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15-Day Southern Circuit Tanzania Safari Combo Experiences
Tanzania Safari

15-Day Southern Circuit Tanzania Safari Combo Experiences

Safari price
From $5,450
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Safari Escort journey

Trip Overview

The 15-Day Southern Circuit Tanzania Safari Combo Experiences begins in Dar es Salaam and finishes in Ruaha National Park. Its route includes Nyerere National Park, Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains, and Ruaha National Park, following the destination order and transfers set out in the day-by-day itinerary.

The journey is shaped around a boat safari, a night game drive, and cultural encounters, highlighting Tanzania’s southern parks and more remote landscapes.

Southern Tanzania rewards travellers who appreciate varied habitats and a less hurried approach to wildlife. The daily programme explains where you travel, the activities planned and the stays along the way; our safari experts can help adapt transport, camp choices and time in each park to your priorities.

Where every day follows the rhythm of the journey
Wildlife viewed on safari in Nyerere National ParkNyerere National Park
African buffalo in Mikumi National ParkMikumi National Park
Sanje Waterfall in Udzungwa Mountains National ParkUdzungwa Mountains
Lion beneath a baobab in Ruaha National ParkRuaha National Park
Moments along the route
Safari Highlights

Your Journey Highlights

  • Arrival in Dar es SalaamMeet the local team, complete the planned transfer and settle in before the active part of the journey begins.
  • Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park & Boat SafariExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National ParkExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Walking Tour and another Game Drive in Nyerere National ParkExperience Nyerere’s riverine and savannah habitats through the guided activities named in this itinerary.
  • Transfer to Mikumi National ParkExplore Mikumi’s open plains and woodland on a game drive that fits naturally into the southern-circuit route.
  • Guided Game Drive and Evening Maasai Cultural TourSpend time with the history, people and traditions connected to this stage of the journey through a guided local experience.

Your Itinerary

Day 01

Arrival in Dar es Salaam

  • Activity: Arrival & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Dinner

On arrival in Dar es Salaam, meet your Safari Escort representative for the arranged transfer to Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel. Check in and take the rest of the day at your own pace after the journey. Your team will confirm the next pickup and explain the travel arrangements for the southern circuit, including any luggage or timing details to prepare. A quiet first evening by the coast helps you start the safari rested and ready for the route ahead.

Accommodation

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel is an oceanfront property in the Kawe area of Dar es Salaam. Cottage-style rooms are arranged through tropical gardens, with both garden and coastal settings available depending on the booked category. The hotel’s restaurant combines Mediterranean and Swahili influences and faces the Indian Ocean, making meals part of the coastal stay. Its location provides a relaxed overnight before or after flights and road journeys linking Dar es Salaam with the southern safari circuit.

LocationDar es SalaamStay styleHotel
Day 02

Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park & Boat Safari

  • Activity: Boat Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following an early breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up for the scenic drive to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). In the late afternoon, you'll embark on an unforgettable boat safari, getting an up-close perspective of the park's aquatic wildlife, including vast pods of hippos and basking crocodiles, as the sun dips below the horizon.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 03

Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National Park

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a hearty breakfast, you will spend the entire day exploring the sprawling landscapes of Nyerere National Park in a customized 4x4 safari vehicle. Your expert guide will lead you on game drives, seeking out the park's resident wildlife, which includes large herds of elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, and a variety of antelopes. The park’s diverse terrain, from open savannahs to dense woodlands, makes every game drive a new adventure.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 04

Walking Tour and another Game Drive in Nyerere National Park

  • Activity: Walking Safari & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with a thrilling guided walking safari, a unique experience that allows you to feel the pulse of the African bush from a different perspective. Accompanied by an armed ranger, you'll learn about animal tracks, medicinal plants, and the smaller intricacies of the ecosystem. After lunch, you will continue with an afternoon game drive, exploring different areas of the park in search of more wildlife.

Accommodation

Selous Safari Lodge

Selous Safari Lodge is a fixed lodge base used for visits to the Nyerere and former Selous safari area. Its rooms and meal service provide a straightforward place to rest between road transfers, boat excursions and wildlife drives. The surrounding southern landscape is shaped by river channels, woodland and lakes rather than the open Serengeti plains. This property is most relevant to itineraries entering Nyerere from Dar es Salaam or continuing onward through the southern circuit.

LocationNyerereStay styleSafari lodge
Day 05

Transfer to Mikumi National Park

  • Activity: Game Drive & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will begin the journey to Mikumi National Park. The scenic drive takes you through the beautiful landscapes of Southern Tanzania. The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax, settle in, and prepare for the exciting days ahead. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi

Camp Bastian Mikumi is a family-run lodge close to Mikumi National Park and the main A7 road through southern Tanzania. Its leafy grounds offer cottages and other guest accommodation around a relaxed base with a restaurant serving locally prepared food. A swimming pool and garden setting give travellers space to unwind after a road transfer or game drive. The location makes the camp useful for Mikumi visits and for longer itineraries continuing toward Udzungwa, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam.

LocationMikumiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 06

Guided Game Drive and Evening Maasai Cultural Tour

  • Activity: Cultural Experience & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is dedicated to exploring Mikumi National Park. After breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive in a customized 4x4 safari vehicle. The park is known for its large herds of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and wildebeest, as well as lions and leopards. In the evening, you will have a unique opportunity to visit a local Maasai village for a cultural tour, learning about their traditions, dances, and way of life.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi

Camp Bastian Mikumi is a family-run lodge close to Mikumi National Park and the main A7 road through southern Tanzania. Its leafy grounds offer cottages and other guest accommodation around a relaxed base with a restaurant serving locally prepared food. A swimming pool and garden setting give travellers space to unwind after a road transfer or game drive. The location makes the camp useful for Mikumi visits and for longer itineraries continuing toward Udzungwa, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam.

LocationMikumiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 07

Udzungwa Mountains National Park Hiking

  • Activity: Trekking & Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following an early breakfast, you will take a short drive to Udzungwa Mountains National Park. This park is known for its unique rainforest ecosystem and is a hiker's paradise. Accompanied by an expert guide, you will hike a well-maintained trail to the stunning Sanje Waterfalls, a series of three cascading waterfalls. Along the way, you may spot some of the park's endemic primates, such as the Iringa Red Colobus and Sanje Mangabey.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi

Camp Bastian Mikumi is a family-run lodge close to Mikumi National Park and the main A7 road through southern Tanzania. Its leafy grounds offer cottages and other guest accommodation around a relaxed base with a restaurant serving locally prepared food. A swimming pool and garden setting give travellers space to unwind after a road transfer or game drive. The location makes the camp useful for Mikumi visits and for longer itineraries continuing toward Udzungwa, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam.

LocationMikumiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 08

Half-Day Game Drive in Mikumi & Relaxation

  • Activity: Game Drive & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will have one last half-day game drive in Mikumi National Park, giving you a chance to see any animals you may have missed. The afternoon is free for you to relax by the swimming pool, reflect on your safari experiences, and prepare for the next leg of your journey.

Accommodation

Camp Bastian Mikumi

Camp Bastian Mikumi is a family-run lodge close to Mikumi National Park and the main A7 road through southern Tanzania. Its leafy grounds offer cottages and other guest accommodation around a relaxed base with a restaurant serving locally prepared food. A swimming pool and garden setting give travellers space to unwind after a road transfer or game drive. The location makes the camp useful for Mikumi visits and for longer itineraries continuing toward Udzungwa, Ruaha or Dar es Salaam.

LocationMikumiStay styleTented safari camp
Day 09

Transfer to Ruaha National Park

  • Activity: Game Drive & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will embark on a journey to Ruaha National Park. The drive takes you through beautiful, remote landscapes, giving you a true sense of the vastness of Tanzania's wilderness. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge is built on the slopes of Ideremle Mountain about fifteen kilometres from the gate of Ruaha National Park. Individual cottages and a large viewing terrace look across the surrounding savannah, giving the property a broad sense of the southern landscape. The lodge includes a restaurant, bar and shared relaxation areas for evenings after game drives. Its position makes it a practical road-safari base for Ruaha while remaining outside the park boundary and accessible from Iringa.

LocationRuahaStay styleSafari lodge
Day 10

Ruaha National Park Game Drive

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will spend a full day on game drives in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania's largest national park. Ruaha is known for its diverse landscapes, including baobab-studded plains and rugged hills. Your expert guide will take you in search of the park's vast elephant population, as well as lions, leopards, wild dogs, and a variety of plains game.

Accommodation

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge is built on the slopes of Ideremle Mountain about fifteen kilometres from the gate of Ruaha National Park. Individual cottages and a large viewing terrace look across the surrounding savannah, giving the property a broad sense of the southern landscape. The lodge includes a restaurant, bar and shared relaxation areas for evenings after game drives. Its position makes it a practical road-safari base for Ruaha while remaining outside the park boundary and accessible from Iringa.

LocationRuahaStay styleSafari lodge
Day 11

Ruaha National Park Game Drive and Night Game Drive

  • Activity: Game Drive
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Another full day is dedicated to exploring Ruaha National Park. You will go on a morning game drive, focusing on different areas of the park. After an early dinner, you will embark on a truly unique experience: a night game drive. With a spotlight, your guide will take you in search of nocturnal animals, such as civets, genets, and bush babies, as well as predators on the hunt.

Accommodation

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge

Ruaha Hilltop Lodge is built on the slopes of Ideremle Mountain about fifteen kilometres from the gate of Ruaha National Park. Individual cottages and a large viewing terrace look across the surrounding savannah, giving the property a broad sense of the southern landscape. The lodge includes a restaurant, bar and shared relaxation areas for evenings after game drives. Its position makes it a practical road-safari base for Ruaha while remaining outside the park boundary and accessible from Iringa.

