5 Days Wildlife Safari in Ruaha and Mikumi National Parks, Tanzania

Day 1 - Mikumi National Park

At around 7 a.m., you will have a meet-and-greet session in Dar es Salaam, then drive for about six hours and with packed lunch to Mikumi National Park. Animals commonly seen in the area include the elephant, giraffe, zebra, antelope, wildebeest, eland, crocodile, hippo, and baboon. If you are lucky, you may also see the lion and leopard. Another attraction in the park are the hippo pools, where you can watch hippos wallowing and snorting at close range.

Over 300 species of birds are seen in the park as well, including the saddle-billed stork, hamerkop, malachite kingfisher, lilac-breasted roller, yellow-throated longclaw, bateleur, and others. Enjoy a late-afternoon game drive with sunset viewing, and watch the animals drinking water at the hippo pool. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at Camp Bastian Mikumi.

Day 2 - Travel to Ruaha National Park

After breakfast, you will drive for about six hours with packed lunch to Ruaha National Park. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at the Ruaha Hilltop Lodge.

Day 3 - Ruaha National Park

Lunch will be packed so you can enjoy a full day of game driving in Ruaha National Park. This less-visited park lies deep in the south with its striking, rugged landscapes and abundant wildlife. The Great Ruaha River flows through the eastern side of the park and provides life to hippos, crocodiles, and over 400 species of birds such as the racket-tailed roller, pale-billed hornbill, Shelley’s sunbird, and hoopoe.

The park also provides a home to one of Tanzania’s largest elephant populations, and is famous for lions, giraffes, Grant’s gazelles, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, buffaloes, and for rare or endangered animals such as the sable antelope, greater kudu, and roan antelope. Your dinner and overnight stay will again be at the Ruaha Hilltop Lodge.

Day 4 - Return to Mikumi National Park

After breakfast, drive for about six hours with your packed lunch back to Mikumi National Park. Enjoy a late-afternoon game drive then have dinner and an overnight stay back at Camp Bastian Mikumi.

Day 5 - Dar es Salaam

After breakfast, you will drive back to Dar es Salaam, again for about six hours and with packed lunch. You will be dropped off at either your hotel for the night, the seaport, or Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) for your flight home.

Mikumi National Park

Located north of the Selous Game Reserve, this park is surrounded by open grasslands and mountain ranges, and covers an area of 3,230 square kilometers. The open horizons and abundant wildlife of the park's popular centerpiece, the Mkata Floodplain (also known as the "mini-Serengeti"), draw frequent comparisons to the more famous Serengeti plains.

Ruaha National Park

This well-kept wildlife secret is the first, largest national park with the biggest elephant sanctuary in Tanzania. It covers an area of 20,300 square kilometers and has an altitude of 1,000 meters. The Great Ruaha River is home to hippos and crocodiles. Waterbucks, reedbucks, and buffaloes also venture into the river’s edge to drink. Other animals found in the area include the lion, leopard, hyena, African wild dog, and jackal.

Antelope species such as the kudu, impala, sable antelope, roan antelope, Grant's gazelle, and dik-dik thrive in the grasslands bordering the river alongside the giraffe, zebra, warthog, mongoose, porcupine, wildcat, and civet. Ruaha also has a prolific bird life with over 370 species recorded, some of which are not found in Northern Tanzania.

Eurasian migrant birds flock to Ruaha twice a year, during March to April and October to November, joining the residents kingfisher, hornbill, sunbird, egret, and plover. Activities in Ruaha include game driving, bird watching, and walking safaris accompanied by an armed ranger.

Four breakfasts, five lunches, and four dinners are included in the price of this retreat.

• Capture photos of the sights and scenery
• Enjoy the game drives
• Explore the surroundings
• Meet and interact with the locals
• Relax at your accommodation
• See the stunning views and wildlife

• 1 liter of water per person per day during game drives
• 4 breakfasts, five lunches, and four dinners
• 4 nights accommodation
• All applicable park fees and taxes
• Two half-day game drives in Mikumi National Park
• One game drive in Ruaha National Park
• Guide allowances
• Medical evacuation insurance services
• Services of a professional and English-speaking driver-guide
• Transfer to seaport or Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR)
• Transportation in an open-roofed, four-by-four safari vehicle

• Airfare costs
• Alcoholic drinks and other beverages
• Any additional activities, services, or trips
• Any increase in park entry fees, taxes, and concession fees
• Bank charges
• Personal expenses
• Tips - standard is 10 to 20 USD per day

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 28 days before arrival.