While the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater dominate most Tanzania safari conversations, the country’s south holds some of Africa’s most extraordinary wilderness — and almost none of the crowds. Our southern Tanzania safari packages take you into Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi, and Udzungwa Mountains — a genuinely different Tanzania that rewards curious travelers with exceptional wildlife and complete solitude.
Why Visit Southern Tanzania?
Africa’s largest protected ecosystem — Nyerere National Park
Tanzania’s highest density of wild dogs and lion prides
Virtually no other tourists — private park experiences standard
Ruaha’s massive elephant herds and ancient baobab forests
Boat safaris on the Rufiji River in Nyerere
Walking safaris with armed rangers in remote wilderness
Key Southern Tanzania Parks
Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve)
Nyerere — formerly known as the Selous Game Reserve — is Africa’s largest protected area, covering 54,600 square kilometres. It is home to more wild dogs, hippos, and crocodiles than almost anywhere else on earth. Boat safaris on the Rufiji River and walking safaris with armed rangers are highlights unavailable in the northern parks.
Ruaha National Park
Tanzania’s second-largest national park and arguably its most underrated. Ruaha supports one of Africa’s largest elephant populations — over 20,000 individuals — alongside exceptional lion, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog sightings. The landscape of ancient baobabs and rocky escarpments is visually stunning.
Mikumi National Park
Mikumi lies on the main road between Dar es Salaam and Zambia and offers excellent access. Often called ‘the pocket Serengeti’, it has large open plains with good lion, elephant, giraffe, and buffalo viewing. Our 2-day and 3-day Mikumi safari packages are ideal as a short break from Dar es Salaam.
Getting to Southern Tanzania
The southern circuit parks are primarily accessed from Dar es Salaam, either by road or domestic flight. Fly-in travel is strongly recommended for Ruaha due to the road distances involved. Our Tanzania fly-in safari packages cover the southern circuit with direct flights from Dar es Salaam.
SafariBando has a ground presence in Dar es Salaam, giving us direct operational access to the southern parks — not a subcontracted arrangement.
Combining Southern and Northern Tanzania
The most comprehensive Tanzania safari combines both circuits — flying between Serengeti in the north and Nyerere/Ruaha in the south. This is the itinerary for serious wildlife enthusiasts who want the full breadth of Tanzania’s ecosystems. It pairs naturally with a Zanzibar beach extension at the end.
If the northern circuit is your primary focus, browse our northern Tanzania safari packages separately. For a complete Tanzania comparison, see our full Tanzania safari packages page.
SGR Train Safari Packages
Tanzania’s new Standard Gauge Railway connects Dar es Salaam with the interior, opening exciting new possibilities for southern circuit access. SafariBando is developing SGR-based safari packages that combine train travel with game park visits — a genuinely uncontested itinerary format in Tanzania.
Book Your Southern Tanzania Safari
Browse all southern safari options at safaribando.com/southern-tanzania-safaris.
Contact our Dar es Salaam team to plan your southern circuit safari.
