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Safari plan · 4 days · Southern parks · Midrange

Mikumi & Udzungwa by Road

The closest big-game park to Dar es Salaam by road, and the rainforest of the Udzungwa Mountains beside it — two very different parks in four days, with your own guide and vehicle and no flights at all.

Dar es SalaamMikumiUdzungwaDar es Salaam
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Length4 days · 3 nights
ParksMikumi, Udzungwa Mountains
Starts & endsDar es Salaam
ComfortMidrange lodge, simple forest lodge
Best monthsJune–October
OverviewThe routeDay by dayRatesWhere you sleepIncludedAdd-onsWhen to goFlights & extrasFAQEnquire
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IOverview

A savannah park and a rainforest mountain, both within reach of Dar.

Mikumi is open floodplain ringed by hills, with elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and lion, and it is the most straightforward big-game park to reach by road from Dar es Salaam. The main highway to Iringa runs through it, which is no secret and does not spoil it once you are away from the road. An hour or two to the south, the Udzungwa Mountains rise into rainforest, where the walking is the point: waterfalls, forest birds and primates found almost nowhere else, including the Udzungwa red colobus.

It is a private trip by road, with one guide and one vehicle from Dar and back. That makes it cheaper than flying south, and it makes the first and last days long. It does not give you the remoteness of Ruaha or Nyerere; for that, see ‘Make it yours’.

Major attractions · 3
  1. 01Mikumi National Park
  2. 02Udzungwa Mountains National Park
  3. 03The Sanje waterfall
Trip detailsPrivate
Tour length
4 days · 3 nights
Country
Tanzania
Start / end
Dar es Salaam, both ways
Accommodation
Midrange
Tour type
Private safari by road
Group size
Maximum per vehicle
Meal plan
Full board on safari
Best period
Jun–Oct
Activity level
Moderate — long road days and one steep forest walk
Request a free quote →Questions? WhatsApp +255 762 914 714
IIThe route

Out by road from Dar es Salaam, and back the same way.

4 days, 3 nights, 2 places to sleep. The solid line is this plan; the dotted lines are the other roads through the region. Point at a day to see its leg.

Route map: Dar es Salaam by road to Mikumi National Park, on to Udzungwa and back to Dar es Salaam Mikumi NP N Mikumi NP Udzungwa (Mang'ula) Dar es Salaam
  1. 01Dar es Salaam → MikumiThe long day~5½ h road · ~2½ h game
  2. 02The Mkata floodplain~8 h game
  3. 03Mikumi → Udzungwa (Mang’ula)~1½ h road
  4. 04Udzungwa → Mikumi → Dar es SalaamThe long day~7 h road
Overnight stopPassing throughSchematic, roughly to scale
IIIDay by day

Four days, one at a time.

Each day lands on top of the last as you scroll: honest road time, game time, meals and where you sleep. Times are door to door in a safari vehicle and move with the season and what you stop for.

A safari vehicle on a red dirt track across the Mikumi floodplain, afternoon — 1600×1200
MikumiADD IMAGE · A safari vehicle on a red dirt track across the Mikumi floodplain, afternoon
The long day01/ 04

The long one: roughly 5–6 hours on the road, then an afternoon drive.

07°22′S 37°14′EDay 1 · Dar es Salaam → Mikumi

Dar es Salaam to Mikumi

Travel
~5½ h road
Game viewing
~2½ h
Meals
L · D
Sleep
Lodge or tented camp in or beside the park
  1. Early

    Your guide collects you from your hotel. The traffic leaving Dar es Salaam decides how long this takes, which is why we leave early.

  2. Midday

    West on the highway through Morogoro, with the Uluguru Mountains beside the road, and lunch on the way.

  3. Afternoon

    Into Mikumi and straight out onto the floodplain for a first drive before dusk.

Why it is worth it

There is no shorter way. Chartering a flight to Mikumi is possible but costly for a park this close; the road is what keeps the plan affordable.

Buffalo at a waterhole with hippos, Mikumi National Park — 1600×1200
MikumiADD IMAGE · Buffalo at a waterhole with hippos, Mikumi National Park
02/ 04

No transfer today. Out early, back at dusk.

07°22′S 37°14′EDay 2 · The Mkata floodplain

Mikumi, all day

Travel
No transfer
Game viewing
~8 h
Meals
B · picnic L · D
Sleep
Same lodge, second night
  1. First light

    Out early onto the open plain, which makes Mikumi an easy park for seeing animals at a distance.

  2. Midday

    A picnic at a viewpoint or back at the lodge, and the hippo pools.

  3. Afternoon

    The quieter tracks away from the highway, looking for lion and elephant.