LocationRuahaStay styleSafari lodge
Day 12

Walking Tour and Transfer to Iringa Town

  • Activity: Walking Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your day with a walking safari in Ruaha, allowing you to appreciate the smaller details of the ecosystem and feel the pulse of the bush from a different perspective. After lunch, you will begin your journey to the town of Iringa. The experience is led at a comfortable pace, with time to listen, ask questions and understand the setting beyond a quick visit. Your guide will explain the day’s route, local customs and any practical considerations before the activity begins. Stops are chosen to add context without intruding on community life or the surrounding environment. The emphasis is on respectful engagement, accurate interpretation and a meaningful sense of place.

Accommodation

Iringa Sunset Hotel

Iringa Sunset Hotel provides a town-based overnight stop in the elevated southern highlands of Iringa. The hotel format offers private rooms, meal service and a straightforward place to reset between long road sectors. Its urban location is more practical for supplies and onward transport than a remote park camp. This makes it useful on routes connecting Mikumi, Udzungwa and Ruaha, particularly when the itinerary breaks the journey in Iringa before continuing south or west.

LocationIringaStay styleHotel
Day 13

Isimila Stone Age Tour

  • Activity: Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will be driven to the nearby Isimila Stone Age Site. This half-day tour will take you back in time as you explore one of Africa's most important archaeological sites. You'll see remarkable stone tools and dramatic sandstone pillars, a truly unique geological formation. You will return to Iringa in the afternoon, with the rest of the day free to relax or explore the town.

Accommodation

Iringa Sunset Hotel

Iringa Sunset Hotel provides a town-based overnight stop in the elevated southern highlands of Iringa. The hotel format offers private rooms, meal service and a straightforward place to reset between long road sectors. Its urban location is more practical for supplies and onward transport than a remote park camp. This makes it useful on routes connecting Mikumi, Udzungwa and Ruaha, particularly when the itinerary breaks the journey in Iringa before continuing south or west.

LocationIringaStay styleHotel
Day 14

Flying back to Dar es Salaam

  • Activity: Fly-in Safari & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before being transferred to Iringa Airport for your flight back to Dar es Salaam. The rest of the day is free for you to relax, enjoy a final meal by the coast, or do some last-minute souvenir shopping. Your guide will shape the route around current wildlife activity, road conditions and the best available viewing areas. Stops are unhurried, allowing time to observe animal behaviour, photograph the landscape and understand how the park’s habitats connect. Rather than chasing a checklist, the day follows the rhythms of the ecosystem and the guide’s local knowledge. Breaks are arranged at suitable points while keeping the experience comfortable, focused and respectful of the wildlife.

Accommodation

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel is an oceanfront property in the Kawe area of Dar es Salaam. Cottage-style rooms are arranged through tropical gardens, with both garden and coastal settings available depending on the booked category. The hotel’s restaurant combines Mediterranean and Swahili influences and faces the Indian Ocean, making meals part of the coastal stay. Its location provides a relaxed overnight before or after flights and road journeys linking Dar es Salaam with the southern safari circuit.

LocationDar es SalaamStay styleHotel
Day 15

Departure

  • Activity: Departure & Transfer
  • Meals Included: Breakfast

You leave with cherished memories of the diverse wildlife and remote beauty of Southern Tanzania. The day is paced around your confirmed onward schedule, leaving enough time for final preparations and the planned transfer. Your guide will reconfirm the departure point, expected travel time and check-in requirements before setting out. Keep essential documents and valuables accessible during the journey, while the team assists with luggage and routing. The service concludes after you reach the agreed airport, ferry terminal or city drop-off for the next stage of your travels.

Plan your safari
Your Safari Package

Included & Excluded

Included

Included in the published itinerary

  • All Park and conservation fees
  • Private 4x4 safari vehicle with expert driver-guide
  • Game drives as per itinerary
  • 14 nights in hand-picked safari accommodations
  • All meals as stated
  • Drinking water during game drives and transfers
  • Airport/hotel transfers in Dar es Salaam and Iringa
  • Return flights between Dar es Salaam and Iringa
Not included

Additional costs

  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Optional activities
  • Personal expenses
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Before you go

Safari Questions,
Simply Answered

Ask our safari team

15 days / 14 nights. The day-by-day itinerary shows where each overnight falls. Check arrival and departure flight times before arranging onward travel, and ask us if you would prefer a slower pace or an extra night.

From $5,450 per person. Ask for a quote for your dates and group size. The final quote depends on travel dates, group size, room choice and any flights or extras. Request a written breakdown of park fees, accommodation, meals, transfers and exclusions before you book.

Dar es Salaam, Nyerere National Park, Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Ruaha National Park, Iringa, Isimila Stone Age Site. Use the day-by-day route above to see the order of visits. Ask for estimated road or flight times between stops for your chosen dates; that is often more useful than counting destinations alone.

Mediterraneo Boutique Hotel, Selous Safari Lodge, Bastian Camp, Ruaha Hilltop Lodge, Iringa Sunset Hotel, None. Exact properties and room types depend on availability. Ask us to confirm each stay, its location, meal plan and any proposed alternative in writing before paying a deposit.