Southern Wilderness Circuit
The wild south — baobab valleys of Ruaha, the rivers and lakes of Nyerere and almost no other vehicles.
From $3,480 per person
View ItinerarySouthern Highlands
Ruaha
National Park
East Africa at its most raw and least visited: twenty thousand square kilometres of baobab-studded hills, palm-fringed river valleys and one of the largest elephant populations on the continent.
Southern Highlands · Wild & Nature Safaris
Discover
An Introduction
to Ruaha
Ruaha is Tanzania’s second-largest national park, yet it receives a fraction of the visitors of the northern circuit — and that is precisely its magic. The Great Ruaha River carves through a landscape of ancient baobabs, miombo woodland and granite kopjes, drawing elephants, buffalo and predators into its valley as the dry season deepens.
This is a park for travellers who want their safari to feel like an expedition. Lion prides of twenty or more hunt the riverbanks, rare African wild dogs den in the woodland, and greater and lesser kudu move through the shadows of the baobabs. On a full day’s game drive you may pass a handful of other vehicles — or none at all.
- Location
- Southern Highlands, Central Tanzania
- Area
- 20,226 km²
- Known For
- Elephants, super-prides & wild dogs
- Visitors
- One of Tanzania’s least-visited great parks
Wildlife & Natural Highlights
What You Will
Find Here
Every destination has its own rhythm and its own icons. These are the encounters, landscapes and moments that define Ruaha.
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Elephant Kingdom
Ruaha supports one of the largest elephant populations in East Africa — herds of a hundred or more drift through the river valley in the dry season.
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Super-Prides
The park’s lion prides are legendary, some numbering twenty or more, with males maned so dark they look almost black at dusk.
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African Wild Dogs
Ruaha is one of the last true strongholds of the painted hunting dog — denning packs are tracked by the camps each season.
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Rare Antelope
Greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope, and stately eland move through the miombo woodland.
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The Great Ruaha River
The park’s lifeline — sandbanks, oxbow pools and riverside forest where everything eventually comes to drink.
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Birding
Over 570 species, including ashy starlings, giant kingfishers and the elegant black-collared lovebird.
Best Time to Visit
When to
Travel
June to October for concentrated game viewing · November to March for birds, green scenery and solitude.
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June – October
Dry Season
The finest game viewing — animals concentrate along the Ruaha River and the vegetation thins. Hot days, cool nights and enormous skies.
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November – March
Green Season
Rain transforms the park into a green wilderness. Birding is exceptional, the photography superb and the camps wonderfully quiet.
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April – May
Long Rains
Lush and wild, with dramatic storms. Some camps close temporarily for the season — the few that stay open offer remarkable solitude.
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Late May – June
Shoulder
A beautiful transition as the park dries and wildlife begins to return to the river.
Safari Experiences
Things to
Do Here
From first light on the plains to the last glow on the water — the experiences that make Ruaha unforgettable.
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Game Drives
Full-day drives through the river valley and the baobab hills — Ruaha is a park for slow, patient exploration.
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Walking Safaris
Guided walks with an armed ranger, tracking elephants and antelope on foot through the miombo.
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Fly Camping
Spend a night in a simple mobile camp in the heart of the park — stars, silence and the sounds of the river.
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Night Drives
Several of Ruaha’s camps offer night drives in private concessions — leopard, genet and the strange beauty of the bush after dark.
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Birding Safaris
With more than 570 species, Ruaha is one of central Tanzania’s great birding destinations, especially in the green season.
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River Sundowners
End the day on the sandbanks of the Great Ruaha as elephants cross the shallows in the last of the light.
Recommended Journeys
Safaris That Include
Ruaha
Hand-crafted itineraries built around this destination — each one shaped, paced and priced for the way you want to travel.
Great Cats & Open Plains
Built around the big cats — the lion prides of the Serengeti, cheetahs of the Mara and leopards of the riverine forest.
From $2,980 per person
View Itinerary
Balloon & Plains Safari
A dawn balloon flight over the Serengeti or Tarangire, and unhurried days among the herds below.
From $1,760 per person
View ItineraryTravel Information
Before You
Set Out
- Getting There
- Scheduled and charter flights connect Dar es Salaam and Arusha with Ruaha’s airstrips in around two hours. By road, Ruaha is a six-hour drive from Iringa through the highlands.
- Length of Stay
- Three to four nights — the park is vast and the best sightings come to those who give it time.
- Nearby Parks
- The Udzungwa Mountains (forests, waterfalls and the rare Sanje mangabey) lie a few hours north; Mikumi and Nyerere complete a southern circuit.
- Good to Know
- Ruaha is remote and wild — expect dust and heat in the dry season, and limited connectivity. That remoteness is exactly the point. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended.
Good to Know
Ruaha
FAQs
The questions travellers ask us most often about Ruaha.
— Southern Highlands
Why are there so few visitors in Ruaha?
Its remoteness works in its favour. Reaching Ruaha takes a little more effort than the northern circuit, which keeps the park wonderfully quiet — you may see no other vehicles all day.
When is the best time for wild dogs?
The dry season, June to October, is the best time — packs den in the woodland and are tracked regularly by the camps, though sightings remain wild and never guaranteed.
How does Ruaha combine with other parks?
Ruaha pairs naturally with Nyerere on a southern circuit — river, walking and boating safaris in Nyerere, and vast land-based game viewing in Ruaha.
Is Ruaha good for walking safaris?
Excellent. Several camps offer guided walks with armed rangers, and the landscape — baobabs, miombo and river valley — is superb on foot.
What is the green season like?
Vivid and quiet. The park turns green, migrant birds arrive and the photography is outstanding, though wildlife disperses and a few camps close in April and May.