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Two elephants walking away through green grass towards the palms in Nyerere National Park, Tanzania

Sample journey · 10–13 days

Tanzania's wild south

Nyerere (Selous) and Ruaha national parks, by boat, on foot and with few other vehicles

Photo: Aron Marinelli / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many people know Tanzania from the north, from the Serengeti plains and the Ngorongoro Crater. The south is different: the parks are enormous, the camps few, and there is rarely a queue of vehicles at a sighting. In Nyerere National Park, formerly the Selous Game Reserve, life revolves around the Rufiji River and its lakes, so wildlife can be watched from a boat. In Ruaha, further west, the landscape is drier: baobabs, rocky hills and the sandy bed of the Great Ruaha River.

This sample route is for travellers who have been on safari before, or who would like its quieter, wilder side. Light aircraft link the parks, so there's almost no time on the road, leaving room for walks with an armed guide and long afternoons in camp. It can end with a few days on Zanzibar, or with a flight home straight from Dar es Salaam.

The route

The journey

  1. Dar es Salaam
  2. Nyerere National Park
  3. Ruaha National Park
  4. Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar
  1. A pod of hippos in the water, with an African fish eagle perched among them and a stork on the bank

    01Days 1–3 · Nyerere National Park

    Safari from the water

    From Dar es Salaam, a flight of roughly an hour in a small plane over forest and river bends. Camps here usually sit beside the Rufiji or one of its lakes. In the afternoon you go out by boat: hippos at close range, crocodiles on the sandbanks, fish eagles, and at sunset elephants often come down to drink at the water's edge. From the water, wildlife looks entirely different from the way it does from a vehicle.

  2. A herd of zebra running through dry wooded savannah in Nyerere National Park

    02Days 4–5 · Nyerere National Park

    Palms, lakes and tracks in the sand

    Mornings are for drives among palm groves and lakes, where zebra, buffalo and giraffe often graze, and wild dogs, among Africa's rarest predators, are sometimes seen, though no one can promise them. Another morning, you set out on foot with an armed guide, reading tracks and learning birdsong and plants. It's a slow, attentive way of being on safari.

  3. Palms and acacias silhouetted against the sunset in Ruaha National Park

    03Days 6–8 · Ruaha National Park

    Baobab country and the great river

    Another short flight west, to Ruaha, one of Tanzania's largest parks. In the dry season the Great Ruaha River shrinks to a few channels and pools, drawing elephants, antelope and the predators that follow them. Both greater and lesser kudu live here, and the park is known for its lions. There are few vehicles, so it often feels as if the whole view is yours alone.

  4. Two travellers on foot with an armed ranger on a walking safari, Tanzania

    04Days 9–10 · Ruaha on foot

    In the bush without an engine

    The last days in Ruaha could bring longer walks along dry riverbeds and, at some camps, a night at a simple fly camp under the open sky. You walk slowly, with an armed guide and a tracker, pausing at every track. It isn't a strenuous hike, but it asks for stamina in the heat and a readiness to follow the guide's instructions.

  5. A narrow lane between old houses, with a clock tower beyond, in Zanzibar's Stone Town

    05Days 11–13 · Zanzibar (optional)

    Spices and coral stone

    Back in Dar es Salaam you can fly home, or cross to Zanzibar for a few more days. Stone Town's lanes of coral-stone houses and carved doors are easy to get lost in, and a calm sea waits on the east coast. After dusty days on safari, it's a fine way to let everything settle.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A river safari by boat

    Hippos, crocodiles and birds at water level, especially lovely in the late afternoon.

  2. 02

    Walking safaris

    Tracks, calls and scents you would miss from a vehicle, with an experienced armed guide.

  3. 03

    Ruaha's open spaces

    Baobabs, rocky hills and a riverbed where wildlife gathers in the dry season.

  4. 04

    Few vehicles

    Vast parks and few camps, so sightings are usually calm and unhurried.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With the northern parks

    On a first visit to Tanzania, the south could be combined with a few days in the Serengeti; a longer and costlier journey.

  • More on foot

    Several nights in fly camps and more walking days in Ruaha, for those to whom walking matters most.

  • An island ending

    Instead of Zanzibar, quieter Mafia Island, where snorkelling is good at certain times of year.

  • For a special occasion

    A private vehicle and guide, dinner on a sandbank or a night under the stars: the southern parks suit this beautifully.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is usually the dry season, roughly June to October; many camps close during the long rains, and exact dates vary each year.
  • Luggage on light aircraft is limited, often to around 15–20 kg in a soft bag.
  • Walking safaris often have a minimum age and call for reasonable fitness in the heat; boat trips depend on water levels.
  • These parks lie in a malaria area; it's worth speaking to a doctor or travel clinic well ahead about prevention and vaccinations.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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