Safari
Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park, Nyerere National Park, Dar es Salaam
your journey
This is a complete southern-circuit safari in five days, and it starts from Dar es Salaam rather than Arusha. You drive west along the Tanzania–Zambia highway to Mikumi National Park, where the open Mkata floodplain makes game viewing easy, and spend two nights there.
Then you cross the Uluguru foothills and village country to Nyerere National Park (formerly part of the Selous), a vast wilderness shaped by the Rufiji River. Here the safari changes pace: an early walk with an armed ranger, a full day of game driving with lunch beside a lake full of hippos, and a boat safari on your last morning.
At the end you return to Dar es Salaam in time for an evening flight home or a hop across to Zanzibar.
Travellers starting or ending their trip in Dar es Salaam, returning visitors who have seen the north, and anyone who wants to add walking and boating to their game drives.
Parks visited
Mikumi National Park · Nyerere National Park
what makes it special
day by day
Your driver-guide collects you from your hotel in the centre of Dar es Salaam for the drive of about 300 km west along the Tanzania–Zambia highway. You stop for lunch in Morogoro, beneath the Uluguru Mountains, then continue to Mikumi National Park for an afternoon game drive. Mikumi is known for its elephants, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, eland and wildebeest, and for more than 300 bird species. Dinner is at camp.
After breakfast your guide takes you back into the park for a whole day of exploring. Lunch is either a picnic at one of the park's sites or a hot meal back at camp, whichever you prefer. The floodplain is open, so animals are easy to spot, and your guide will look for lion, leopard and black-backed jackal, and with a lot of luck the African wild dog. Look out too for lilac-breasted rollers and marabou storks.
After an early breakfast you set off for Nyerere National Park with a picnic lunch. The drive takes about seven hours on smaller roads through farming villages and hill country, and it is a good chance to see everyday rural life in southern Tanzania. You arrive in the late afternoon at your lodge on the edge of the park, with time to rest and freshen up before dinner.
The day starts early with a walking safari led by an armed ranger, a chance to read tracks and notice the smaller life of the bush. You then set off on a full day of game driving in a 4x4. At midday you stop for lunch overlooking one of the Rufiji lakes, where hippos and crocodiles lie in the water and animals come down to drink. In the late afternoon you drive back to the lodge.
Your last morning begins on the water, with a boat safari along the Rufiji to see hippos, crocodiles, kingfishers and fish eagles up close. You return to the lodge for breakfast, then drive back to Dar es Salaam with a picnic lunch on the way. We drop you at the airport for your international flight or a short flight to Zanzibar, or at your hotel in the city.
the price
Price on request
before you ask
You can go on safari here all year. The dry season from June to October is the easiest time for game viewing, because animals gather near rivers and the grass is short, but it is also the busiest. From November to May the parks are green, quieter and excellent for birds, with short rains around November and the long rains in April and May. Where the wildebeest migration is depends on the month, so tell us your dates and we will plan the route around them.
Our safaris use 4x4 safari vehicles with a pop-up roof, so you can stand up for game viewing and photography. On a private safari the vehicle and driver-guide are yours alone for the whole trip.
Each tour page lists exactly what is included and excluded. On our northern circuit safaris, such as the 7-day Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire trip, national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance fees are included. If you are not sure, ask your specialist before you book.
Yes. Every itinerary on this site is a starting point. We can add or remove days, swap parks, or change the accommodation to suit your budget, and your specialist will send you a revised plan and quote.
Bring light, neutral-coloured clothes, a warm layer for early mornings and for the Ngorongoro Crater rim, which is cold at night, comfortable shoes, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent. Binoculars and a camera with spare batteries and memory cards make a big difference. Soft bags pack into safari vehicles more easily than hard suitcases.
Most visitors need a visa. Apply online in good time through the official Tanzania Immigration website at eservices.immigration.go.tz, and do not use unofficial agents. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Requirements differ by nationality, so check the official site for your country.
Yes. Flights from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar take about 20 minutes, and there is also a ferry. Your specialist can book the connection and add beach nights on the island.
Enquire
Every AAA Express Adventure trip can be changed to suit you: the pace, the lodges, the number of days. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and our team in Arusha will come back to you with a plan and a price.
Your journey
Price on request
5 days · 4 nights
also consider
2 days · 1 night
Mikumi National Park · Zanzibar
Price on request
3 days · 2 nights
Nyerere National Park
Price on request
3 days · 2 nights
Nyerere National Park · Zanzibar
Price on request
karibu
Call us on +255 784 281316, email sales@aaaexpressadventure.com or send an enquiry. Our team in Arusha will get back to you.
Price on request
Plan your trip
Enquiry about: 5-Day Mikumi & Nyerere National Park Safari
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