Safari gateway · OriginDar es Salaam
Explore this stop →Begin at southern Tanzania's main air and road gateway.
Safari Circuit
Southern Tanzania Safari Circuit
6 ordered stops5 route legsTanzania
Travel overland from Dar es Salaam through Nyerere, Udzungwa, and Mikumi, then continue through Iringa to finish in Ruaha's Great Ruaha River country.
Wildlife highlights
African Wild Dog
Signature
Elephant
Signature
Lion
Signature
Buffalo
Common
Seasonal
Hippopotamus
Common
Nile Crocodile
Common
Greater Kudu
Signature
Sable Antelope
Common
Buffalo — seasonal: Concentration increases in the dry season.
Follow the Circuit on the mapThe map keeps road and track stages distinct, with gateway towns and Safari Places clearly marked.
Road / trackSafari PlaceGateway Home Base
The Circuit, stop by stop
Open each park or gateway for its wildlife, seasonality, access, and nearby Safari geography.
Safari Place · Place / visitNyerere National Park
Explore this stop →Enter at Mtemere Gate for the northern Rufiji River and lake country.
Safari Place · Place / visitUdzungwa Mountains National Park
Explore this stop →Reach Mang'ula for a walking-based forest and mountain stage.
Safari Place · Place / visitMikumi National Park
Explore this stop →Return north to Mikumi town and the Mkata floodplain visitor area.
Safari gateway · Service stopIringa
Explore this stop →Use Iringa as the practical road gateway before the final Ruaha approach.
Safari Place · DestinationRuaha National Park
Explore this stop →Finish in Ruaha's Msembe and Great Ruaha River sector.
How the route joins up
Travel times and access inside protected areas vary with weather, water, park rules, and track conditions. Confirm current guidance locally.
Dar es Salaam → Nyerere National Park
Follow the Kibiti road to Mtemere Gate. Rain and the final approach can lengthen the transfer.
Nyerere National Park → Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Use the seasonal road and park-track connection via Kisaki and Kidatu. Treat this as a full-day transfer and confirm that the link is open.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park → Mikumi National Park
Travel north from Mang'ula through Kidatu to Mikumi town and the park's western approach.
Mikumi National Park → Iringa
Continue west on the surfaced A7/TANZAM road into the Southern Highlands.
Iringa → Ruaha National Park
Leave the trunk road for the Ruaha approach through Tungamalenga to Msembe.
Related Safari Circuits
Compare this route with other distinct Safari geographies in Tanzania.
Northern Tanzania Safari Circuit
A map-first route from Arusha through Tarangire and Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro and Serengeti, reading gates, gateway settlements, protected areas, and lived landscapes as one connected geography.
Follow this Safari Circuit →Western Tanzania Safari Circuit
Combine Katavi's floodplain game country with Mahale and Gombe's chimpanzee forests through a realistic sequence of domestic flight, remote road, light aircraft, and Lake Tanganyika boat transfers.
Follow this Safari Circuit →