The Sanje waterfall falling through rainforest, Udzungwa Mountains National Park — 1600×1200
UdzungwaADD IMAGE · The Sanje waterfall falling through rainforest, Udzungwa Mountains National Park
03/ 04

About 1½–2 hours south, then an afternoon walk to the Sanje waterfall.

07°51′S 36°54′EDay 3 · Mikumi → Udzungwa (Mang’ula)

To the Udzungwa forest

Travel
~1½ h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
B · L · D
Sleep
Simple lodge near the park gate
  1. Morning

    A last early drive in Mikumi if you want one, then south through sugar-cane country to Mang’ula at the foot of the mountains.

  2. Midday

    Lunch, and your park guide at the gate — walks in Udzungwa are always with one.

  3. Afternoon

    The trail to the Sanje waterfall climbs through forest, steep in places, with pools and views over the plain. Watch for red colobus and other primates overhead.

Walking in the forest

It is a real walk, not a stroll: steep steps, roots, and mud after rain. Good shoes, water, and insect repellent.

Morning mist on the forested slopes of the Udzungwa Mountains above Mang’ula — 1600×1200
Dar es SalaamADD IMAGE · Morning mist on the forested slopes of the Udzungwa Mountains above Mang’ula
The long day04/ 04

A long road day: back through Mikumi and east to Dar, roughly 7 hours or more.

06°52′S 39°12′EDay 4 · Udzungwa → Mikumi → Dar es Salaam

Back to Dar es Salaam

Travel
~7 h road
Game viewing
No game drive
Meals
B · L
Sleep
Homeward
  1. Morning

    An early start from Mang’ula, north to Mikumi and onto the highway. Animals beside the road through the park are a last bonus.

  2. Afternoon

    East through Morogoro to Dar es Salaam. As on day one, the city traffic decides the arrival time.

Flying out tonight?

Only a late-night departure is safe. Otherwise stay a night in Dar, or go on to Zanzibar the next morning.

IVRates

Priced by group size, because the vehicle is shared.

Park fees, accommodation, vehicle, guide and meals as listed — per person, no booking fees. Rates move with the month and lodge availability; your quote is fixed once you book.

Midrange · price per person, sharing
Group size1 person2 people3 people4 people5 people6 people
From yearraterateraterateraterate
Single supplementamount
Children

Child policy: ages, sharing discount, lodge minimum ages

What moves the price

What changes itHow much

  • The month you travel

    The dry season and the Christmas weeks are the peak rates. The rains are the lowest.

  • How many share the vehicle

    The vehicle and guide cost the same for two people or six, so the per-person price falls as the group grows.

  • Where you sleep

    In Mikumi, a camp inside the park usually costs more than a lodge on its edge.

  • Park fees

    Fixed per person per day by the authorities for each park, and the same whoever you book with. We show them as their own line.

Not sure which level suits you? Tell us your dates, group and budget and we will send an itemised quote with named properties.

Request a free quote →
On request
On request
VWhere you sleep

Two places in three nights: the plain, then the forest edge.

Each night is described by type first, because the right camp depends on your month. The properties we normally use at each level are listed below; your quote confirms them against availability.

Nights 1–22×

Mikumi

Lodge or tented camp in or beside the park

Two nights, so the middle day is all game drive and no transfer.

Midrange here means
En-suite room or tent, hot water, generator or mains power.
Step up
A camp inside the park, away from the highway.
Night 31×

Udzungwa (Mang’ula)

Simple lodge near the park gate

Close to the trailheads, so the walk starts from where you sleep.

Midrange here means
Plain en-suite rooms. The choice here is small and simple whatever the budget.
Step up
There is little above midrange here; the step up is better spent in Mikumi.

The properties we use

WhereMidrangeLuxury
Mikumipropertyproperty
Udzungwa (Mang’ula)propertyproperty

What ‘midrange’ means on this trip

  • En-suite. Your own bathroom both nights in Mikumi and the night in Mang’ula.
  • Simple in the forest. Lodging near Udzungwa is basic. We choose the most comfortable we know.
  • Power. Mains or generator. Bring a power bank.
  • Food. Full board. Tell us about diets early.
VIThe fine print

What is in the price, and what isn’t.

✓Included

  • Private 4×4 safari vehiclePop-up roof, charging points, window seat for everyone
  • A professional driver-guideThe same guide from Dar es Salaam and back
  • A park guide in UdzungwaRequired on every forest walk
  • All park and conservation feesItemised on your quote
  • Three nights’ accommodationAs described above
  • Meals as listed each dayFull board from day one
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Dar es Salaam

–Not included

  • International flights
  • Tanzanian visaApply online before you travel
  • Travel insuranceRequired. It must cover medical evacuation
  • Tips for guide and camp staffWe send guidance with your booking
  • Drinks at lodges and campsUnless the property includes them
  • A night in Dar es SalaamBefore or after the trip; we can book it
VIIAdd-ons & changes

The plan is a starting point, not a package.

