active. The park's varied habitats create opportunities for a wide range of sightings, from large mammals to smaller creatures and numerous bird species. Your guide will search for elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, impalas and other antelope, while remaining alert for predators such as lions. Rather than simply moving from one sighting to another, the guide will explain animal behaviour, tracks, feeding patterns and the seasonal relationship between wildlife and water. For photographers, the morning light can provide excellent opportunities to capture wildlife and landscapes.

11:30 AM–1:30 PM: Scenic Lunch and Rest
Pause for lunch in an appropriate designated location or return to the lodge depending on the day's route and park arrangements. This break provides time to rest, hydrate and exchange impressions with the group before continuing the afternoon exploration.

1:30 PM–5:30 PM: Great Ruaha River and Baobab Landscapes
Continue towards areas influenced by the Great Ruaha River, an important feature of the park's ecosystem. Your guide will explain the role of water in supporting wildlife and how animals adapt as seasonal conditions change. Ruaha's enormous baobabs provide some of the most distinctive scenery of the Southern Circuit. Between wildlife sightings, the group will have opportunities to appreciate these ancient-looking trees, open plains and rugged woodland. Birdwatching can add another dimension to the afternoon, particularly for travellers interested in photography or learning more about Tanzania's bird species.

5:30 PM–6:30 PM: Evening Return Through Ruaha
Begin the return towards your accommodation as the afternoon light softens. Your guide will continue looking for wildlife along the route while maintaining a safe and comfortable pace.

Evening: Luxury Dinner and Women’s Safari Social Time
Return to the lodge for dinner. The evening offers a relaxed setting for the group to share experiences, photographs and stories from the day's adventure.

5:45 AM–6:15 AM: Early Start
Wake early for your final Ruaha experience. Enjoy a light breakfast or early refreshment before leaving with your guide.

6:15 AM–9:30 AM: Sunrise Game Drive
Your final morning safari in Ruaha begins as the landscape wakes up. The cooler temperatures can make the early hours particularly pleasant for wildlife viewing. Your guide will select the route according to current wildlife activity and recent sightings. The group may encounter elephants moving through woodland, giraffes feeding among trees, antelope crossing open areas and buffaloes gathering in groups. The morning also offers a final opportunity to photograph Ruaha's distinctive baobabs and expansive wilderness before departing the park.

9:30 AM–11:00 AM: Return to Lodge, Breakfast and Check-Out
Return to the accommodation for breakfast and time to freshen up. After checking out, the group will begin the scenic journey towards Iringa.

11:00 AM–2:00 PM: Highland Journey to Iringa
Travel towards Iringa through the changing landscapes of the southern highlands. The route provides an interesting contrast to Ruaha's wilderness, with cultivated areas, elevated terrain and rural communities appearing along the way. Your guide will identify interesting viewpoints and arrange reasonable stops for photographs and refreshments.

2:00 PM–3:00 PM: Lunch in Iringa
Enjoy lunch before beginning the afternoon's cultural or historical activity.

3:00 PM–5:30 PM: Iringa Town or Isimila Stone Age Site
The group can explore the character of Iringa through a gentle town experience or visit the Isimila Stone Age Site, depending on timing and group interests. Isimila provides an opportunity to learn about Tanzania's archaeological heritage and see unusual eroded formations within the surrounding landscape. Alternatively, an Iringa town walk offers a more relaxed way to appreciate the highland community and local atmosphere. This afternoon provides a valuable change from wildlife-focused activities and allows the group to experience another side of southern Tanzania.

Evening: Luxury Highland Accommodation
Check into your luxury accommodation in Iringa, freshen up and enjoy dinner. The evening is intentionally relaxed after several days of road travel and safari activities.

Destination:

Ruaha National Park

Overnight:

Hans Poppe Hotel

  luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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6:30 AM–7:30 AM: Breakfast and Departure Preparation
Enjoy breakfast before checking out. Your guide will assist with luggage and prepare the vehicle for the final journey to Dar es Salaam.

7:30 AM–12:30 PM: Scenic Drive Through the Southern Highlands
Begin the return journey from Iringa through the highland landscapes. The road offers changing scenery as you travel through valleys, cultivated countryside and elevated sections before gradually descending towards the lower regions. The Kitonga landscape provides particularly memorable views along the route. Where conditions allow, the group can pause for photographs and refreshments.

12:30 PM–1:30 PM: Lunch and Comfort Break
Stop for lunch and take time to stretch before continuing towards Dar es Salaam.

1:30 PM–6:30 PM: Continue via Mikumi
Continue through the countryside towards the Mikumi region before joining the route back to Dar es Salaam. The long transfer is an opportunity to relax after the safari portion of the journey. Your private vehicle provides a comfortable environment for the group to rest, talk and review photographs from Mikumi and Ruaha.

6:30 PM–7:30 PM: Arrival in Dar es Salaam
Arrive in Dar es Salaam and conclude your 5-day women-only luxury drive-in drive-out Southern Circuit safari. Your guide will drop you at your preferred hotel, airport or other agreed location, bringing your private journey through Mikumi, Ruaha and Iringa to a comfortable close.