Southern Tanzania Adventure
Southern Tanzania Adventure
Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, Serengeti National Park
Discover a wilder side of Tanzania on this extraordinary journey through three of its most diverse and remote national parks. Begin in Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous), where boat safaris along the Rufiji River reveal hippos, crocodiles, and elephants from a unique perspective. Continue to Ruaha National Park, a hidden gem known for its dramatic landscapes, thriving predator populations, and complete sense of wilderness. End in the legendary Serengeti, where vast open plains and the Great Migration deliver some of the most iconic wildlife encounters on Earth.
This curated itinerary combines intimate lodges, expert guides, and seamless travel, offering a safari experience that is immersive, exclusive, and far from the crowds. Perfect for those seeking authentic adventure with all the comforts of luxury, this safari showcases the very best of Tanzania’s raw beauty and rich biodiversity.
9 nights / 10 days Southern Tanzania Adventure
Nyerere – Ruaha – Serengeti National Park
DAY 01 – ARRIVE IN DAR ES SALAAM
Arrive at Dar es Salaam International Airport & transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Silver: Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel
Gold: Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam
DAY 02 – FLY TO NYERERE NATIONAL PARK
Fly to the Nyerere National Park (formerly the Selous Game Reserve).
On arrival, you will be met by the camp’s driver guide and transferred to the property in time for lunch and a little afternoon siesta should you wish. Once the heat of the day passes, it is time to get out and explore this vast landscape.
Silver: Siwandu – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Roho ya Selous – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 03 & 04 – NYERERE NATIONAL PARK
You have the next two days to explore the Nyerere National Park. There are a wide range of activities available in the park.
One of the best ways to experience the waterways of the park is by boat. While floating beneath overhanging bushes bursting with birdlife, you may spot intricately woven weaver’s nests and flashes of dazzling colours as birds dart in and out. Cast a line to try your luck at fishing, or simply sit back in the comfort of your chair and gaze through your binoculars at the many water birds that inhabit the lakes and rivers. Your trip ends on a sandbank where you can sit and enjoy a sundowner as the sun slips below the horizon.
Another way to experience the landscape is on a walking safari – it allows you to soak up the sounds, smells and colours of the bush in a way that a game drive does not. There is no roar of the engine to drown out the sound of the wind shaking the canopies overhead or the hoof thumps from a territorial male impala.
Silver: Siwandu – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Roho ya Selous – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 05 – FLY TO RUAHA NATIONAL PARK
This morning, catch your flight to Ruaha National Park. On arrival you will be met by the driver guide and vehicle from the camp, and head out on a game drive before reaching the property in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, you have some time to relax before setting out to explore Ruaha on a game drive. The park is famed for having the largest herds of buffalo in Tanzania as well as some of the largest elephant herds. Ruaha is best visited in the dry season, from July through to October and from mid-December through to March, when the grass is short, and water is scarce making wildlife spotting that much easier. It also attracts some of Tanzania’s top guides as it is one of the last true wildernesses in the country.
Silver: Jongomero – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
Gold: Jabali Ridge – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
DAY 06 – NGORONGORO
Explore the park on morning and afternoon game drives. You can also explore Ruaha on a walking safari which is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the landscape and take notice of the smaller, but no less important creatures, in the eco system. On your walking safari, your guide will show you how to track animals, which plants have medicinal value, and which are harmful as well as a variety of other interesting and exciting bush facts.
Silver: Jongomero – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
Gold: Jabali Ridge – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
DAY 07 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast bid the south farewell and fly north to Serengeti National Park. Enjoy lunch and an afternoon game drive.
Silver: Sanctuary Kichakani – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
Gold: Namer Plains – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
DAY 08 & 09 – SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Explore the Serengeti on morning and afternoon game drives.
The Serengeti is not only famous for the great Wildebeest Migration but also for the vast number of species that reside in the park year-round. The concentration of predators in the Serengeti is high with large prides of lion, numerous hyena clans, and regular sightings of both cheetah and leopard. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and antelope can be found feeding on the rich plains as well as some of the lesser known and hard-to-spot species such as aardwolf, mongoose, caracal, servals, and hyrax.
