6 Days Midrange Road Safari from Dar Es Salaam to Mikumi & Ruaha

Your driver-guide will collect you from the agreed Dar es Salaam hotel or city meeting point early in the morning. After a short briefing, leave for Mikumi with refreshment and lunch stops arranged along the route. On arrival, complete park entry and begin an afternoon game drive through the open grassland, looking for giraffes, zebras, elephants and antelope. Your guide will introduce the animals and explain what to expect during the coming days, giving you time to settle into the safari. Finish within park hours and continue to your midrange accommodation in the Mikumi area for dinner and overnight. Staying in Dar es Salaam the previous night supports the early departure.

Distance: Approximately 300–320 km, depending on your pickup location, excluding game-drive tracks.
Time: Around 6–7 hours by road; approximately 2–3 hours of afternoon game viewing if arrival permits.
Attractions: Countryside beyond Dar es Salaam, Mikumi grasslands, giraffes, zebras and elephants.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Mikumi Wildlife Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, head into Mikumi with a picnic lunch for a full day of exploration. The open plains offer opportunities to watch herds and observe how animals use the grassland, woodland and available water. Your guide will select routes according to conditions, searching for buffalo, giraffes and possible predators while taking time to point out birds and less conspicuous wildlife. Visit an accessible hippo viewing area if suitable, then stop for lunch at a designated picnic site. Continue the afternoon drive before returning to the same midrange accommodation. With the  Approximately 7–9 hours, including lunch and observation stops.

Distance: Variable game-drive routes within Mikumi.
Time: Approximately 7–9 hours, including lunch and observation stops.
Attractions: Mkata Floodplain, hippo pools, buffalo, antelope, giraffes and birdlife.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Mikumi Wildlife Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Depart Mikumi after an early breakfast and continue towards Ruaha via Iringa. The journey takes much of the day, with changes in scenery providing interest between planned stops for refreshments and lunch. As you approach the park, cultivated countryside gives way to stretches of bush and woodland. If you arrive with enough daylight after entry formalities, enjoy a short late-afternoon game drive before reaching your accommodation. Look for elephants, giraffes and antelope while getting your first impression of Ruaha’s landscapes. Dinner and overnight are at your midrange lodge or tented camp, with the arrival drive dependent on road conditions and transfer time.

Distance: Approximately 320–350 km.
Time: Around 6–8 hours of road travel; a short arrival game drive if time permits.
Attractions: Highland countryside, baobabs, woodland landscapes and possible wildlife encounters.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Hodi Hodi Ruaha Bush Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Spend the day exploring Ruaha with your guide and a packed lunch, leaving enough time to enjoy both sightings and the landscape between them. Follow accessible routes through river surroundings and woodland, looking for elephants, buffalo, giraffes and possible big cats. A good sighting may reward a longer stop, whether you are watching an elephant herd feed or waiting quietly as an animal moves through cover. Lunch will be taken at an approved picnic location before further game viewing in the afternoon. Return to your accommodation before evening for dinner, completing the main full-day Ruaha experience of your safari from Dar es Salaam.

Distance: Variable game-drive distance within Ruaha.
Time: Approximately 8–9 hours, including lunch and viewing stops.
Attractions: Great Ruaha River surroundings, elephants, buffalo, baobab woodland and possible predators.

Destination:

Ruaha

Overnight:

Ruaha River Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Enjoy a final morning game drive before beginning the journey back towards Dar es Salaam in stages. Your guide will explore a practical nearby route, allowing another opportunity to observe wildlife before breakfast and checkout arrangements are completed. Travel to Iringa with lunch planned according to the schedule, then check into your midrange hotel during the afternoon. Take time to rest, organise your belongings and enjoy dinner after several days in the parks. The Iringa overnight prevents this day from becoming a rushed return to the coast and provides a convenient base for the next morning’s visit to Isimila.

Distance: Approximately 130 km from the main Ruaha access area to Iringa, plus lodge access and game-drive distances.
Time: Around 2–3 hours of game viewing and 3–4 hours of road travel.
Attractions: Morning wildlife, Ruaha scenery and Iringa’s highland surroundings.

Destination:

Iringa Attractions

Overnight:

Sai Villa Hotel

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After an early breakfast, visit Isimila Stone Age Site for a guided introduction to its archaeological heritage and distinctive earth pillars. Walk a suitable section where conditions allow, then return to the vehicle for the long transfer to Dar es Salaam. Your guide will plan lunch and refreshment stops while keeping the journey moving towards the agreed drop-off point. Arrival is expected in the evening or late evening, depending on road conditions and city traffic. The safari finishes at your confirmed hotel or city location; any airport transfer should be arranged around a realistic flight schedule, with an overnight stay in Dar es Salaam offering greater flexibility.

Distance: Approximately 540–570 km, including the Isimila visit and depending on your Dar es Salaam drop-off.
Time: Around 1–1.5 hours at Isimila, plus approximately 9–11 hours of road travel and breaks.
Attractions: Isimila archaeological site, natural earth pillars and Southern Highlands scenery.