The changes people ask for most, each with what it costs you in days or hours. Not in the standard price — arranged on request, and most can be combined.

+1 nightprice

A longer day in the forest

Stay a second night in Mang’ula for one of the longer, harder trails up into the mountains. Ask us which are open.

Makes senseFit walkers and birders
Birding →
+2 nightsprice

On to Ruaha

Continue west by road through Iringa to Ruaha, and fly back to Dar. Much wilder, much further.

Makes senseWhen you have the time
Ruaha →
+2 nightsprice

Nyerere instead of Udzungwa

Swap the forest for boat trips on the Rufiji River. Different country, and a different road.

Makes senseIf water appeals more than walking
Nyerere →
+3–5 nightsprice

Finish on Zanzibar

A short flight or the ferry from Dar es Salaam the morning after you get back.

Makes senseEveryone, most of the year
Zanzibar →
−1 nightprice

Mikumi only

Two nights in Mikumi and home. Loses the forest, keeps the game.

Makes senseShort on time
Mikumi →
VIIIWhen to go

Rated for this route, not for the country.

June to October is dry: game in Mikumi gathers on the open floodplain and the forest trails in Udzungwa are easier underfoot. The rains, heaviest around April, make the Udzungwa paths muddy and slippery and turn Mikumi green and long-grassed. It works most of the year, but not equally.

Jan
Hot, green, quiet
Feb
Hot, some rain
Mar
Rains building
Apr
Long rains, many camps shut
May
Camps reopening
Jun
Dry season begins
Jul
Dry, cool nights
Aug
Dry, animals at water
Sep
Dry, hot
Oct
Hottest, best game
Nov
Short rains
Dec
Green, quiet
Three bars — the route at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and quiet
IXFlights & extras

Getting there.

Arrive

Julius Nyerere International, Dar es Salaam (DAR)

Day one leaves Dar early to get ahead of the city traffic, so plan to land the day before and spend a night in Dar es Salaam first. We can book it.

Depart

Julius Nyerere International (DAR)

Day four reaches Dar late in the afternoon or the evening, depending on the traffic coming in. Book only a late-night departure, or stay one more night.

Via Zanzibar

Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ)

Short scheduled flights and the ferry link Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, so the island fits easily before or after.

What else to budget.

Not part of the safari price, in order of how much they matter.

  • Tanzanian visaApply online before travel
    Current fee
  • Travel insuranceMust cover medical evacuation
    Typical cost
  • TipsGuide and camp staff, per day
    Guideline
  • DrinksAt lodges and camps
    Typical range
  • Personal spendingLaundry, crafts, extras
    Varies
XWhy book with us

Only what we can prove.

01

Arusha, since 2010

A Tanzanian company, locally owned, running safaris and climbs from Arusha for more than fifteen years.

02

Licensed and registered

TALA-licensed through the Tanzania Tourist Board and registered with BRELA. Ask us for the numbers; we will send them.

03

One guide, one vehicle

The same guide drives you from the first day to the last. Nobody else joins your vehicle.

04

Every fee on its own line

Park, conservation and concession fees are shown separately on your quote, so you can see exactly what goes to the authorities.

XIQuestions

The ones we are asked most.

Roughly 5–6 hours from Dar to Mikumi, and 7 or more from Udzungwa back to Dar. The traffic in and out of Dar es Salaam is the unknown; most of the rest is tarmac.

Near the road you hear trucks. The game drives use tracks away from it, and once you are on the floodplain it is out of mind.

Moderate: a few hours there and back, steep and slippery in places, especially after rain. Anyone reasonably fit can do it at their own pace.

Yes. The vehicle and guide are yours alone from Dar and back. In Udzungwa a park guide joins you for the walk, as the park requires.

Yes. Mikumi is easy with children; the forest walk suits older children who like walking. Ask us about the trail for your ages.

You can charter a flight to Mikumi, but for a park this close to Dar the road is much cheaper and the plan is built around it.

Begin here

Send us your dates. We will send you the real version.

Named camps, the right direction of travel for your month, every fee on its own line — and a straight answer if another plan would suit you better.

Rather talk it through?WhatsApp us+255 762 914 714
Safari request Mikumi & Udzungwa by Road 4 days · 3 nights · private
01When, and what for?
How fixed are the dates?
What do you want from it? Pick any
02Who’s coming?
Travelling as
03How you like it
Style of camp

Not a commitment. It lets us send something realistic instead of something you have to reject.

04Where to reach you
We need a name to write back to.
That email address does not look complete.
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4 days · Southern parksNyerere by Boat and on FootRead the plan →
5 days · Southern parksRuaha’s PredatorsRead the plan →
7 days · Northern circuitThe Great Midrange JourneyRead the plan →
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