6 Days Tanzania Midrange Drive-in Drive-out Mikumi & Ruaha Safari

Your safari begins with an early pickup in Dar es Salaam and a road journey towards Mikumi. Leaving early helps manage city traffic and gives you a better chance of reaching the park with enough time for an afternoon outing. Stop for refreshments and lunch along the way, then complete park entry and begin exploring the grassland. Your guide will look for giraffes, zebras, elephants and antelope, pausing where animal activity makes a worthwhile stop. The first drive introduces the park without trying to cover every area after a long transfer. Continue to your midrange accommodation in the Mikumi area for dinner and overnight.

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

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Matembezi Safari Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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Enjoy breakfast before setting out for a full day in Mikumi with a packed lunch. With no intercity transfer today, you can spend more time exploring the plains, watching herds and following promising wildlife activity. Your guide will choose accessible routes around the Mkata Floodplain and other suitable areas, looking for buffalo, giraffes and possible lions while also pointing out birds and smaller animals. Visit a hippo viewing area if conditions allow, then stop for lunch at a designated picnic site. Continue through the afternoon before returning to the same accommodation, where dinner and a second overnight stay complete the day.

Distance: Variable game-drive distance within Mikumi.
Time: Approximately 7–9 hours, including lunch and viewing stops.
Attractions: Mkata Floodplain, hippo pools, buffalo, plains wildlife and birdlife.

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Matembezi Safari Lodge

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After an early breakfast, check out and begin the road journey towards Ruaha via Iringa. Today shows why travel by road is part of the experience: the surroundings change from the Mikumi area to highland countryside and then towards Ruaha’s drier woodland. Your guide will schedule refreshment, lunch and stretching stops while keeping the transfer moving at a practical pace. After completing park entry, enjoy a short late-afternoon game drive if daylight and arrival time permit. Continue to your midrange lodge or tented camp for dinner and overnight. If the journey takes longer than expected, the arrival game drive will be shortened or omitted.

Distance: Approximately 320–350 km, depending on lodge locations.
Time: Around 6–8 hours of road travel; up to 1–2 hours of game viewing if arrival allows.
Attractions: Southern Highlands scenery, rural landscapes, 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

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Leave early with a picnic lunch for a full day of game viewing in Ruaha. The route will depend on recent sightings and track conditions, combining river surroundings, woodland and open areas where different animals may be found. Watch for elephants feeding among trees, buffalo resting near cover and giraffes moving through the landscape, with opportunities to search for predators along the way. Your guide will allow time to observe worthwhile sightings rather than simply cover distance. Break for lunch at an approved picnic area and continue exploring during the afternoon. Return to your accommodation before evening for dinner and overnight.

Distance: Variable routes within Ruaha; no intercity transfer.
Time: Approximately 8–9 hours, including lunch and wildlife stops.
Attractions: Great Ruaha River surroundings, baobabs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and possible big cats.

Destination:

Ruaha

Overnight:

Hodi Hodi Ruaha Bush Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Begin with a morning game drive before leaving Ruaha, making use of the cooler conditions and early wildlife activity. Your guide will choose a route that fits comfortably around breakfast, checkout and the onward journey. Afterwards, travel to Iringa, stopping for lunch according to your departure time. Compared with the longer transfer days, this stage provides more opportunity to arrive during the afternoon and rest at your midrange hotel. The overnight stop is an important part of the road itinerary, dividing the return journey and making the next morning’s Isimila visit possible. Dinner and overnight are in Iringa.

Distance: Approximately 130 km from the main Ruaha access area to Iringa, plus local driving.
Time: Around 2–3 hours of game viewing and approximately 3–4 hours of road travel.
Attractions: Morning wildlife, Ruaha woodland and the changing scenery towards Iringa.

Destination:

Iringa Attractions

Overnight:

Sai Villa Hotel

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Have an early breakfast and visit Isimila Stone Age Site before beginning the final long road transfer. A guided introduction explains the site’s archaeological significance, followed by a walk towards the earth formations where access permits. Keep the visit focused so there is sufficient time for the journey to Dar es Salaam, including lunch and refreshment stops. The drive retraces part of the southern road corridor, giving a final view of the countryside travelled earlier in the safari. Expect an evening or late-evening arrival at your agreed city location. An overnight stay in Dar es Salaam is preferable before a tightly scheduled onward flight.

Distance: Approximately 540–570 km, including the Isimila detour.
Time: Around 1–1.5 hours at Isimila, followed by approximately 9–11 hours of road travel and breaks.
Attractions: Isimila archaeological site, earth pillars and countryside along the return route.