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13 Days Ultimate Southern Tanzania Safari

13 Days Ultimate Southern Tanzania Safari

Trip Overview

Step off the beaten track and into Tanzania’s wildest, quietest, and most breathtaking safari landscapes.

The southern parks present opportunities for a wide range of different Southern Tanzania Safari experiences. Travel through varying landscapes from savannah to wetlands, using a variety of methods, including walking and boat trips. The national parks and game reserves in the south are remote, visited by few tourists. This means you can sit quietly for as long as you like, taking the time to feel intimately connected with the wilderness around you. Abundant in wildlife, the southern circuit offers fantastic game viewing and bird watching opportunities.

During this Safari In Tanzania, you will cover the best of the south, visiting Mikumi National Park, The Udzungwa Mountains, Selous Game Reserve, and Ruaha National Park, as well as enjoying cultural and historical interludes to your game viewing. Discover the lesser-known spots of wild Tanzania with us!

7 Days Big Five Safaris In Tanzania
7 Days Big Five Safaris In Tanzania
7 Days Big Five Safaris In Tanzania
7 Days Big Five Safaris In Tanzania

Highlights

  • Walking and boat safaris
  • Fly-camping in Selous
  • Hike to Sanje Falls
  • Ruaha’s rare wildlife sightings
  • Birdwatching in remote wetlands

At a glance

  • 12 Nights
  • Tanzania
  • Safari

See Full Safari Details

Download the complete day-by-day itinerary. Includes safari routes, unique experiences, accommodation details, and insider travel notes for your offbeat Southern Tanzania adventure.

Safari Spots

  • Selous Game Reserve
  • Udzungwa Mountains National Park
  • Ifakara & Kilombero River
  • Ruaha National Park
  • Mikumi National Park

Tree Planting initiatives for Every Guest on the Safari Tour in Tanzania

Supporting Renewable Energy and Low-Impact Travel Choices

Empowering Local Communities Through Eco-Conscious Tourism

Details Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival

Upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) you will be met and transferred to Dar es Salaam to recover from your journey.

Overnight Dar es Salaam

Days 2 & 3 - Selous Game Reserve

You will be collected from your hotel early this morning to drive the approximately 5 hours to Selous, arriving in time for lunch. Dotted with palm trees and crisscrossed by the channels of the Rufiji River, Selous is as unique as it is vast. Spanning an area larger than Switzerland, the reserve is home to one of the most significant concentrations of elephants and lions on the continent. It has an exceptionally high variety of habitats including woodland, grassland, and swamps, however, only 5% of its area, north of the river, is open to safari-goers. This still leaves plenty of territories to explore. You will experience the wonders of the bushveld on foot, by vehicle, and on a river cruise. Spend nights out in the wild, sleeping in intimate fly-camps, savoring meals cooked over the hot coals, and sleeping with a canopy of stars for a roof.

Overnight Selous

Day 5 - Ifakara

After breakfast, depart for your onwards journey to Ifakara, taking around 5 hours. Arrive in the early afternoon, where you will find your canoe ready and waiting. Sit back and relax as you are punted upstream with a long pole. It’s likely you’ll see hippos, crocodiles, Nile monitor lizards and many birds, including the endemic Kilombero Weaver and if you’re really lucky, a shoebill. Spend a long afternoon out boating, enjoying your picnic lunch on a sandbank. In the late evening, drive to your lodge.

Overnight Udzungwa Mountains

Day 6 - Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Today will be spent stretching your legs on a hike through the beautiful forests and landscapes of Udzungwa. Accompanied by a professional guide, on the trail you will learn about various trees used for traditional healing and see and hear a wide variety of different birds. At the top, you will be rewarded with an amazing view of the Sanje Waterfalls. From the top of the waterfalls look out over the enormous Kilombero Sugarcane Valley, one of Tanzania’s biggest sugarcane plantations. Udzungwa Mountains National Park is a magnet for hikers, with an excellent network of forest trails for you to explore.

