A timber bar and open deck beneath a thatched roof, built among granite boulders above the Ruaha plains, Jabali Ridge

Tanzania · Circuit 02

The Southern Circuit

Big rivers, few vehicles, and walks out from camp.

The circuit

The Southern Circuit: Tanzania without the traffic

The south is where we send guests who want the wild without the queues. The parks are bigger, the camps are fewer, and you can go a whole morning without seeing another vehicle. Most people arrive by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Zanzibar.

It suits a second safari, after the north. It also suits a first one, if what you want most is space and a guide who can take you out on foot.

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Water country and dry country

The circuit has two characters. Nyerere is a park of water: the Rufiji River, its lakes and channels, palms and boat safaris. Ruaha is dry, rugged and studded with baobab, known for big lion prides and unhurried predator sightings. Most of our guests combine the two.

Two quieter additions

Between them sit Mikumi, open plains a few hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, and the Udzungwa Mountains, a rainforest explored on foot, home to primates found nowhere else on earth.

Best months: June to October. Some camps close in the long rains, around April and May.
Getting there: Light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Zanzibar.
How long: Six to eight nights across two parks.
Pairs well with: Zanzibar or Mafia after, or the Northern Circuit for a longer trip.

Destinations

Every destination on the Southern Circuit

Lion country and baobab ridges · June to October

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha takes its name from the Great Ruaha River, which shrinks to a string of pools in the dry season and draws the animals of the whole park towards it. The lion prides here are large and the sightings unhurried, and wild dog are seen in the right season.

It is one of the few places where greater and lesser kudu share the same bush. From Jabali Ridge, built among granite boulders above the valley, you can watch an afternoon go by without hearing an engine.

Where we stay

Jabali Ridge Ruaha River Lodge Ubuyu Banyan Tree Escape

Read the Ruaha guide →

A close-up of an African wild dog looking at the camera, with other dogs resting out of focus behind it

The Rufiji by boat · June to October

Nyerere National Park

Nyerere was created from the northern part of the old Selous Game Reserve, and it is enormous. Here the safari happens on water as much as on land: boats along the Rufiji and its lakes, hippos in every channel, and elephants wading through the shallows.

Walks with an armed ranger are part of most stays, and evenings on the water, with the light going gold over the palms, are hard to beat.

Where we stay

Roho ya Selous Sand River Selous Beho Beho Labalaba Siwandu

Read the Nyerere guide →

Travellers on an open-sided safari vehicle watching two elephants, Tanzania

Open plains near Dar es Salaam · June to October

Mikumi National Park

The most accessible park in the south, a few hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam. Its open floodplain, the Mkata, is good for elephant, giraffe, buffalo and lion.

It works well as a short add-on before or after the coast, or for guests who would rather drive than fly.

Ask us about Mikumi →

Three walkers seen from behind on a dusty path through dry golden grass and trees, lit by low evening sun

Rainforest on foot · June to October

Udzungwa Mountains National Park

There are no game drives here. Udzungwa is explored on foot, through rainforest that is home to primates found nowhere else, including the Udzungwa red colobus and the Sanje mangabey.

The walk to the Sanje waterfalls is the one most people remember. It pairs naturally with Ruaha or Mikumi.

Ask us about Udzungwa →

Combine it

The other three circuits

A safari vehicle parked among a large herd of grazing animals on open golden grassland under a cloudy sky

Circuit 01

Northern Circuit

The Serengeti, the crater, and the mountain above them all.

Explore →

A thatched lodge on a sandy lake shore with forested mountains rising behind it, Greystoke Mahale, Lake Tanganyika

Circuit 03

Western Circuit

Chimpanzees, two great lakes, and parks very few people reach.

Explore →

A couple raising glasses at sunset as a traditional dhow sails across the sea in front of them, Zanzibar

Circuit 04

Coastal Circuit

Where a safari ends barefoot.

Explore →

Southern Circuit: what people ask us first

Is the Southern Circuit good for a first safari?

Yes, if you value space over ticking off famous names. You will see fewer vehicles than in the north, and walking and boat safaris are part of the day.

When is the best time to visit Ruaha and Nyerere?

June to October, when the dry season pulls animals to the rivers. Some camps close in the long rains, around April and May.

Can we combine the south with the Northern Circuit?

Yes. Light aircraft connect the two, so a week in the north and four or five nights in the south is a common shape.

Can we walk on safari in the south?

Yes. Walks with an armed ranger are offered in both Ruaha and Nyerere, and Udzungwa is explored entirely on foot.

The map is a beginning, not a plan.

Tell us your dates and who is coming. Goodluck will come back with a route, and the reasons behind every camp on it.

Begin the conversation

+255 753 744 283 · hello@easguides.travel