Tanzania
Southern Tanzania
Nyerere and Mikumi, reached from Dar es Salaam or direct from Zanzibar. Larger, quieter parks that reward a longer stay.
- Trips published
- 11 trips
- Parks and places
- 4
- Trip length
- 1 to 6 days
- Prices from
- $329
Why Southern Tanzania
The south trades the crater rim and the migration for space. Nyerere is the largest protected area in Tanzania and one of the few places in the country where you can take a boat safari or walk with an armed ranger. Mikumi is the closest park to Dar es Salaam and the easiest to reach on a short trip, by road or on the fast train. Neither sees the vehicle numbers the northern parks do.
The southern parks are a different trip from a different airport. They are bigger, they see far fewer vehicles, and they offer things the north does not: boat safaris on the Rufiji, and walking safaris. They take longer to reach, so they suit a second visit or a longer first one.
Where you travel
Each of these has its own guide: what there is to see, when to come, how long to give it, and the trips that go there.
Trips in Southern Tanzania
11 trips
Mikumi Day Safari from Zanzibar by Air
Fly from Zanzibar at dawn, spend the day on the Mkata floodplain in Mikumi, and fly back the…
Nyerere Day Safari from Zanzibar by Air
A day in Nyerere National Park, the largest protected area in Tanzania, flown from Zanzibar and back.
3-Day Nyerere National Park Boat and Game Drive Safari from Dar es Salaam
The Rufiji river is what makes Nyerere different from every northern park. Three days by road from Dar…
2-Day Udzungwa Mountains Hiking and Waterfall Safari
Tanzania’s only park you visit entirely on foot. Rainforest that has been forest for thirty million years, two…
3-Day Mikumi and Udzungwa Safari and Hiking Combination
Two parks that could not be less alike, an hour apart. Open floodplain with elephant and lion at…
6-Day Southern Circuit Safari: Mikumi, Udzungwa and Nyerere
Three southern parks in one loop from Dar: open floodplain game drives at Mikumi, a rainforest waterfall on…
5-Day Nyerere and Mikumi Safari
Both southern parks in one trip: game drives in Mikumi, then a boat safari and a walking safari…
2-Day Mikumi Safari from Zanzibar
Ferry to Dar es Salaam, drive to Mikumi for an evening and a morning game drive, and back…
2-Day Nyerere Fly-in Safari from Zanzibar
Fly into Nyerere for a game drive and a night in the park, with a boat safari on…
2-Day Mikumi Safari by SGR Train
The fast train from Dar es Salaam to the park gate, a full day in Mikumi, and the…
3-Day Mikumi Camping Safari
Three days in Mikumi from Dar es Salaam, camping in the park, with a Maasai village visit on…
How to get there
Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam is the arrival point. Mikumi is four to five hours by road, or a morning on the SGR train. Nyerere is reached by light aircraft to the park airstrips. Both parks are also reached directly from Zanzibar, by ferry or by flight, which is how most of our southern trips start.
When to go
June to October is the dry season and the strongest game viewing, with animals drawn to the Rufiji and the waterholes. The boat safaris run year round. January and February are hot and green. Parts of Nyerere close during the long rains in April and May.
How long to give it
Two days is enough for Mikumi from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar. Nyerere deserves three or more, because the boat safari and the walking safari are half a day each on top of the game drives.
Deciding between the regions
Northern Tanzania. Tarangire, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, reached from Arusha and close enough to combine into one trip. Read about Northern Tanzania.
Zanzibar is the third piece most people add, and the full safari list shows every trip we run in one place.
Plan Southern Tanzania with someone who runs it
Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and how long you have. We reply with a costed itinerary you can change.