4 Day Ruaha National Park Safari and Wildlife Experience

4 Day Ruaha National Park: The park, situated in Tanzania, is one of the largest parks in East Africa. Known for its rich flora and fauna, it’s also home to huge elephant populations, with an estimated 12,000 elephants migrating through the greater Ruaha ecosystem each year.

Ruaha National Park is also a habitat for the endangered African wild dog population as well as wildlife such as lions, zebras, jackals, and the bat-eared fox.

The itinerary is summarized for you

• Day 1: Transfer from Dar es Salam, Morogoro or Dodoma to Ruaha National Park
• Day 2: Game Drive at Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
• Day 3:  Game Drive at Ruaha National Park, Iringa Tanzania
• Day 4: Transfer from Ruaha National Park to Dodoma, Morogoro & Dar es Salaam

Detailed Itinerary: 4 Day Ruaha National Park

Day 1: Transfer from Dar es Salam, Morogoro or Dodoma to Ruaha National Park

The departure will be from Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, or Dodoma to Ruaha National Park, which is an eight-hour drive from Dar es Salaam. We will stop at Mikumi for breakfast and at Iringa for lunch, then continue driving to Ruaha National Park. Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s largest wilderness area, located in the southwest and visited by only a few travelers each year. The heart of the park is the Great Ruaha River, a large watercourse that reduces to a few pools in the dry season but overflows and rushes over boulders during the rainy season.

Surrounding the Great Ruaha are hundreds of sand rivers, which serve as natural game corridors when dry and become clear streams when wet. Species such as waterbuck, impala, and the southernmost Grant’s gazelle risk predation for a drink of water. The banks of the Ruaha are a constant hunting ground for lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, and the endangered African wild dog. The elephant population in Ruaha is recovering from ivory poaching in the 1980s and is now the largest in East Africa.

Ruaha is a transition zone where eastern and southern species of flora and fauna overlap, with lesser and greater kudu coexisting with northern species like Grant’s gazelle. We will reach Ruaha National Park in the late afternoon, which often allows us to see animals resting and seeking shade from the heat. The day ends with check-in at Mwagusi Safari Camp, followed by a safari drive of approximately two hours.

• Main Destination: Ruaha National Park
• Meal Plan: Full board

Day 2: Game Drive at Ruaha National Park, Tanzania

Departing from camp early in the morning is highly recommended to increase the likelihood of seeing lions. Setting out at 6:30 a.m. is advisable. Breakfast and lunch boxes will be provided for a full-day game drive in the park. Breaks and stretching opportunities will be available at picnic sites. Similar to the first night, we will return to camp for dinner, which will be served between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m.

• Main Destination: Ruaha National Park
• Meal Plan: Full board

Day 3:  Game Drive at Ruaha National Park, Iringa Tanzania

On the third day, our departure is scheduled for around 6:30 a.m. Breakfast will be taken on the go, followed by a half-day game drive in the park. We’ll return to the camp for a hot lunch served between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m. Post-lunch, a 2-hour rest period is planned before we embark on the evening drive, which lasts until sunset. Dinner will be served back at the camp between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• Main Destination: Ruaha National Park
• Meal Plan: Full board

Day 4: Transfer from Ruaha National Park to Dodoma, Morogoro & Dar es Salaam

The day begins with an early morning safari in Ruaha National Park, followed by breakfast back at the camp. Afterwards, we’ll drive to Dar es Salaam, passing through Iringa, with our lunch boxes ready so we can stop for a meal at any scenic picnic spot when the time is right.