Distance: 283 km — approximately 3.5 to 4 hours

Meals: Lunch & Dinner Overnight: Mikumi area

Depart your Dar es Salaam hotel at 6:30 AM and drive westward along the well-maintained TANZAM highway toward Mikumi National Park — passing through the beautiful coastal lowlands and gradually ascending into the dramatic highlands of central Tanzania as the landscape opens into increasingly wild and exciting savannah country.

Arrive at Mikumi in the early afternoon for an afternoon game drive through the famous Mkata floodplain — searching for lion prides, enormous hippo pods, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, elephant, wildebeest, and 400+ bird species. Bush picnic lunch served en route. Dinner and overnight at Mikumi camp or lodge.

Distance: 80 to 100 km within park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Overnight: Mikumi area

A full and rewarding day dedicated entirely to exploring Mikumi National Park — often called Tanzania's "little Serengeti" for its open grassland landscapes and exceptional wildlife density.

Morning game drive through the Mkata floodplain at dawn — the best time for lion hunting activity and predator encounters on the open plains. Visit the famous Mikumi hippo pools — one of Tanzania's most accessible and most impressive hippo viewing sites with dozens of hippos at very close range. Afternoon game drive through the park's diverse woodland and riverine habitats. Bush picnic lunch served in the field. Dinner and overnight at Mikumi camp or lodge.

Distance: 350 km — approximately 5 to 6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Overnight: Ruaha National Park

After breakfast depart westward from Mikumi toward Ruaha National Park — Tanzania's largest and most remote national park. The scenic drive passes through the beautiful highland town of Iringa — a fascinating stop for a local lunch and brief town exploration — before descending into the dramatic Ruaha River valley and entering the park through the Msembe Gate.

Afternoon game drive along the extraordinary Great Ruaha River — one of Africa's most productive dry season wildlife corridors — searching for enormous elephant herds, lion prides, leopard, hippo pods, Nile crocodiles, and the magnificent greater and lesser kudu. Dinner and overnight deep in the Ruaha wilderness.

Distance: 100 to 150 km within park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Overnight: Ruaha National Park

A full and extraordinary day in the vast wilderness of Ruaha National Park — one of Africa's greatest and most authentic safari destinations where game drives regularly go an entire day without encountering another vehicle.

Dawn game drive along the Great Ruaha River — the best time to witness extraordinary predator activity with lion prides, leopards, and cheetahs all active at first light. Search for the critically endangered African wild dog — Ruaha supports one of Africa's largest and most stable wild dog populations. Bush picnic lunch served beside the river. Afternoon game drive through Ruaha's diverse miombo woodland, open grasslands, and dramatic rocky escarpments — searching for sable antelope, roan antelope, eland, and the park's exceptional birdlife of 570+ species. Sundowner stop beside the Great Ruaha River before returning to camp for dinner under the brilliant southern Tanzania stars.

Distance: 625 km — approximately 8 to 9 hours

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Overnight: N/A — return to Dar es Salaam

Early morning dawn game drive in Ruaha — one final magical hour along the Great Ruaha River at first light before departing eastward back toward Dar es Salaam. Drive through Iringa for a lunch stop before continuing the scenic journey through Tanzania's beautiful southern highlands and coastal lowlands — arriving in Dar es Salaam at approximately 7:00 to 8:00 PM concluding five extraordinary days of southern Tanzania wilderness adventure.