6 Days Tanzania Southern Circuit Midrange Drive-in Drive-out Safari

Leave Dar es Salaam at approximately 6:00 am and travel towards Mikumi, passing through the Morogoro region with a refreshment stop along the way. An early departure gives you the best chance of reaching the park with enough time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Once inside, your guide will introduce you to Mikumi’s open grasslands, scanning for giraffes feeding among scattered trees, zebras grazing beside antelope and elephants moving between woodland and water. The afternoon is a gentle introduction to safari life, with time to watch animal behaviour and ask questions rather than simply move from one sighting to another. As the park approaches closing time, continue to your midrange accommodation in the Mikumi area for dinner and your first overnight stay.

Distance: Approximately 300–320 km, excluding game-drive tracks.
Time: Around 6–7 hours by road; approximately 2–3 hours of afternoon game viewing, depending on arrival.
Attractions: Morogoro countryside, Mikumi grasslands, giraffes, zebras, elephants and antelope.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Mikumi Wildlife Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

After an early breakfast, head into Mikumi with a packed lunch for a full day of exploring. Spend the cooler morning hours around the Mkata Floodplain and other productive areas selected by your guide, watching how different animals use the grassland and its surrounding cover. Buffalo may gather in herds, giraffes browse along the woodland edges, and lions are sometimes found resting after a night of hunting. Visit an accessible hippo pool if conditions allow, taking time to observe both the animals and the birds using the water. Lunch will be served at a designated picnic area before you continue through another section of the park. With no transfer to another destination today, there is room to linger at interesting sightings before returning to the same accommodation for dinner.

Distance: Variable game-drive distance within Mikumi; no intercity transfer.
Time: Approximately 7–9 hours in the park, including lunch and viewing stops.
Attractions: Mkata Floodplain, hippo pools, buffalo, giraffes, plains wildlife and birdlife.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Mikumi Wildlife Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Enjoy an early breakfast before leaving Mikumi for Ruaha via Iringa. The journey is a substantial part of the day, taking you through changing countryside and into the Southern Highlands before the road continues towards Ruaha. Stop for lunch along the route, then proceed to the park and complete the entry formalities. If you arrive with sufficient daylight, take a short late-afternoon game drive, looking for elephants, impala and giraffes among the baobabs and woodland. Your guide will keep the route practical so that you reach your accommodation within the permitted operating hours. Dinner and overnight are at a midrange lodge or tented camp in the Ruaha area; the arrival game drive depends on road conditions and transfer time.

Distance: Approximately 320–350 km, depending on accommodation locations.
Time: Allow around 6–8 hours for the transfer; up to 1–2 hours of game viewing if arrival permits.
Attractions: Southern Highlands scenery, countryside around Iringa, Ruaha baobabs and possible elephant sightings.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Hodi Hodi Ruaha Bush Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Set out early for a full day in Ruaha, carrying a picnic lunch so you can explore without returning to camp at midday. Your guide will choose a route through riverine areas, woodland and open ground, adjusting the day to animal movements and the condition of the tracks. Around the Great Ruaha River and its seasonal water sources, you may encounter elephants, buffalo, hippos and a variety of birds, while quieter stretches of woodland offer opportunities to search for lions or a well-hidden leopard. Between sightings, take in the park’s rocky outcrops and broad landscapes dotted with mature baobabs. Pause for lunch at an approved picnic spot, then continue exploring before returning to your accommodation for dinner and a second night in the Ruaha area.

Distance: Variable game-drive distance within Ruaha; no intercity transfer.
Time: Approximately 8–9 hours, including picnic lunch and viewing stops.
Attractions: Great Ruaha River surroundings, baobab woodland, rocky outcrops, elephants, buffalo and possible predator sightings.

Destination:

Ruaha National Park

Overnight:

Hodi Hodi Ruaha Bush Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Begin with a morning game drive while temperatures are still comfortable and the light is soft across the bush. This last outing gives you another opportunity to revisit a productive area or explore a nearby route that you have not yet covered. Watch for elephants feeding, birds becoming active and predators settling into shaded places as the morning warms. After the drive, collect your belongings and begin the road journey to Iringa, with lunch arranged according to your departure time. Arrive during the afternoon and settle into a midrange hotel. The rest of the day is available for a quiet break after several days in the vehicle, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in town.

Distance: Approximately 130 km from the main Ruaha access area to Iringa, plus game-drive and lodge access distances.
Time: Around 2–3 hours of morning game viewing and 3–4 hours for the road transfer.
Attractions: Ruaha’s morning wildlife, woodland scenery and the changing landscape towards Iringa.

Destination:

Iringa Attractions

Overnight:

Iringa Sunset Hotel

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Have an early breakfast and visit Isimila Stone Age Site before starting the long drive back to Dar es Salaam. The visit introduces a different side of Tanzania, with archaeological interpretation and a walk towards the eroded earth pillars where access and conditions allow. Your local guide will explain the importance of the site and the landscape surrounding it, keeping the visit focused so there is enough time for the return journey. Afterwards, leave the Iringa area and travel towards Dar es Salaam, stopping for lunch and refreshments along the way. Expect an evening or late-evening arrival, depending on traffic and road conditions, followed by drop-off at your agreed hotel or other city location.

Distance: Approximately 540–570 km in total, including the Isimila detour.
Time: Around 1–1.5 hours at Isimila, plus approximately 9–11 hours of road travel and breaks.
Attractions: Isimila archaeological heritage, natural earth pillars and Southern Highlands scenery.