Overnight Udzungwa

Days 7, 8 & 9 - Ruaha National Park

The journey from Udzungwa to Ruaha National Park this morning, where you will spend the next few days. Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in the country, even bigger than Serengeti. Magnificent mammals such as greater and lesser kudu can be spotted here. The park has a high diversity of plants and animals including elephants, buffalos, antelopes, and some rare and endangered species such as wild dogs. A birders paradise, over 570 species of birds can be found here. Experience the wonders of the bush both on foot and by a vehicle on game drives.

Overnight Ruaha

Days 10 & 11 - Mikumi National Park

This morning you will travel from Ruaha to Mikumi with a cultural stop en route at the ‘Isimila Stone Age Historical Site’. This archaeological site yielded very important fossils that provided some enlightenment about the origins of mankind. Mikumi is known for its rich variety of bird species, as well as large numbers of giraffe, buffalo and elephants. You may be able to spot lions, leopards and African wild dogs. Likely to be seen animals include zebras, hippos, hartebeest, wildebeest, impala, warthog, eland and antelope. The Mkata river floodplain is an open expanse where you can easily spot a large number of animals, satisfying your thirst for wildlife before your journey draws to a close.

Overnight Mikumi

Day 12 - Dar es Salaam

After breakfast, depart for a short game drive in Mikumi, after which you’ll begin your drive back to Dar es Salaam, with a lunch break on the way. The drive takes approximately 5 to 6 hours and you’ll arrive at your hotel this evening for a hot shower and comfortable bed, before your journey tomorrow.

Overnight Dar es Salaam

Day 13 - Departure

Today you will be transferred back to Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in time for your flight.

Included & Excluded

  • All Game Drives; Vehicle; Park Entry Fees;
  • Accommodation At Lodges/Tented Camps/Basic Camping;
  • English Speaking Driver/Guide;
  • All Food; Drinking Water;
  • 18% VAT Tax;
  • At Least 1 Pair Of Binoculars;
  • Accommodation In Moshi/Arusha;
  • Airport Transfers;
  • Tipping for your driver/guide. The recommended is approximately USD$30-$40 per day. This is divided between everyone in the vehicle
  • Tipping for your cook (camping safaris only). The recommended is approximately USD$15-$20 per day, also divided between everyone in the vehicle
  • Drinks (unless specified)
  • Visas & vaccinations
  • Tips and gratuities to hotel, lodges, camp staff
  • All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills, etc.

Trip Map

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What Our Guests Say

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Hannah W
Hannah W / Sep 2022

The best company out there!

African Scenic Safaris were Amazing. We were a large group of students who climbed Kilimanjaro with them and went on a safari in Tarangire National Park.

Johanna S
Johanna S/ Apr 2025

Great experience on Safari.

The guide was absolutely fantastic. Emanuel was present answering questions and not least telling a lot like the animals.

Gabriella M
Gabriella M/ Feb 2025

Amazing experience

We relied on African Scenic Safaris for organising a 5 days safari. Nembris provided us with suggestions for the itinerary through Serengeti.

Your Safari Questions Answered

Every great safari starts with a question—ask boldly, travel confidently, and return with wild stories.

We know exploring the wild south is different from typical Tanzania Safari Tours. This section addresses the top questions about our Ultimate Southern Tanzania Safari, helping you plan confidently for a deeper, quieter, and more immersive experience.

This Southern Tanzania Safari Package focuses on Selous, Ruaha, and Udzungwa, which are far away and not very popular with tourists. These parks offer walking safaris, boat trips, and cultural experiences that go beyond normal game drives.

Yes, but it's best for people who want a quieter route than the northern circuit. It's great for people who love wildlife, birds, and going back to the same place.

In Ruaha and Selous, you can see elephants, lions, giraffes, wild dogs, hippos, crocodiles, and more than 500 different kinds of birds.

Yes, Southern Tanzania is a very large area. But the trip itself is part of the adventure, with stops to learn about other cultures, beautiful views, and slow drives.

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