Silver: Sanctuary Kichakani – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
Gold: Namiri Plains – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & Limited beverages included
DAY 10 – DEPART
It is time to bid farewell to Tanzania. In the afternoon, board your flight to Dar es Salaam where you will be met by our representative and assisted onto your international flight home.
Should you wish to continue the journey onto the beach please see our Zanzibar Beach Extension.
- The Serengeti, one of the planet’s biggest and most enduring wildlife havens, stretches all the way from the Ngorongoro Highlands to Lake Victoria. It takes its name from a Maasai word, siringitu, “the place where the land moves on forever”.
- The Serengeti, which covers over 12 000 square kilometres (4633 square miles), is home to over three million large animals across dozens of species; a significant number of which, a million and a half wildebeest, half a million zebra, prodded by the instinct to survive, chase new pasture after the rains and take up an annual march of almost 1 000 kilometres (621 miles); the largest – and one of the last – great terrestrial migrations on earth.
- This awe inspiring mammalian movement supports inevitable predators – from sleek savannah dwelling cheetahs who pick off the weak and straggling to enormous crocodiles that lie inert most of the year in anticipation of an annual feast as a never ending column of animals moves relentlessly on across land and water.
- And within the impressive proportions of the expansive Serengeti, keep your eyes also peeled for the small; showy Agama lizards and Rock hyraxes make their homes amongst granite kopjes that dot the park, more than five hundred bird species have been recorded here as well as 100 varieties of dung beetle, arduously rolling their cargo onward.
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL
- Between January and March the migration is calving in the Southern Serengeti which is spectacular to see.
- Rains arrive between April and May, mostly short afternoon storms. It is low season so it’s usually less crowded. After the rains in April and May, the grass is longer in June and the migration moves up the Western Corridor of the Serengeti.
- The migration arrives in the Northern Serengeti between end of June and early July, and there are numerous river crossings into Kenya.
- October, November and December bring cooler weather, as the early rains start to fall in the Serengeti.
TANZANIA
MONEY MATTERS
Tanzania’s currency is the shilling. Notes are issued in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10000 shillings. Coins are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 shillings, although the first two are seldom used. The local currency you may need during your stay in Tanzania should be obtained at authorised facilities such as banks and foreign exchange bureaus. US Dollars and British Pounds can also be exchanged at the airport on arrival. It is very difficult to exchange the shilling outside of Tanzania so we recommend that you change only as much as you will need. Major credit cards are accepted at most outlets in Tanzania. At some of our Sanctuary Retreats camps in Tanzania, we accept Visa, MasterCard or Amex, as well as cash.
TIPPING
If you enjoyed your stay with us the guidelines below can be used as a reference. Tipping is a very personal matter and it is not included for staff at our lodges and camps.
- Porter – US $1 per bag
- Driver-guide – US $5-7 per traveller per day – this is normally paid on the last day and is based on 4-6 travellers in the vehicle. If there are only 2 or 3 travellers you may consider increasing this amount to US $6-8 per traveller per day
WEATHER
Tanzania has a tropical climate which is mainly characterised by warm days and cool evenings. December to March are usually the warmest months of the year, while June to August are the coolest. April and May often see intermittent rains, and from September to November the days are warm with short scattered rains falling in November.
TIME ZONE
GMT + 3 hours.
LANGUAGE
Tanzania’s official language is Swahili.
PASSPORT & VISA INFORMATION
Travellers should check for visa requirements pertaining to their citizenship, as entry requirements vary between countries. All travellers, however, must be in possession of a passport with at least six months of validity left beyond the intended departure date from Tanzania.
For more information on Tanzania travel please visit http://tanzaniatourism.go.tz/en
Rates are per person twin or double share.
January & February
Silver – $14,067 USD
Gold – $18,813 USD
March
Silver – $14,067 USD
Gold – $16,388 USD
June, July, August, September & October
Silver – $14,067 USD
Gold – $18,813 USD
November
Silver – $14,067 USD
Gold – $16,388 USD
December
Silver – $14,067 USD
Gold – $18,813 USD