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9 days · Tanzania · Budget

9 Days Southern Tanzania Budget Road Safari: Nyerere/Selous, Mikumi & Ruaha

Nine days by road through southern Tanzania's wild, uncrowded parks: the Rufiji River system of Nyerere (Selous), Mikumi's open floodplain and Ruaha, one of Africa's largest and most remote national parks.

  • 9 days
  • Tanzania
  • Budget
  • Starts Dar es Salaam
  • Ends Dar es Salaam
Elephant savannah

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
9 days
Country
Tanzania
Destinations
Nyerere (Selous) · Mikumi · Ruaha
Safari style
Budget
Price
Price on request
Starts
Dar es Salaam
Ends
Dar es Salaam

Best for

  • Second-time visitors
  • Adventurous travellers
  • Remote wilderness

The route

A round trip from Dar es Salaam

  1. Stop 1Dar es Salaam
  2. Stop 2Nyerere (Selous)
  3. Stop 3Mikumi
  4. Stop 4Ruaha
  5. Stop 5Mikumi
  6. Stop 6Dar es Salaam

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Walking safari and boat safari in the Selous area
  • Mikumi's floodplain wildlife
  • Two nights in remote Ruaha
  • Far fewer vehicles than the northern circuit

Day by day

Nine days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Sunset acacia silhouette

Day 1

Dar es Salaam → Nyerere (Selous)

Into the Selous wilderness

Depart Dar es Salaam by 4×4 for the Selous area of Nyerere National Park, leaving the coast behind for miombo woodland and rural villages. Arrive for a late lunch, then head out on an afternoon game drive into one of Africa's largest protected wildernesses. Southern Tanzania sees far fewer visitors than the north, which gives game drives a remote, unhurried feel. Return to camp beside the Rufiji River for dinner.

Overnight
Nyerere (Selous) · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Nyerere (Selous)

Classic open-vehicle game drives

Enjoy a full day of game viewing in classic style, exploring the bush by open 4×4. Waterbuck, southern reedbuck and bushbuck are common, and rarer species such as sable antelope, lion and greater kudu also frequent the area. The mosaic of woodland, grassland and river channels makes each drive different, and elephants and giraffe are often seen moving between the trees and the water.

Overnight
Nyerere (Selous) · camp or lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 3

Nyerere (Selous)

On foot with an armed ranger

After breakfast, set out on a walking safari with an armed ranger. The sights, sounds and smells of the bush on foot are a special experience, and approaching animals quietly to photograph them is thrilling. Your ranger explains tracks, plants and animal behaviour along the way, details easily missed from a vehicle. Return to camp for lunch and a rest before the afternoon's activity.

Overnight
Nyerere (Selous) · camp or lodge
Main activities
Walking safari
Sunset acacia silhouette

Day 4

Nyerere (Selous)

Channels and lakes of the Rufiji

Spend the afternoon on a boat safari through the channels and lakes of the Rufiji River system, surrounded by hippos and crocodiles. Herons, storks, ducks and other water birds line the banks, and giraffe and elephant may be seen coming down to drink. Seeing the park from the water gives a new perspective on the Selous. The morning is free for another game drive or rest.

Overnight
Nyerere (Selous) · camp or lodge
Main activities
Boat safari

Day 5

Nyerere (Selous) → Mikumi

West to Mikumi

Collect picnic lunches and drive west to Mikumi National Park, a long day through southern Tanzania's countryside of farmland, villages and wooded hills. The route links two very different wildlife areas and gives a sense of the scale of the south. The final stretch leads to your camp, perched above the trees with views across an apparently endless wilderness south-west of the park. Dinner and overnight.

Overnight
Mikumi · camp or lodge
Baboon primate seen during an East African safari

Day 6

Mikumi → Ruaha National Park

Where east and south meet

After breakfast, drive to Ruaha National Park, famous for sable and roan antelope and big elephant herds. The park is a transition zone where eastern and southern African plants and animals overlap, and although it is one of the largest parks in Africa, its remoteness keeps it unspoiled. After a late lunch, take an afternoon game drive above the Great Ruaha River.

Overnight
Ruaha · camp or lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 7

Ruaha National Park

A full day in Ruaha

Enjoy a full day of game drives in Ruaha, one of Tanzania's largest and wildest parks. Nearly 500 bird species have been recorded in the park. The river area supports large numbers of hippo and crocodile and attracts lion, leopard, African wild dog, waterbuck, impala, giraffe, warthog and eland, while Grant's gazelle, ostrich and cheetah may be seen on the plains. Baobabs dot the rugged landscape.

Overnight
Ruaha · camp or lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 8

Ruaha → Mikumi National Park

Back to the floodplain

After an early breakfast, drive back to Mikumi National Park for lunch at camp, followed by an evening game drive on the open floodplain. Mikumi is known for its elephants, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, eland, greater kudu, wildebeest, roan and sable antelope, with predators including lion, leopard, wild dog and black-backed jackal. Evening light over the plain makes this a rewarding final drive.

Overnight
Mikumi · camp or lodge
Main activities
Evening game drive
Leopard tree seen during an East African safari

Day 9

Mikumi → Dar es Salaam

A final drive and the coast road

After breakfast, enjoy another game drive in Mikumi National Park, a last look at the floodplain's elephants, giraffe and grazing herds. Then return to camp for lunch before driving back to Dar es Salaam, following the main road east through farmland and towns towards the coast. The safari ends with drop-off in the city centre, after nine days across southern Tanzania's less-visited parks.

Main activities
Morning game drive

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Nyerere (Selous) · 4 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Mikumi · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the camp/lodge

Budget · Ruaha · 2 nights

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Accommodation and meals as stated in the itinerary
  • Ground transport with an English-speaking driver-guide
  • Game drives and activities as indicated
  • Park and reserve entry fees where applicable

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Airport or border transfers unless stated
  • Visa fees
  • Gratuities
  • Inoculations and personal insurance
  • Internal and international flights
  • Optional activities
  • Items of a personal nature

Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price on request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

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Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 9 Days Southern Tanzania Budget Road Safari: Nyerere/Selous, Mikumi & Ruaha cost?

The 9 Days Southern Tanzania Budget Road Safari: Nyerere/Selous, Mikumi & Ruaha is quoted individually (price on request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Dar es Salaam. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the camp/lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

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