6 Days Tanzania Southern Circuit Midrange Drive-In Safari Tour

Your Southern Circuit adventure begins with an early pickup from Dar es Salaam followed by a scenic road journey west through Morogoro Region toward Mikumi National Park. As the city disappears behind you, the landscape gradually changes into farmland, villages, mountains and open countryside before arriving at Mikumi. After lunch and park entry formalities, begin an afternoon game drive across the park’s productive savannah and Mkata Floodplain, where your guide will search for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas and other plains wildlife. Lions and other predators may also be encountered depending on their movements. The afternoon light provides an excellent introduction to Mikumi before continuing to your comfortable midrange lodge for dinner and overnight.

Distance: Approx. 285–310 km plus game-drive circuits
Time: Approx. 5–6 hours transfer plus 2–4 hours game viewing
Attractions: Tanzanian countryside, Mkata Floodplain, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and savannah landscapes

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Asante Afrika Camp Mikumi

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, enter Mikumi for a full day dedicated to wildlife viewing across the park’s open plains, woodland and water-associated habitats. The broad Mkata Floodplain offers excellent visibility, making it possible to observe elephants, buffalo herds, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and antelopes moving naturally across the landscape. Your guide will also explore areas where lions and other predators may be active, while hippos and a wide variety of birds can be seen around suitable water sources. Carrying a picnic lunch allows you to remain inside the park for most of the day and take advantage of changing animal movements rather than returning to the lodge. Continue through the afternoon with plenty of opportunities for photography before returning to your midrange accommodation.

Distance: Approx. 60–100 km of game-drive circuits
Time: Approx. 8–10 hours including picnic and wildlife stops
Attractions: Mkata Floodplain, elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hippos and birdlife

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Asante Afrika Camp Mikumi

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, leave Mikumi and travel toward the dramatic Udzungwa Mountains, a short but scenic road journey that replaces open savannah with sugarcane farms, villages, forested escarpments and mountain scenery. On reaching the park area, meet your local guide or ranger and begin a guided forest experience along one of Udzungwa’s designated trails. Unlike Mikumi, Udzungwa is explored mainly on foot, allowing you to experience the rainforest at a slower pace while searching the canopy for primates, butterflies and forest birds and learning about the unique plants of the Eastern Arc Mountains. Depending on the selected trail and available time, the excursion can include viewpoints, streams or sections leading toward waterfall scenery before returning to your midrange accommodation near the park.

Distance: Approx. 60–65 km road transfer plus walking trail
Time: Approx. 1–1.5 hours driving plus 3–5 hours guided nature activity
Attractions: Eastern Arc rainforest, forest trails, Udzungwa red colobus, monkeys, birds, butterflies, mountain scenery and waterfalls

Destination:

Mikumi Natinal Park

Overnight:

Hondo Hondo Udzungwa Forest Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Begin the morning surrounded by the green landscapes of Udzungwa, heading out with a guide for another nature experience before continuing toward Iringa. Depending on the previous day’s programme and your preferred walking level, the morning can focus on a forest trail, birdwatching, primate observation or waterfall viewpoints, giving you additional time to appreciate the contrast between Udzungwa’s rainforest ecosystem and Mikumi’s open savannah. After completing the activity, return to the vehicle and travel toward Iringa through the Southern Highlands, passing mountain landscapes, farms, villages and rural communities. Arrive in Iringa later in the day and settle into your midrange hotel or lodge, with the evening available for relaxation before the following day’s cultural and historical exploration.

Distance: Approx. 120–200 km depending on accommodation and chosen road
Time: Morning nature activity plus approx. 3–5 hours road transfer
Attractions: Rainforest trails, primates, birds, waterfalls, Southern Highlands scenery, rural communities and Iringa landscapes

Destination:

Udzungwa Mountains

Overnight:

Iringa Sunset Hotel

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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After breakfast, begin an interesting cultural and historical day around Iringa, starting with Kalenga Museum, where the visit introduces the history of the Hehe people and Chief Mkwawa. Continue to the remarkable Isimila Stone Age Site, an important archaeological area known for prehistoric stone tools, eroded pillars, gullies and unusual geological formations. A guided walk through the site provides a completely different experience from the wildlife and rainforest activities of the previous days. After completing the visits, begin the road journey back toward Mikumi, travelling through the highlands and scenic countryside before arriving at your midrange accommodation later in the day for dinner and overnight.

Distance: Approx. 190–230 km road travel plus local heritage excursions
Time: Approx. 2–4 hours heritage visits plus 3–4 hours transfer
Attractions: Kalenga Museum, Chief Mkwawa history, Isimila Stone Age Site, archaeological tools, natural pillars and Southern Highlands scenery

Destination:

Iringa Attractions

Overnight:

Asante Afrika Camp Mikumi

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Start your final morning with a nature-based activity in the Mikumi area before beginning the drive back to Dar es Salaam. Depending on arrangements and availability, this can include a guided walking safari in an authorized area, allowing you to experience animal tracks, birds, plants and smaller details that are easily missed during vehicle-based game drives. After completing the activity and breakfast or refreshments, leave Mikumi and travel east through Morogoro toward Dar es Salaam. Enjoy the changing countryside along the way and make suitable stops for lunch or refreshments before reaching the city later in the day, where your guide will drop you at your agreed hotel, residence or transfer point.

Distance: Approx. 285–310 km to Dar es Salaam
Time: Approx. 1–3 hours nature activity plus 5–6 hours road transfer
Attractions: Guided nature experience, wildlife tracks, birdlife, Mikumi landscapes, Morogoro countryside and scenic road journey